Monday, May 13, 2024 – KFF Health News

Fate: Parents are giving medicine to their children to sleep

New survey results from Sleep Doctor show that 79% of parents have used something to help their child sleep – 66% have used melatonin, 35% have used Benadryl, and 20% have used Have resorted to prescription sleep aids. Others reported using everything from herbal and over-the-counter aids to CBD, THC, and even alcohol. Millennial and Gen Z parents were the most likely to give their children sleeping pills, with 84% and 83%, respectively, saying they had done so. (Greenfield, 5/12)

Newsweek: Boys’ IQ may be affected by mothers’ pregnancy stress levels

A new study suggests that high levels of stress during late pregnancy may impair IQ scores in young boys. Researchers at Odense University Hospital in Denmark found that increases in the stress hormone cortisol in the third trimester can have lasting effects on boys as young as seven, but not on girls. The findings highlight the important role of cortisol in the in utero development of boys and girls independently. (Smith, 5/10)

NPR: As schools rethink cursive, research on the brain benefits of handwriting

In children, studies show that tracing the ABCs rather than typing them leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of the letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying the foundation for literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand rather than typing during lectures may lead to better conceptual understanding of the material. (Lambert, 5/11)

Newsweek: Scientists reveal how autism develops in children

Scientists have made a breakthrough in our understanding of the development of childhood autism. The researchers say this discovery, which sheds light on a small number of biochemical pathways involved in the development of autism, could help inform early detection and prevention strategies in the future. (Dewan, 5/10)

Washington Post: A strange regression was linked to Down syndrome. These moms found answers

Before Sarah Smith started disappearing, she was thriving. The youngest of four sisters, Sarah was born with Down syndrome and lived the life of an active teenager. …but everything changed within a few weeks in 2011. Sarah changed from a sociable teenager to someone who stopped talking and engaging with other people, and at her worst, she was suffering from complete catatonia. Sarah’s doctors were confused, but her mother, Eileen Quinn, was not giving up. (Sima, 5/12)

In other research news –

Newsweek: Early menopause linked to premature death

New research shows that people who stop menstruating early in life have a higher risk of dying at an early age. In particular, people who achieve menopause before the age of 40 – known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) – are twice as likely to die from any cause. People with POI are more than four times as likely to die from cancer, according to the study to be presented by researchers in Stockholm, Sweden, from May 11 to 14. (Thomson, 5/11)

Newsweek: Just a few days of night shifts have ‘long-term’ consequences

Working night shifts for just a few days is enough to have a serious impact on our health, a new study warns. Many studies have highlighted the impact of shift work on human health, including effects on our heart, fertility and some types of cancer. Now, research from Washington State University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has found that night shifts can also disrupt the natural rhythms that regulate our blood sugar, metabolism and inflammation, increasing the risk of a variety of metabolic disorders. (Dewan, 5/10)

The Hill: 1 in 8 adults have taken Ozempic or another GLP-1 drug: survey

A survey by health policy nonprofit KFF found that 1 in 8 adults say they have taken a GLP-1 agonist, the obesity and diabetes drugs that include Ozempic, Monzaro and Zepbound. Of those surveyed, 12 percent said they had used a GLP-1 agonist, with 6 percent saying they were currently using one. Most of them – 62 percent – ​​said they were using the drugs to treat a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease, while the remaining 38 percent took the drugs only to lose weight. (Choi, 5/10)

CIDRAP: Study: Functionally dependent patients at higher risk of hand contamination with resistant bacteria

A study of newly admitted patients at two hospitals in Michigan found that patients with severe functional dependence were more likely to have multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on their hands and less likely to clean them independently, researchers report today in Infection Control. Had less chance of being able to. and hospital epidemiology. (lentils, 5/10)

Washington Post: Study finds hip fractures more deadly than some cancers in older adults

A recent analysis found poor survival rates after bone fractures in older adults, with less than a third of men and half of women surviving five years after a fracture. Published in JBMR Plus, the study looked at a group of 98,474 Ontario residents aged 66 and older who had fractures in parts of the body associated with osteoporosis between January 2011 and March 2015. Patients were divided into groups based on fracture site and matched to patients with similar demographic profiles but no broken bones during the study period. (Blakemore, 5/12)

On Pharma Research News –

Wall Street Journal: Bristol Myers Squibb cancer-treatment trial misses endpoint

Bristol Myers Squibb said Friday that its trial evaluating the combination of cancer treatments failed to meet its primary endpoint. The company’s trial was evaluating cancer-drug Opdivo and concurrent chemoradiotherapy, followed by Opdivo plus Yervoy, the brand name of a monoclonal antibody, in the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The primary endpoint of the trial was progression-free survival. (Glickman, 5/10)

Reuters: Japan’s Shionogi says Covid treatment misses endpoint in late-stage trial

Japan’s Shionogi & Co (4507.T) said on Monday its pill-based treatment for COVID-19 met the primary endpoint of showing a statistically significant reduction in 15 common symptoms of the disease in a global, late-stage trial. does not do. The company’s pivotal Phase 3 study of escitrelvir (SCORPIO-HR) demonstrated a potent antiviral effect compared to placebo, the company said. Shionogi said he previously expected the pill, known commercially as Zykova, would have annual sales of $2 billion if it wins U.S. approval. (5/13)

CIDRAP: Data suggest SARS-CoV-2 can jump from raccoon dogs to humans, but species barriers may interfere

A study in PLOS Pathogens finds that raccoon dogs can carry and transmit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to humans, although with significant differences in the enzymes that facilitate viral entry into the cell. This possibility may be less. “The key to the coronavirus’s ability to jump from one species to another is the ability of its spike protein to bind to receptors on the new host’s cells,” the authors said. (Van Buyscombe, 5/10)