Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After More Infant Deaths, Fisher-Price Recalls Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, Again
Fisher-Price announces of the recall of nearly 5 million of its Rock 'n Play Sleepers which have been linked to about 100 deaths. Fisher-Price announced another recall of its Rock 'n Play Sleeper that has linked a total of 100 deaths, federal safety officials said. The sleeper was first recalled in April 2019, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a Jan. 9 filing. The recall covers about 4.7 million products. (Lenihan, 1/10)
Fisher-Price is reminding consumers not to use the company's once-popular Rock 'n Play sleepers, which were recalled in 2019 but have continued to lead to infant deaths. On Monday, in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the child product giant re-announced the recall of 4.7 million of its Rock 'n Play sleepers. The Atlanta-based company Kids2 also re-announced the 2019 recall of 694,000 of its Rocking Sleepers. (Hernandez, 1/10)
In news concerning drug use, overdoses —
The number of seniors visiting emergency rooms in California for cannabis-related issues is growing, according to new research. From 2005 to 2019, the state’s emergency departments saw a 1,808 percent relative increase in the rate of cannabis-related trips among those aged 65 and older. (Melillo, 1/10)
The U.S. health regulator said on Tuesday its advisory panel will meet on Feb. 15 to review Emergent Biosolutions Inc's (EBS.N) over-the-counter (OTC) nasal spray to treat suspected opioid overdoses. Emergent is seeking the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA)approval for the prescription-free sale of Narcan, its nasal spray form of the drug naloxone. Narcan is already cleared for the treatment of opioid overdose in the country. (1/10)
The worsening opioid epidemic is prompting more people to carry a nasal spray that reverses overdoses and become de facto first responders in life-or-death situations. Naloxone acts five times quicker than the approximately 10-minute average arrival time for EMS technicians, according to a federal overdose tracker launched last month. (Moreno, 1/11)
In other public health news —
It's an open question whether more children will die of preventable diseases in the next few years because of COVID-19 related interruptions in health-care delivery and vaccine programs. During the years of the pandemic, vaccinations against measles, pertussis and other preventable diseases plummeted. (Brink, 1/10)
A new study bolstering evidence of the connection between childhood asthma and gas stovetops has added urgency to calls for federal housing authorities to remove gas stoves from public housing, where a majority of households are headed by women. (Kutz, 1/10)
If you're routinely waking up feeling sluggish, you're not alone. Fewer than 1 in 3 Americans are getting "restorative sleep," according to a recent study from researchers at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital. (Pandey, 1/10)
On mental health matters —
Experts are increasingly warning of a connection between heavy social media use and mental health issues in children — a hot topic now driving major lawsuits against tech giants. Some scientists who study technology's effects on children say the negatives far outweigh any positives. (Kingson, 1/11)
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been remarkably transparent about their psychological struggles. In a documentary about mental health that he filmed with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry included a video of himself undergoing E.M.D.R., or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, which helps people with post-traumatic stress disorder cope with triggering memories. Ms. Markle has spoken candidly about experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. (Smith, 1/10)
