Health Findings

Low birthweight near oil, gas facilities

In Texas, babies born near oil and natural gas drilling facilities had lower birthweights than babies born before drilling began, a new study finds.

The study is based on birthweight and location data for more than 2.5 million mother-infant pairs between 1996 and 2009 in which the mother was pregnant while living within 10 kilometers — or about six miles — of an existing or future drilling site. The results, published in July in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that living within three kilometers of an active drilling site was associated with birthweights seven to nine grams lower than babies born before drilling started.

Oil and gas drilling produce a number of toxic air pollutants, including particulate matter, volatile organic compounds such as benzene, and other pollutants such as formaldehyde and methane. The study, researchers noted, is part of a growing body of literature examining the links between living near oil and gas operations and poor health outcomes.

“Most studies to date focus exclusively on unconventional natural gas drilling, or fracking,” said study co-author Mary Willis, a postdoctoral student at Oregon State University, in a news release. “That particular process is a small subset of the oil and gas industry. We find it doesn’t matter — where people are extracting oil and gas resources, we’re still seeing an impact on infant health.”

More rural youth visit ERs for self-harm

Emergency room visits for self-harm — including self-inflicted gun injuries — are more common among rural youth, compared to their urban counterparts, according to a new study.

Published in July in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study is based on data from the 2016 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. It found that emergency department visits by youth for self-harm were nearly 40% higher in rural areas than in urban ones. Youth visits for self-inflicted firearm injuries were three times more common in rural areas.

In addition, rural youth who visited the emergency department for suicidal ideation or self-harm were more likely to be transferred to another hospital for care, which researchers said underscored the lack of mental health care resources at rural hospitals.

“We need universal screening for suicidal ideation for all children and adolescents age 10 and up who present in the (emergency department) to identify youth at risk and intervene before tragedy occurs,” said study co-author Jennifer Hoffman, MD, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, in a news release.

A wildfire burns near Corona, California, in 2018. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with higher risk for COVID-19 infections, knowledge that can help in response and preparedness, a study says.

Photo by Tim Gray, courtesy iStockphoto

Smoke linked to high risk for COVID-19

Exposure to wildfire smoke can increase a person’s risk of catching COVID-19, a recent study finds.

The new research, published in July in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, used models and hospital data to explore the link between fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke and COVID-19 test positivity data in Reno, Nevada. Previous research has shown that small particulates can enhance the spread of bacterial, fungal and viral bioaerosols.

Overall, the study found that fine particulate matter was associated with a more than 17% increase in the number of COVID-19 cases between August and October 2020.

Researchers said the findings can help shape response and preparedness activities, such as lowering the recommended healthy limit for fine particulate matter in cities with a high prevalence of COVID-19 and creating “clean air” shelters that maintain physical distancing.

“We would love public health officials across the U.S. to be a lot more aware of this because there are things we can do in terms of public preparedness in the community to allow people to escape smoke during wildfire events,” said study co-author Gai Elhanan, MD, an associate research scientist at Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, in a news release.

Children lack mental health services

Most children with mental health disorders are not receiving the services they need, according to a study.

Published in July in the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health, the study is based on survey data from 11 high-income nations between 2003 and 2020: Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Great Britain, Israel, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. The survey data included more than 61,000 children and youth ages 4 to 18 years old. Overall, researchers found that of the 1 in 8 kids who experienced a mental disorder, less than half received any services.

Among the common childhood mental health illnesses found during the study were anxiety, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, substance-use disorder and depression.

“This is particularly urgent given documented increases in children’s mental health needs since the onset of pandemic needs, which are predicted to continue,” the study stated. “The need for public action, therefore, could not be more urgent. Such action is essential if all children are to flourish.”

Hands-free cellphone laws saving lives

Hands-free cellphone laws, which are now on the books in nearly half of U.S. states, are associated with fewer driver deaths, new findings show.

In the study, published in July in Epidemiology, researchers analyzed crash-related deaths between 1999 and 2016 in all 50 states, as well as local laws governing driving and cellphone use. They found that hands-free cellphone laws, which prohibit nearly all hand-held phone use while driving, were associated with fewer driver deaths.

However, less comprehensive laws, such as those focused only on calling during driving or only on texting during driving, were not associated with reduced deaths.

“We’re not suggesting states take people’s phones away while driving or tell them not to use their phone while driving,” said study co-author Motao Zhu, MD, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, in a news release. “We’re recommending that if you need to use your phone while driving, you do so hands-free. Further, we recommend states implement hands-free cellphone laws to encourage this behavior change.”