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Sudden Infant Deaths Rise Among Babies Born to Black Mothers, Widening Mortality Gap
After years of declines in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID), rates have been ticking up again, particularly among babies born to Black mothers, new research shows. The findings, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, help explain a puzzling widening of the disparity in infant mortality rates between white and Black populations since 2020.
“This study provides evidence that there is an acute crisis right now in sudden unexplained infant death, a category of cause of death that we assumed we got under control a long time ago,” said co-author Leslie Root, a demographer and assistant research professor in the Institute of Behavioral Science at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Mortality rates for babies born to Black mothers are about twice those for babies born to white mothers, a gap that has persisted for decades. Experts point to higher rates of preterm birth among Black women as the primary cause of the gap, and public health campaigns focused on prenatal care and education have worked to address the issue.
But since 2020, the gap has begun to widen again.
ADHD Linked to Troubling Health Problems, Major Review Finds
People who have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more likely to suffer from a range of gastrointestinal issues, according to a new study.
Researchers from Warwick Medical School in the UK noted that people with ADHD appear to have higher odds of experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The review, published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, examined 23 studies from 10 countries involving more than 1.9 million participants. Ten of the studies were conducted in the United States.
Researchers searched major medical databases for studies examining GI symptoms among people with a formal ADHD diagnosis. The results were striking.
FDA Nominee Says Vaccines Are Safe Despite Trump Efforts to Overhaul Childhood Shots
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration voiced support for the safety of long-established vaccines at a hearing Thursday, even as senators questioned her about the White House’s efforts to upend childhood immunizations.
Dr. Heidi Overton is currently serving as a White House adviser and has worked on a series of Trump health initiatives, including an executive order last month that called for splitting up and spacing out decades-old childhood vaccinations. Overton, a physician, stood beside Trump in the Oval Office when he falsely remarked that the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine could be “quite lethal.”
Senate Health Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician from Louisiana, pushed Overton to reject that statement and affirm the safety of FDA-approved vaccines. “Right now every vaccine that is on the market has been determined to be safe and effective,” including the MMR vaccine, Overton said.
‘Reporter Game’ Might Help Autistic Kids Manage Sensory Overload
U.S. News & World Report reported:
A “reporter game” might help autistic children manage anxiety from sensations such as the feel of scratchy fabric or the abrasive honk of a car alarm, a new study says. Children playing this game are taught to evaluate potentially disturbing sensations objectively, sticking to facts as a news reporter would, researchers said.
MRI scans showed that this strategy reduces activity in the brain’s sensory regions, which could help children with autism better manage distress, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
“For years we’ve been identifying what’s happening in the brain,” senior researcher Shulamite Green, an associate professor-in-residence of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA, said in a news release. “This is us finally getting to the point where we can test for possible treatments.” For the study, researchers recruited 47 autistic and 45 typically developing kids ages 8 to 15.
Indoor Air Pollution and Children’s Health: Tips for Healthier Breathing at Home
Outdoor air pollution from factories, vehicles and wildfires is harmful for kids. But the air inside homes, schools and other indoor spaces matters, too. Indoor air can carry particles and gases that irritate growing lungs and airways, making breathing problems and infections more likely. Some indoor air pollutants can even cause lasting harm to children’s lungs, brains and other organs.
Children spend up to 90% of their time inside, so the air they breathe indoors can have a big impact on their health. In fact, the levels of some air pollutants can be 2 to 5 times higher indoors than they are outdoors. This means everyday indoor air can expose children to higher concentrations of harmful substances than many parents realize.
