Pregnant people and fetuses not being protected from wildfire risks – report

Researchers say public health officials not doing enough to share warnings and safety information with health workers

Wildfires pose serious risks to pregnant people and their developing fetuses, including low birth weight and preterm birth. But public health officials are not doing nearly enough to keep these vulnerable populations safe, according to a new report. “While we know that wildfires are continuing to intensify in the US, and we’re increasingly clear on what damages wildfires represent to maternal and newborn health, we’re still not seeing the kind of response from policymakers and public health officials that we need,” said Skye Wheeler, a researcher at Human Rights Watch and one of the report’s authors. Guardian.

How Long You Might Live Based on Where You’re Born, Mapped

There’s as much as a nearly 10-year difference in life expectancy between U.S. states, a new report finds. Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) have the longest life expectancy at birth as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71.0) and Alabama (72.0) have the shortest. Axios.

Note: Life expectancy in Washington state is 78.2.

Surprising New Long COVID Symptoms Show Up in Kids and Teens

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health identified the most common long COVID symptoms in school-aged children and teenagers. Researchers found teenagers, between 12 and 17 were more likely to report fatigue, pain and changes in taste and smell, whereas, younger schoolchildren between 6 and 11 were more likely to have difficulty focusing, sleep problems and stomach issues, according to the report published Wednesday in JAMA. USAToday.

A new Covid vaccine is expected soon. Here’s the best time to get it.

The FDA is expected to approve the updated doses this week. With the summer Covid wave still rising, experts say timing for getting vaccinated is important.

…It’s critically important that people at the highest risk of a severe Covid infection — including people over 65, or with weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions, such as heart disease or obesity — get the vaccine, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto. NBC.

Updates On Mpox Outbreak: Where It’s Been Detected and What to Do If You Get It.

Mpox reached the U.S. as part of a global outbreak in 2022, resulting in 32,000 known infections and 58 deaths domestically. All those cases have been linked to the less virulent and contagious clade II type. The CDC says no clade I infections have been found in the U.S., and that the U.S. is at low risk of this strain arriving. The CDC says mpox infections usually last two and four weeks, and most cases resolve themselves without treatment. There’s no specific medication for mpox, but the CDC says symptoms can be managed with over-the-counter medicines and prescription mouthwashes. The agency strongly advises patients not to touch or scratch the rash. USAToday.

US Announces More Support for Africa’s Mpox Response 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday announced an additional $35 million in emergency health assistance for the clade 1 mpox outbreak in Central and East Africa. In a statement, USAID said the announcement brings the total help for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other affected countries to $55 million and that the new funding is pending congressional notification. CIDRAP.

How U.S. Farms Could Start a Bird Flu Pandemic

The virus is poised to become a permanent presence in cattle, raising the odds of an eventual outbreak among people.

… So far, this virus, H5N1, does not easily infect humans, and the risk to the public remains low. But the longer the virus circulates in cattle, the more chances it gains to acquire the mutations necessary to set off an influenza pandemic. NYT.

Project 2025 would recast HHS as the federal Department of Life

Conservative vision for HHS would remove ‘abortion’ from federal parlance

… Department of Health and Human Serviceswould adopt a staunch antiabortion stance, and federal approval for one commonly used abortion drug could be revisited and potentially withdrawn. “Abortion,” “reproductive health” and any other term “used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights” would be removed from every federal rule, regulation, grant or piece of legislation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would research abortion risks and complications. And HHS would be recast as the Department of Life, underscoring a new Christian nationalist focus. WashPost.

RFK Jr. as Trump’s health secretary? Here’s what he wants to do

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist, appears to be angling for a Cabinet role. He has advocated dismantling core functions of federal health agencies.

… Kennedy, also an attorney, practiced environmental law and founded Children’s Health Defense, which is now the most well-funded anti-vaccine organization in the country. During the pandemic, he became the purveyor of wild conspiracy theories, often aimed at public health officials in the agencies he now seeks to lead. Kennedy has criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for Covid’s death toll and said Fauci should be prosecuted if he committed a crime. He has also said the attorney general should force editors of medical journals to publish retracted studies. NBC.

It’s Not Just IUDs. Gynecologists and Patients Are Focused on Making Procedures Less Painful

Many relatively quick outpatient procedures can cause pain, including biopsies and examinations of the uterus and cervix. Gynecologists and patients say there need to be more conversations about options for local anesthetics — as well as other pain-relief options for these procedures. AP.

US Government Report Says Fluoride at Twice The Recommended Limit Is Linked to Lower IQ in Kids

A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children. The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. AP.

‘Boy Meets World’ star says she has Stage 0 breast cancer. What does that mean?

Ductal carcinoma in situ, which affects more than 55,000 women per year in the United States, is curable.

…[ Danielle] Fishel, 43, revealed in an episode of the podcast “Pod Meets World” aired on Mondaythat she was diagnosed with “high-grade DCIS with micro-invasion.” The term “high-grade” means the cells are highly abnormal — which could mean they look more like cancer cells and less like normal cells under a microscope — and are more likely to recur. “Micro-invasion” means the cells have already begun to break down the membrane separating them from the breast tissue and to spread into the issue, but only minimally… WashPost.

Hospitals Investing in Affordable Housing See Fewer ED Visits

Health systems investing in affordable community housing have seen significant decreases in inpatient and emergency department visits among patients experiencing homelessness. Hospitals are creating housing programs and partnering with local building developers, health departments and governments to connect patients to stable housing options. ModernHealthcare.

Nearly Two-Thirds of Supermarket Baby Foods Are Unhealthy, Study Finds 

The supermarket baby food aisle in the United States is packed with non-nutritious foods containing far too much sugar and salt and misleading marketing claims, a new study found. Sixty percent of 651 foods that are marketed for children ages 6 months to 36 months on 10 supermarkets’ shelves in the US failed to meet recommended World Health Organization nutritional guidelines for infant and toddler foods, according to the study, which was published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients. CNN.

Bizarre raw milk trend is putting children at risk

Despite the real chances of getting seriously ill from raw milk, enthusiasts still see pasteurization as a problem

Raw milk can expose people to a who’s who of nasty bugs, including campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E. coli, listeria, brucella and salmonella. Before pasteurization was the norm, it was associated with truly horrid-sounding diseases like “summer diarrhea.” The advent of pasteurization laws has been considered a key factor in cutting the infant death rate by more than half at the turn of the 20th century. EastBayTimes.