In Sweeping Study, Researchers Look At Possible Connection Between Income, Brain Development
“Additional resources enable mothers to afford things like higher-quality housing and nutrition that support the child’s brain development and can also reduce stress and improve their own mental health,” said Greg Duncan, co-principal investigator of the study.
Orange County Register:
Does Household Income Change A Child’s Brain Development? UC Irvine Researchers Trying To Find Out
Does the brain develop differently in children depending on household income? That’s the question researchers at UC Irvine are hoping to answer after a 40-month study that will examine 1,000 families in four cities — Omaha, New York, Minneapolis and New Orleans. And they’ll do it with a $7.8 million five-year grant received recently from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (Bharath, 11/21)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. May Try To Block Reopening Of Oil Drilling Site Blamed For Health Problems
Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo is pursuing an unusual plan that could thwart the reopening of a South L.A. oil drilling site that suspended operations after a public outcry over nosebleeds and other health problems reported by neighbors.
Cedillo, who represents the area near the Allenco Energy Inc. site, wants the city to use a rarely exercised power under its municipal code to cancel "oil drilling districts" where drilling is allowed. (Reyes, 11/21)
The Modesto Bee:
Man Suffers Heart Attack On Cross-Country Flight. Fellow Modestan Helps Save His Life.
Nurse first, CEO second. That's how Gia Smith said she views herself. So when a fellow passenger on a cross-country flight suffered a heart attack Sunday and the crew asked for any medical professionals on board, the Modesto woman jumped right in. The six-plus-hour United Airlines flight from New Jersey to San Francisco was about 2 1/2 hours under way when a fellow Modestan, as Smith learned later, was struck by severe chest pain and began vomiting. (Farrow, 11/21)