Hospital Bills Due To Gun Injuries Cost $6.6 Billion Over Last 8 Years
And that tally does not include expensive emergency room treatment.
Los Angeles Times:
Gun Injuries Cost Americans $730 Million A Year In Hospital Bills
Americans paid more than $6.6 billion over eight years to care for victims of gun violence, according to a new tally of hospital bills. And U.S. taxpayers picked up at least 41% of that tab. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, say the authors of a study published this week in the American Journal of Public Health. Their sum does not include the initial — and very costly — bill for gunshot victims’ care in emergency rooms. Nor does it include hospital readmissions to treat complications or provide follow-up care. The cost of rehabilitation, or of ongoing disability, is not included either. (Healy, 3/22)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
Sorry, Moms: Prenatal Vitamins With DHA Won’t Boost Your Kids' IQ After All
Researchers have some bad news for moms who used DHA supplements while they were pregnant in hopes of boosting their baby’s brains: It didn’t work. At age 7, kids whose mothers took DHA scored no higher on an IQ test than kids whose moms swallowed capsules that were DHA-free. (Kaplan, 3/21)
Orange County Register:
What Lifestyle Prevents Heart Disease? California Cardiologist Looks To The Amazon For Answers
A Southern California cardiologist’s study of indigenous South Americans found that an extremely healthy lifestyle appears to prevent coronary artery disease, a leading cause of death in the U.S. Dr. Gregory Thomas, medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Long Beach Memorial, helped lead the research project that was published Friday, March 17, in the British journal The Lancet. Researchers took CT scans of the hearts of 705 Tsimane adults who live in the Bolivian Amazon. (Perkes, 3/21)
San Jose Mercury News:
UC Berkeley: Health Officials Send Meningitis Alert After Student Recovery
A UC Berkeley student’s recent recovery from meningitis has spurred city, state, and campus health officials to urge students Tuesday to watch out for symptoms as spring break approaches and to offer a vaccine at a drop-in session this week. In an alert, officials with the University Health System said the ill student is recovering after coming down with the condition, which spreads most commonly through close contact such as kissing or sharing drinks, utensils or cigarettes. (Kelly, 3/21)
Modesto Bee:
Socks Get Conversation Started On Down Syndrome Awareness
By wearing socks that are eye-catching and different, observers of World Down Syndrome Day helped spread awareness that people with the genetic disorder aren’t much different from the rest of us. The idea is that someone will ask, “What’s with the wacky socks?” and the wearer will be able to talk a bit about Down syndrome. (Farrow, 3/21)
San Jose Mercury News:
Walgreens' "Disney" Animal Crackers Contain Cancerous Chemical, Group Says
“The Jungle Book” may be one of Disney’s most beloved animated movies, but a consumer health watchdog group is warning parents to lay-off feeding their kids Walgreens’ Disney Jungle Book whole grain animal crackers, featuring the storybook characters Mowgli and Baloo on the package. Turns out the bare necessities involved in making that version of the crackers requires higher baking temperatures, which produces excessive levels of a cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide, said Charles Margulis of the Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health. (Seipel, 3/21)