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◼︎ CHILDREN’S HEALTH
Flu Shots to Children Under Anesthesia Raises Questions About Parental Consent
A Chicago children’s hospital is offering flu vaccines to children while they are under anesthesia for surgery or other scheduled procedures, a practice a state lawmaker and pediatric anesthesiologist says can be appropriate when parents provide informed consent.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago announced last month that eligible patients ages 6 months and older can receive the annual flu shot while undergoing a scheduled procedure at its downtown Chicago hospital or ambulatory surgery centers in Westchester and Northbrook.
According to the hospital, nurses ask parents or caregivers on the day of the procedure whether they want their child vaccinated. The hospital says the vaccine is administered only after a parent or legal guardian provides explicit consent.
What Baby Teeth May Reveal About Environmental Chemicals and Autism
Twenty-six years ago, Lynne Heilbrun rushed her young son to the emergency room, struggling to breathe. The doctor on duty had military training in chemical warfare, and he recognized the signs of organophosphate exposure: pesticide poisoning. That experience changed the course of Heilbrun’s life. She went on to earn a master’s degree in public health and a PhD in environmental science, and she now studies children’s environmental health at the UT San Antonio Kate Marmion School of Public Health.
Her team’s latest study, published in Neurotoxicology and Teratology, looked at donated baby teeth from children with and without autism. Her team found more than 300 chemicals on average in each child’s tooth, whether or not the child had autism. These chemicals turn up in plastics, pesticides, food additives, fragrances, and the flame retardants in foam baby products.
On average, children with autism had higher levels of 57 of the 60 compounds, and 19 were significantly higher. This was a small pilot study, with teeth from 38 children: 22 with an autism diagnosis and 16 without. That means it comes with caveats. “We cannot prove causality,” Heilbrun said. “In other words, we can’t prove that these chemicals cause autism.” She hopes other researchers will build on the work and that more funding will follow.
Superbugs on the Rise in Pediatric Patients, US Data Show
An increase in superbug infections in US hospitals appears to be affecting children with complex medical needs, US researchers reported this week in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
Recent surveillance studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown a significant increase in hospital infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), a family of bacterial pathogens that has become resistant to most antibiotics.
The increase has been driven by carbapenemase-producing (CP)-CRE that carry the carbapenemase gene New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM). But data on CRE and CP-CRE infections in pediatric patients have been limited.
Let Kids Play in the Dirt, Research Supports Its Immunity Benefits
Childhood spent outdoors until the streetlights turned on. Exploring the great outdoors. Tracking mud anywhere and everywhere. They’re familiar activities that defined childhood for many individuals — could these messy activities have also come with some unexpected health benefits? What if making a playground healthier for children were as simple as adding some grass, soil, and a little forest floor?
Researchers in Finland put that idea to the test, and the results suggest that getting dirty outdoors may have benefits that go well beyond fresh air and exercise. The word “bacteria” comes with some negative baggage, but it is quite normal — even healthy and important — to have small microorganisms living on and inside us; it’s just a matter of how much and which type.
After just 28 days, preschoolers playing in newly greened playgrounds showed changes in the bacteria living on their skin and in their digestive systems. Blood tests also revealed changes in markers associated with immune system regulation.
Tackling Gestational Depression Key to Baby Brain Growth, Study Shows
Any signs of mental health struggles during pregnancy should be quickly addressed for the good of the child’s development, according to a team of psychiatrists warning that a mother’s state of mind can have “intergenerational effects” on an infant’s brain.
“Babies whose mothers received psychotherapy for depression during pregnancy showed differences in the development of a brain region involved in emotion and memory,” the researchers said, associating such brain differences with “lower negative emotionality” in infancy.
Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study charted brain development and subsequent negative emotionality among 109 mother-and-baby duos after interpersonal psychotherapy was shown to have significantly reduced prenatal depression symptoms.
Tracking Rising Autism and ADHD Diagnoses Across Japan
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are increasingly diagnosed in Japan, and the rise is no longer limited to children. National data show that adult ADHD diagnoses have overtaken ASD diagnoses, while young adult women have experienced a distinct increase. These trends may reflect greater awareness and changing diagnostic practices, rather than increased prevalence.
A research team was led by associate professor Daimei Sasayama from the Department of Psychiatry at Shinshu University School of Medicine, Japan, along with professor Hideo Honda from the Department of Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychiatry at the same university.
The researchers analyzed Japan’s National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups, covering approximately 99% of the population, to examine newly recorded diagnoses from fiscal years 2010 to 2023, after a washout period in fiscal year 2009. The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Oct. 20, 2026.
◼︎ GOVERNMENT
FDA Slaps New Safety Warning on GLP-1 Drugs
The FDA is requiring manufacturers of all GLP-1 drugs to update their prescribing information to include a warning about the potential risk of non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a rare but potentially blinding eye condition.
Cases of NAION have been documented across all currently marketed GLP-1 products, according to the agency. Healthcare providers should “instruct patients to immediately report sudden onset of acute, painless, decreased vision; visual field deficits; or other visual disturbances in one eye,” the FDA stated in a safety communication on Monday.
“If NAION is suspected, promptly refer the patient to an ophthalmologist for evaluation. Consider discontinuing the GLP-1 [receptor agonist] in patients who develop NAION, unless the benefits of treatment clearly outweigh the risk.”
Firm Linked to Trump’s Sons Got Nearly $40 Million in Federal Contracts to Screen for Ebola and Other Diseases
The Trump administration awarded a small biosecurity company nearly $40 million to screen for Ebola and other infectious diseases just months after a firm linked to President Donald Trump’s elder sons invested in its parent company, according to records and interviews.
The contracts, one to screen for Ebola in several U.S. airports and the other to respond to disease outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are seven times the total value of government contracts the company had directly received before.
The company, XpresTest, has years of experience monitoring for COVID-19 and other diseases for the government at U.S. airports. That makes its parent, XWELL, an unusual hybrid, selling both spa treatments and biosecurity services. Last year, it made most of its money from waxing salons and airport spas that offer manicures, massages and “chakra beds.”
WHO Adds Two More Ebola Vaccines to Clinical Trial
Clinical Trials Arena reported:
The World Health Organization (WHO) will add two more Ebola vaccines to the ongoing Tumaini clinical trial. The Phase II/III study (NCT07842107), which is being conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), will now also evaluate ChAdOx1, developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469, which are specifically designed for the Bundibugyo virus, the virus responsible for the current outbreak.
The WHO’s independent Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccines Prioritization recommended both vaccines for further clinical evaluation this week, based on available preclinical and early clinical evidence.
The companies were informed on Monday. The vaccine candidates will enter the trial following national approvals.
◼︎ BIG FOOD
FDA Weighs New Labeling Recommendations for Caffeine Content in Drinks
The Food and Drug Administration is weighing new labeling recommendations for caffeine content in drinks. About 90% of adults in the United States drink caffeine every day, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The FDA does not currently require companies to disclose how much caffeine is in a beverage unless it is added as a standalone ingredient. But the agency could tighten the guidelines as it considers new labeling recommendations this year.
Many energy drink companies already disclose how much caffeine is in their drinks. The American Beverage Association, which includes most major energy drink companies, agreed to “voluntarily and completely display the total quantity of caffeine in each beverage” they sell. Rob van Dam, who studies caffeine at The George Washington University, said it’s hard for people to monitor how much caffeine they consume.
Ozempic-Friendly Foods Are Taking Over Grocery Stores, but There’s a Catch
Food companies are putting “GLP-1 friendly” labels on frozen meals, snacks, and smoothies aimed at Americans taking Ozempic and Wegovy. But there’s a catch: Neither the FDA nor USDA has established a universal nutritional standard for the phrase.
That means the label alone doesn’t guarantee a healthier meal, better weight loss, or adequate nutrition. A November 5 Food Dive report reveals how major food companies are targeting Ozempic and Wegovy users with smaller portions, added protein, and fiber — even as industry experts question whether specialized labels actually help shoppers make better nutritional choices.
◼︎ BIG CHEMICAL
What Happens When You Steep a Plastic Tea Bag? Scientists Found More Than Just Microplastics
In early 2025, Food & Wine shared a study that found plastic tea bags can shed an enormous number of microplastic particles into each cup. Now, however, scientists have found that these bags can also leave behind other byproducts that may really ruin your appetite for a nice afternoon tea.
In October, researchers at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in Rize, Turkey, published a study in npj Science of Food showing that plastic tea bags release microplastics, bisphenol A (BPA), several phthalates, and other plasticizers into hot water. The researchers explained that manufacturers add these substances to tea bags to make the plastic flexible and heat-resistant. These additives aren’t exactly what you want in your tea: They are known endocrine disruptors that can interfere with our hormones.
To see what ended up in the cup, the team purchased 28 tea brands from supermarkets in Rize Province, half bagged and half loose-leaf. They found that ten bagged brands used plant-based cellulose, while four used synthetic bags. The researchers then focused on those four synthetic bags, brewing each with about 5 ounces of water heated to 203°F for three minutes, and compared what they shed with the loose-leaf tea. The difference between bagged and loose-leaf was enormous.
Radon Linked To Heart Failure Risk In Aging Women
U.S. News & World Report reported:
Radon gas is already known to cause cancer, but a new study suggests it may also affect heart health. Older women appear to have a higher risk of heart failure if they live in areas with higher indoor radon levels, researchers reported Nov. 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Women past menopause are more likely to both develop heart failure and die from the condition if exposed long-term to high radon levels, researchers found. If confirmed, these findings suggest that ridding your home of radon could have heart health benefits “analogous to the once-unrecognized benefits of smoking cessation, long before cigarette and environmental tobacco smoke were identified as risk factors for non-pulmonary disease,” senior researcher Dr. Eric Whitsel said in a news release.
He’s a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas naturally released from soil and rocks that can seep into homes through crawlspaces, basement floor slabs, or porous or cracked foundation walls. Radon has long been recognized as the nation’s second-leading cause of lung cancer, following smoking, researchers said in background notes.
◼︎ BIG BROTHER
Teens Could Be Locked out of Gmail Under Safety Bill, Google Warns
The Sydney Morning Herald reported:
Australian teenagers could be locked out of Gmail and other email services under the federal government’s online safety overhaul, Google has told a Senate inquiry.
YouTube public policy manager Rachel Lord said on Monday that one section of the Digital Duty of Care bill could force Google to check users’ ages and block under-18s from “everyday communication services like messaging, email and private file storage”.
The section is designed to keep children away from pornography. Google wants it limited to services whose sole or main purpose is distributing porn. The bill, which passed the lower house last month, would make online companies act to reduce harm before it happens, with penalties of up to $109.2 million. Communications Minister Anika Wells wants it passed by the end of the year, and the new duty would begin 12 months after it becomes law.
The Only Town in the U.S. That Said Yes to Data Centers
Harwood, North Dakota, may be the only place in the United States that voted in favor of data centers last week. The town, population 845, faced the prospect of a $3 billion, 1.8-million-square-foot facility on its outskirts.
Resident Michael Swartz hadn’t liked the idea. He said he felt city officials had rolled over for a mega-developer who wanted to cash in on the artificial intelligence boom. “It’s changing … our small town, and I don’t know if it’s for the good,” he said.
So Swartz, a software engineer, organized to get a measure on the ballot demanding independent reviews and public hearings for big new industrial projects, as well as proposed modifications and expansions of existing ones.
