Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
While Still Risky, Congenital Heart Defects No Longer Always A Deterrent Of Pregnancy
The Washington Post: For Women With Congenital Heart Defects, Having A Baby Can Be Risky
For years, the one thing standing between Candace Martinez and motherhood was her heart. She was born with a defect that a generation earlier would have led to death as an infant, but modern medicine — open-heart surgery at 5 weeks old to switch two misconnected arteries — had saved her. At age 18 she experienced heart failure: Her heart muscle couldn’t pump enough blood to oxygenate her body. At 19, she got a pacemaker. Martinez survived, but she always assumed that the life modern medicine had given her would not include having children. Pregnancy and childbirth long were thought to be too tough on women with congenital heart defects like hers. (Haelle, 6/4)
CNN: Infants Don't Make Great Roommates, Study Says
The sooner babies get their own rooms, the longer they'll sleep on average, according to a new study that breaks with the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Analyzing surveys from 230 first-time mothers at Penn State, Dr. Ian Paul, a pediatrician, found that babies slept for longer stretches if they didn't sleep in the same bedroom as their parents. (Nedelman, 6/5)
The New York Times: The Empathetic Dog
Benjamin Stepp, an Iraq war veteran, sat in his graduate school course trying to focus on the lecture. Neither his classmates nor his professor knew he was silently seething. But his service dog, Arleigh, did. She sensed his agitation and “put herself in my lap,” said Mr. Stepp, 37, of Holly Springs, Miss. “I realized I needed to get out of class. We went outside, I calmed down. We breathed.” (Lucchesi, 6/4)
Kaiser Health News: They’ve Still Got Bucket Lists — In Their 90s
It is one thing to have a bucket list at any age. It is something else entirely to have a bucket list that sends you to college for the first time at 92 — or that sends you on your maiden flight at the controls of a single-engine airplane at 97. These are the bucket list accomplishments of Cecile Tegler (92) and Mildred “Milly” Reeves (97). And neither of them is done yet. (Horovitz, 6/5)
The Washington Post: Wild 'Death Cap' Mushrooms Sicken 14 People In California — And Often Kill
They sprouted up in abundance after heavy rains, poking up through California lawns and forests, appearing harmless to some of those who found them — as though they'd make a good meal. And so they do, at first. The “death cap” mushroom is said to be delicious. A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap — or amanita phalloides — last December: Violent nausea, in all cases. For some days later, organ damage as the death caps' potent toxins ravaged the liver. (Selk, 6/3)
The Baltimore Sun: Research Offers Mixed Messages On The Impact Of Social Media On Adolescent Emotional Health
Researchers and scientists still are trying to figure out how social media use affects young people. So far the evidence is mixed and there's no broad consensus on the long-term consequences of excessive social media use. Studies have shown the around-the-clock world of social media takes a mental and emotional toll on some young people. It has been linked to increased anxiety, depression and decreased relationship skills. One study found social media can be more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol for some people. Social media also can have a positive affect, however. Some research has found that social media can be a resource for teens to find social support when they are struggling with life issues, and that they can use the different online platforms as a way to express themselves. (McDaniels, 6/2)
Detroit Free Press: Estimating The Cost Of Domestic Violence And Stalking On Victims Lives
Financial manipulation is a tactic abusers commonly use in domestic violence cases to torment and control their victims. "What we know is that economic security equals safety," said Sarah Gonzalez Bocinski, director of the Economic Security for Survivors Project at the Institute for Women's Policy Research. "Without those resources, options are very limited." As many as 74% of women surveyed at domestic violence shelters reported that they stayed with an abuser longer because of financial issues, she said, citing a 2012 Mary Kay Foundation report. (Shamus, 6/3)
The Washington Post: As Bike Commuting Soars, So Do Injuries. Annual Medical Costs Are Now In The Billions.
Bikes have transformed urban landscapes throughout America, from pavement markings on streets to our workday gear, and most of us agree it's a good thing. They've reduced the pollution we send into the ozone layer, helped us conserve gas and oil and kept us fitter than we might otherwise be. But there's also been a downside to all that cycling: more injuries. And those injuries are costing billions of dollars a year. (Cha, 6/3)
