Fatal injury rates have spiked over the past decade for children and teens in the U.S., especially deaths involving guns and drugs, according to new research published in the journal Pediatrics Thursday. ... "Recent trends in pediatric injury-related fatalities are alarming, with increases in homicides, suicides, and poisonings in the past decade," the authors write. Nonfatal firearm and poison-related injuries also increased — up 113.1% and 9.9%, respectively. (Moniuszko, 10/5)
The study delves into a 20-year-old theory that suggests one cause of autism may be a disruption of the delicate balance between two types of nerve cells found in the brain’s cerebral cortex, the area responsible for higher-level processes such as thought, emotion, decision-making and language. Some nerve cells in this region of the brain excite other nerve cells, encouraging them to fire; other cells, called interneurons, do the opposite. Too much excitation can impair focus in the brain and cause epilepsy, a seizure disorder that is more common in people with autism than in the general population. Scientists therefore believe a proper balance requires more of the inhibiting interneurons. (Johnson, 10/5)
CBS News: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Signs Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Children From Lead Poisoning
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation to protect young children throughout the state by guaranteeing screening for lead poisoning. The bills ensure that all children at 12 and 24 months are tested for lead poisoning. Parents will be able to opt out. "Keeping Michiganders safe and healthy is a top priority, and today's bipartisan bills will build on our efforts to protect children from lead poisoning," said Whitmer. "In Michigan, we know the importance of safe drinking water and the devastating, long-lasting impacts of lead exposure. ..." (Powers, 10/4)
"The New York Times: Study Reveals Significant Increase in Gun-Related Child Fatalities"
Julvonnia McDowell was making dinner one evening when she got a call saying that her 14-year-old son, JuJuan — a gentle boy who loved animals, who was so generous that he gave a pair of shoes to a classmate who was being teased — had been shot. He was visiting a relative’s home when another teenager pulled a gun out from a drawer, where the firearm had been stashed under a T-shirt. (Caryn Rabin, 10/5)
From 2019 to 2021 in California, the proportion of kindergarteners with medical exemptions from school vaccination mandates fell, but the percentage not current with vaccinations rose, probably due to COVID-19–related disruptions and parents opting for homeschooling or other modalities not subject to the requirements, University of North Carolina researchers report in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 10/3)
Last year, a student fell unconscious after walking out of a bathroom at Central High School in Pueblo, Colorado. When Jessica Foster, the school district’s lead nurse, heard the girl’s distraught friends mention drugs, she knew she had to act fast. Emergency responders were just four minutes away. “But still four minutes — if they are completely not breathing, it’s four minutes too long,” Foster said. Foster said she got a dose of naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, and gave it to the student. The girl revived. (Ellen Bichell and Garcia Pivik, 10/3)
"The Washington Post: Challenges in Locating COVID-19 Vaccines for Children"
The troubled rollout of updated coronavirus vaccines is proving especially challenging for physicians and parents seeking to immunize children — a reflection of distribution delays, shortages at pharmacies and financial obstacles confronting pediatric practices. The federal government is no longer buying and distributing all vaccines, unleashing a host of complications as the new shots, recommended for everyone older than 6 months, hit the private market in mid-September. The updated vaccines are tailored to provide a shield of protection against coronavirus variants in circulation and arrive as the fall respiratory illness season dawns and an expected winter covid-19 uptick looms. (Sun and Nirappil, 10/2)
"NPR: Researchers Investigate the Genetic Origins of Autism Using a Novel Brain Cell-Based Tool"
A team of researchers has developed a new way to study how genes may cause autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders: by growing tiny brain-like structures in the lab and tweaking their DNA. These "assembloids," described in the journal Nature, could one day help researchers develop targeted treatments for autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. (Hamilton, 10/2)
"The Washington Post: Over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente Employees Commence Multi-State Strike"
The work action, concentrated in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington state, was billed by labor organizers as the largest health-care strike in U.S. history. Representatives of hundreds of medical support staff positions — from front-line licensed vocational nurses and respiratory therapists to dietary services workers and housekeepers — picketed from coast to coast, saying they are overworked and underappreciated. Many expressed frustration that staffing problems prevent them from giving patients the best possible care. (Portnoy, Kaori Gurley and Gregg, 10/4)
"Politico: Treasury Warns that Climate Effects Could Exacerbate Income Inequality"
Using county-level climate projections through 2045, the Treasury Department determined that about half of all U.S. counties face “elevated exposure” to one or multiple climate hazards including wildfire, extreme heat and flooding. Treasury officials then overlaid that information with data about each county’s “social vulnerability,” which takes in account more than a dozen factors including poverty, health conditions, race and ethnicity. (Ellfeldt, 10/2)
A federal program to combat the alarming rates of rural women dying from pregnancy complications has marked a first: It’s supporting an organization that serves predominantly Black counties in the Deep South. The news came Sept. 27, three months after KFF Health News’ reporting raised questions about why a federal Health Resources and Services Administration program targeting rural maternal mortality hadn’t sent a grant to serve mothers in majority-Black rural communities. (Tribble, 10/2)
"AP: California's Newly Established Mental Health Court Launches with High Hopes and Uncertainty"
An alternative mental health court program designed to fast-track people with untreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders into housing and medical care — potentially without their consent — kicked off in seven California counties, including San Francisco, on Monday. (Har, 10/2)