NBC News (12/5, Edwards) reports, “At least 10 babies – possibly more than 12 – have been identified with what” physicians “believe to be a new syndrome related to exposure to fentanyl in the womb.” The infants “have distinctive physical birth defects, such as cleft palate and unusually small heads.” Although no common genetic cause has been uncovered, “all were born to mothers who said they’d used street drugs, particularly fentanyl, while they were pregnant.”

HealthDay (12/5, Foster) reports the research was published in Genetics in Medicine Open.

Related Links:

— “New syndrome in newborns exposed to fentanyl possibly found,” Erika Edwards, NBC News, December 5, 2023

HealthDay (12/5, Mundell) reports “suicide rates for Americans under the age of 18 are rising at unprecedented rates, and a new report points to a likely culprit: The ongoing epidemic of opioid abuse.” Researchers “found the biggest uptick in” child suicide rates “occurred in states where the shift to illicit opioids was most pronounced” due to conditions in their environments worsening due to the opioid crisis. The findings were published in Demography.

Related Links:

— “Opioid Crisis May Be Driving Surge in Youth Suicides,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 5, 2023

MedPage Today (12/4, DePeau-Wilson) reports, “Suicide rates among Black women increased from 1999 to 2020, especially among teens and young adults, according to an analysis of national data.” The increases “were concentrated among Black women and girls ages 15 to 24, rising from 1.9 to 4.9 per 100,000 during that time period, the researchers reported.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

HealthDay (12/1, Mundell) reported that having a “naturally sunny disposition” may “protect you from dementia as the years advance…research shows.” According to a team at Northwestern University in Chicago, “certain personality traits – being conscientious, outgoing and positive – appear to lower a person’s odds for a dementia diagnosis.” Meanwhile, “being neurotic and more negative in outlook and behavior was tied to a higher risk for mental decline.”

The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Related Links:

— “Your Personality Might Help Shield You From Dementia,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 1, 2023

HealthDay (12/1, Mundell) reported research from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that “participating in repeated collision sports like football may have a direct link to long-term inflammation in the brain.” Additionally, “football players … performed notably worse than swimmers on tests that tracked learning and memory skills.” The researchers “examined PET and MRI brain scans of 27 former NFL players, taken between 2018 and early 2023.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Persistent Inflammation Could Drive Brain Issues in Former Football Players,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, December 1, 2023