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Vaping may increase a person's risk for cavities and tooth decay, preliminary new research suggests. Adding artificial sweeteners and flavorings to the sticky aerosol may create the perfect breeding ground for cavities. The new study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Dental Association, is considered preliminary and does not prove that vaping causes cavities. But because e-cigarette usage is so rampant among adolescents — with 2.5 million teens vaping in the United States alone — the possibility that it could increase the risk for tooth decay in this generation is worrisome, experts who study vaping in young people said. Among these high-risk patients, e-cigarette users, Irusa found, were at a "significantly" higher risk of developing cavities, compared with those who did not vape.

☆ Abortion rates fell slightly in 2020, with most done at or before 9 weeks, says CDC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Katherine Dillinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The CDC requests abortion data each year from all 50 states and other jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia and New York City, and researchers compare it to census and birth data. The abortion rate in these areas from 2019 to 2020 fell from 11.4 per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 to 11.2 per 1,000 women. From 2011 to 2020, the total number of reported abortions fell 15% and the abortion rate fell 18%. But it ticked up slightly between 2019 and 2020, as total births declined in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Missouri had the lowest abortion rate in 2020, at 0.1 per 1,000 women.

☆ Switzerland has a stunningly high rate of gun ownership — here's why it doesn't have mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Hilary Brueck | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Switzerland hasn't had a mass shooting in 21 years. The Swiss have strict rules for who can get a gun, and take firearm training very seriously. Loading Something is loading. The National Rifle Association often points to Switzerland to argue that more rules on gun ownership aren't necessary. But the Swiss have some specific rules and regulations for gun use.

CNN —A biologic therapy that delays the onset of type 1 diabetes received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. The most common side effects reported in the trial participants were low white blood cells and lymph cells, rash and headache. Without insulin, blood sugar can build up in the bloodstream and break down the body’s own fat and muscle. With Tzield, doctors would screen individual family members of people with type 1 diabetes to see whether they have those specific antibodies. As of 2019, about 1.9 million people have type 1 diabetes in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association, including 244,000 children and adolescents.

☆ 'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider testifies against Ohio transgender care ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

champion Amy Schneider testified before an Ohio House of Representatives committee meeting Wednesday against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming medical care for minors. After receiving gender-affirming care, "for the first time in my life, that alarm went silent, and I knew peace and quiet for the first time." Rep. Latyna Humphrey, a Democrat, asked Schneider if she has ever regretted receiving gender-affirming care or experienced suicidal thoughts after her transition. “We’ve made quite a few concessions, and that’s to bring this to a middle ground,” Click said of the substitute bill. Four states — Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee — passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

☆ Texas GOP looks to restrict transgender health care and drag shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Texas Republicans introduced several bills this week that target the transgender community, including at least two measures seeking to criminalize gender-affirming care for minors and one bill looking to prevent children from attending drag performances. For minors, this type of care typically includes puberty blockers, which are recommended to trans youths before the onset of puberty, or hormone therapy for teenagers. The Texas bills come on the heels of a previous attempt this year by the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, to deem transition-related care for minors as child abuse under state law. Greg Abbott, the state’s Republican governor, subsequently called on citizens to report parents of transgender minors to the state if they suspect these minors are receiving gender-affirming care. The state’s current definition of “sexually oriented businesses” includes any venue where two or more people perform nude and alcohol is served.

☆ Hearing loss: 1 billion people at risk from unsafe listening
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Turning down the racket isn’t just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss. “We estimated that 0.67 to 1.35 billion individuals aged 12-34 years worldwide likely engage in unsafe listening practices,” and are therefore at risk for hearing loss, said lead study author Lauren Dillard via email. If that goes on for too long, they can become permanently damaged, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus or both. Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of scientific articles regarding unsafe listening practices published between 2000 and 2021 across three databases, the study said. Primary prevention in early adults is critical to avoid earlier onset and accelerated age-related hearing loss.”

☆ Russia has a plan to put children to work since so many men are fighting Putin's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is planning to change its child labor laws to allow kids as young as 14 into the workforce more easily. They will no longer need approval from a guardian or a social services agency to be hired. Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine pulled 300,000 people into battle, causing labor shortages. Russia is facing labor shortages caused by the absence of nearly 300,000 people from their jobs and onto the battlefield to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported. "They have to go through countless checks, bureaucracy, and getting approvals, it is simply not profitable for employers."

☆ Unvaccinated infants were hospitalized with Covid more this summer than most age groups, CDC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The average weekly hospitalization rate among young infants during this period was about 13.7 per 100,000. Fortunately, the surge in hospitalizations among young infants was not associated with increased severity. The spike in hospitalizations among young infants was due to high community transmission of the virus during omicron, according to CDC. The threshold for admitting young infants is also much lower than older children. Infants younger than six months are the only age group in the U.S. ineligible for the shots.

☆ Kids’ average daily screen use increased by more than an hour and twenty minutes during the pandemic, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Average daily screen use by children during the Covid-19 pandemic increased by more than an hour and twenty minutes, according to an analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday. Kids’ average daily screen use increased by 1.5 times during the pandemic – from a baseline of 162 minutes a day before the pandemic to 246 minutes during the pandemic, according to the analysis. Also, some of the studies in the analysis used retrospective estimates, meaning parents could have misremembered how much screen time their kids had before the pandemic. Parents and caregivers’ amount of screen time, as well as their stress levels, during the pandemic were found to be associated with the duration of kids’ screen use, the analysis said. It is also critical to discuss balancing screen use with other important daily functions, such as sleep and physical activity,” the researchers advised.

☆ More adolescent e-cigarette users report vaping within five minutes of waking up, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The data included a total of 151,573 survey respondents, all in middle or high school in the United States. ‘Concerning’ trends in the intensity of useThe overall prevalence of e-cigarette use peaked in 2019 and then declined. But by 2019, more e-cigarette users were using within the first five minutes of waking up each day compared with traditional cigarette users. “It is encouraging that the prevalence of e-cigarette use has declined among U.S. adolescents from 2019 to 2021. “Unfortunately, early nicotine addiction could overturn the significant tobacco control progress made over many decades,” she said.

☆ As election nears, some conservative groups have ramped up anti-trans campaign ads
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

In the last leg of what has been a heated midterm election cycle, some conservative groups have ramped up misleading or inflammatory campaign ads targeting transgender rights, which have become an increasingly partisan and divisive issue. Within the last several weeks, the American Principles Project aired campaign ads in six battleground states, the group wrote on Twitter. Justin Unga, the director of strategic initiatives for the Human Rights Campaign, said ads targeting transgender rights can have real-world ramifications. A record 346 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in state legislatures around the country this year, including 145 that restrict transgender rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Many of the recent campaign ads targeting transgender rights were directed at Black and Latino voters, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

☆ Two Florida medical boards advance ban on gender-affirming care for minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Florida’s state medical boards voted Friday afternoon to approve the language of a first-of-its-kind rule banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors who don’t already receive it. The rule updates the medical standards of practice in the state to mostly prohibit health care professionals from starting treatment for gender dysphoria in those younger than 18. Gender dysphoria refers the stress and discomfort some experience when their gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. The measure bans the prescription of puberty blockers or hormone therapy to new patients who are minors, and it forbids gender-affirming surgeries. In a statement Friday, Equality Florida said once the rule goes into effect, it will be the only ban in the country of gender-affirming care for minors instituted by a state medical board.

"Joe Biden and his political allies are indoctrinating your children," the flier, which NBC News reviewed, says in bold red letters translated from Spanish. "The primary motive behind that is to suppress Latino voters," he said. The Latino vote could be a factor in the outcome. Citizens for Sanity, a group associated with America First Legal, has also recently broadcast anti-immigration ads in California and Arizona. "Putting this out there could prevent a kid from receiving help that could prevent them from going down a darker path."

An earlier study in adults showed that the drug did indeed help with weight loss. “We’ve entered the phase where we are seeing the kind of weight loss where teens come to us in tears. In addition to the weight loss, the drug reduced some cardiovascular risk factors, including waist circumference and bad cholesterol. As it turns out, even when people get weight loss surgery, “three years out, there is significant weight gain,” Li said. When a weight loss drug like this is prescribed to patients, that shouldn’t be the end of things, Li said.

☆ Effects of Supreme Court abortion ruling: Longer travel time, more requests for pills
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Infants born as a result of an unintended pregnancy, meanwhile, face a higher risk of low birth weight or preterm birth. Ashana's article asserts that every hour of delayed care increases a patient’s risk of adverse outcomes or death. But in some cases, abortion restrictions require waiting until a person is hemorrhaging or develops sepsis before performing a lifesaving abortion. Hassan said medication abortion presents "a lot of opportunity to be able to expand into places that are geographically difficult for people to access abortion." "There are a lot of things within the health care system environment that could change, including the way we think about where abortion care can be accessed," Hassan said.

☆ More Children Are Being Screened for Mental-Health Issues. But Then What?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Andrea Petersen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A mental-health crisis among children and teens that had been brewing for years worsened as routines were disrupted in the pandemic. Mental-health screenings for kids are expanding across the country. But as more children are identified as needing assistance, families can face a tough time getting help from resources that are already stretched thin. A mental-health crisis among children and teens that had been brewing for years worsened as routines were disrupted in the pandemic and many kids faced isolation and loss. Schools have added or expanded screenings for mental health or emotional well-being, and earlier this month, a panel of medical experts recommended children and teens ages 8 to 18 be screened for anxiety disorders.

☆ Florida medical board votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Florida’s medical board is the first in the country to pursue such a rule, but Florida is among a wave of states where officials have attempted to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. The effort to restrict such care began in April, when DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued nonbinding guidance through the Florida Health Department that sought to bar both “social gender transition” and gender-affirming medical care for minors. Accredited medical groups — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — have supported gender-affirming care for transgender youths. The first nine attendees who spoke were in favor of restricting gender-affirming care for minors. Only one of the eight had received gender-affirming medical care as a minor.

Pediatric cases of the flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are on the rise. Here are the signs and symptoms to look out for if your child has a respiratory virus. Does my child have RSV, Covid or the flu? Early symptoms of Covid, RSV and the flu can look similar for many children, including:CongestionCoughRunny noseMuscle achesFeverHeadacheA sore throat, Moffitt said, could be a sign of Covid, as doctors have noticed that infections with omicron subvariants often begin with sore throats. Hotez also urged parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid and the flu.

☆ 'Changed my life': Trans teen testifies against nation's first ban on gender-affirming care
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act bars minors in the state from receiving certain gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries. Carolyn Kaster / APThe American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in May on behalf of four trangsgender youths and their parents, as well as two physicians who provide gender-affirming care. ‘Changed my life for the better’The parents of four transgender young people represented in the suit spoke to how gender-affirming care has improved their children’s lives. Donnie Saxton of Vilonia, Arkansas, said his 17-year-old son, Parker, became “a new person” after coming out as trans and receiving gender-affirming medical care, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Three other states — Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee — have also passed measures restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

Chickenpox vaccines have virtually wiped out severe complications and deaths in American children from the highly contagious virus, a new report finds. Chickenpox —which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, a type of herpes virus — was considered just a normal part of growing up until the vaccine became available in 1995. The chickenpox vaccine implementation is “a tremendous achievement,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Mona Marin, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease. An estimated 90.3% of children have been vaccinated against chickenpox by age 2, according to the CDC. The CDC recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine for children, teens and adults who have never had the disease.

☆ Exclusive: NHS drafts stricter oversight of trans youth care
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jennifer Rigby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The guidelines are part of a wide-ranging review of treatment for young transgender people seeking NHS care. It was briefly uploaded to the NHS England website at the end of September, with plans for a 45-day public comment period, but later removed. "No-one should be purchasing illegal, unknown and potentially life-threatening drugs online," said NHS England medical director Dr Stephen Powis in a statement earlier this week. The drugs used in the UK are prescribed "off-label," which means they are not licensed for gender care. A lack of long-term scientific evidence around how to help transgender youth has contributed to a highly politicised fight in many countries.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday confirmed a nationwide shortage of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication Adderall, more than two months after some pharmacies reported difficulties filling prescriptions. The shortage affects the immediate-release form of Adderall, a stimulant that helps manage ADHD symptoms. Dougherty added that Teva expects “intermittent delays through end of year.”The supply from the other Adderall manufacturers isn’t enough to meet the need, the FDA said. The shortage has hit pharmacies differentlySome pharmacies have been having trouble filling Adderall prescriptions since the summer. In May, Walmart and CVS announced they would stop filling prescriptions for controlled substances from telehealth startups such as Cerebral and Done Health, which prescribe stimulants and gained footing during the pandemic.

☆ Poor mental health in US teens exacerbated by negative experiences during Covid-19 pandemic, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Poor mental health among teens in the United States was a concern before the Covid-19 pandemic, and major disruptions to school and social life since early 2020 have only exacerbated the situation. A new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that most adolescents experienced negative events during the Covid-19 pandemic – and those experiences were linked to higher prevalence of poor mental health and suicide attempts. About 1 of every 13 adolescents (8%) reported experiencing four or more adverse events during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Youth are in crisis,” Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, said in March. Approaching the mental health of teens and youth is nuanced and should be different from the way adults are treated, he said.

☆ Novavax says COVID booster dose shows benefit against Omicron variants
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) said on Wednesday data from studies in adults and adolescents showed that the booster dose of its COVID vaccine produced robust antibodies against several Omicron variants, including BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5. The data was from two studies - a late-stage study evaluating the booster in adults and adolescents who had received Novavax primary vaccination and another study testing it in those aged 18 to 49 who had received primary series of Novavax vaccine or other authorized or approved vaccines. In the late-stage study, a single homologous booster dose significantly increased antibody levels against these variants relative to pre-boost levels, the company said. "These data are an early indication that our vaccine may be effective against variants such as Omicron," Novavax executive Gregory M. Glenn said. The company said ongoing trials are studying the efficacy of the vaccine against variants including BA.4 and BA.5.

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