Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Unsafe Sleep Practices Linked To Most Sudden Infant Deaths
The Washington Post: Most Sudden Infant Deaths Involved Unsafe Sleep Habits, Study Finds
More than three-quarters of sudden infant deaths involved multiple unsafe sleep practices, including co-sleeping, a recent analysis suggests. A study published in the journal Pediatrics looked at 7,595 sudden infant death cases in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention registry between 2011 and 2020. The majority of deaths occurred in babies less than 3 months old. (Blakemore, 3/31)
Medical Xpress: Could Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Be Caused By Unrecognized Brain Infections?
Some infants who pass away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are known to have had acute minor infections. Could these have played a role in their death? Using next-generation molecular tools, a new study provides evidence that undiagnosed inflammation and occult infection can contribute to SIDS and the brainstem pathology seen in some infants. The findings are published in JAMA Neurology. (Fliesler, 3/27)
In other pediatric updates —
Stat: Scientists Uncover Potential Path To Treating Deadly Childhood Tumor
Most targeted cancer drugs work like tranquilizer darts, snaring an overzealous gene that has spurred the cell into murderously rapid growth. But many tumors don’t have a hyperactive gene. Like the mayhem in “Cat in the Hat,” they are enabled by parental absence. They grow because the genes that are meant to provide discipline, guiding the activity of other genes or self-destructing a cell whose DNA is too damaged, are broken or missing. (Mast, 4/1)
The Hill: Teens’ Latest Social Media Trend? Self-Diagnosing Their Mental Health Issues
Teenagers are increasingly using social media to self-diagnose their mental health issues, alarming parents and advocates who say actual care should be easier to access. A poll by EdWeek Research Center released this week found 55 percent of students use social media to self-diagnose, and 65 percent of teachers say they’ve seen the phenomenon in their classrooms. (Lonas, 3/30)
