Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pregnant Women Who Use Marijuana At Higher Risk Of Having Child With Autism, Study Finds
In what they call the largest study ever done, researchers found using marijuana while pregnant may increase the risk that a child will develop autism. "Women who used cannabis during pregnancy were 1.5 times more likely to have a child with autism," said study author Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal fetal medicine specialist and clinical investigator at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada. "These are not reassuring findings. We highly discourage use of cannabis during pregnancy and breastfeeding," she said. (LaMotte, 8/10)
Using marijuana during pregnancy is linked to 50% greater chance of having a child with autism, according to the largest study of its kind. The study, published in Nature Medicine on Monday, reviewed data from more than a half a million women in Ontario, Canada — about 3,000 of whom reported using cannabis during pregnancy and about 2,200 of whom reported using cannabis and no other substances. (Medaris Miller, 8/10)
Read the full study here:
And in other developments —
The calm before the storm isn't really so calm, at least not for anyone with asthma or other severe breathing disorders, new research shows. During the days before a major thunderstorm hits, emergency room visits for seniors who suffer from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rose significantly, according to a research letter published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. (LaMotte, 8/10)
Adding a new weapon to the fight against insect-borne illnesses like Lyme disease and malaria, the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday approved a new chemical that both repels and kills ticks and mosquitoes. The chemical, nootkatone, an oil found in cedar trees and grapefruits, is so safe that it is used by the food and perfume industries. Nootkatone is considered nontoxic to humans and other mammals, birds, fish and bees, the E.P.A. said in a statement. (McNeil Jr., 8/10)
With advanced technology, clinicians can now sequence the genomes of apparently healthy newborn babies, seeking to turn up hidden inherited diseases that aren’t caught by routine blood testing. But new research sharpens questions about whether these DNA tests are sufficiently accurate. (Robbins, 8/10)
