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EVERYTHING
RSV Vaccine Mix-Ups Over Similar Names
What: At least 128 pregnant women were given the wrong RSV vaccinations and 25 children under 2 years old got RSV vaccines that were not approved for them, according to the CDC. No serious harms were reported, but experts say the mix-ups should have never happened.
Why it matters: So far it seems like confusion over the brand names of the two RSV vaccines, which are similar (Arexvy, which is approved for people over 60, and Abrysvo, approved for pregnant women.) Regardless, the number of mistakes is unusual.
Source: New York Times
FERTILITY
Employers Increasingly View Fertility, Family Benefits As Important for Retaining Talent
What: Research from Maven Clinic found that nearly half of employers say they plan to offer family health benefits in the coming years, even as health care costs continue rising. The survey of 1,200 HR leaders and over 3,000 employees found that 70% of employers “believe reproductive and family health benefits are important to help attract prospective hires.”
Why it matters: Fertility benefits were unheard of just a few years ago, but are slowly on their way to becoming the norm—at least for white collar jobs.
Source: Fast Company
PREGNANCY
Study: Black Women May Prefer Black OBGYNs
What: A focus group with Black women ages 27 to 34 found that a fear of discrimination and dying during pregnancy and childbirth can lead to preferring a Black OBGYN. The study also found that while the women preferred Black doctors, they “noted how difficult this was to find.” The findings were presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting.
Why it matters: The maternal mortality rate for Black women is 2.6 times higher than the same measure for white women. As one participant put it: “I was so scared because I’m like, I might die with this pregnancy. Like that was the first thought in my head. I could very well die just from simply getting pregnant and because I decided to have a child.”
Source: NBC News
Way More Babies Are Born During Weekdays. It’s Not Mother Nature’s Doing.
What: An analysis of 21 million births in Japan over nearly four decades found that babies were significantly less likely to be born on weekends or during the holidays. Why? It’s not mother nature – the study authors hypothesize that it’s likely medical staff managing to put off births when there are fewer staff members around.
Why it matters: The study’s authors say more strategies are needed to staff labor and delivery units during off hours, especially for high-risk pregnancies.
Source: PLOS
POSTPARTUM
So Far, OB-GYNS Are Comfortable Prescribing Zurzuvae
What: The maker of the first pill specifically designated to treat postpartum depression, Zurzuvae, told analysts that initial sales of the drugs were off to a good start: “‘One of the things that we were wondering about is, are the OB-GYNs really going to be willing to prescribe?’ Biogen CEO Chris Viehbacher told investors and analysts on a company call Tuesday. ‘We’re seeing quite a high percentage of the prescriptions coming from them.’”
Why it matters: OB-GYNs being comfortable prescribing an antidepressant is important for access, as they are on the frontlines of treating postpartum women.
Source: Yahoo
ABORTION ACCESS
Pretend Health Clinics That Often Lie to Women Raked In $1 Billion
What: Pretend health clinics that counsel women against having abortions and often lie about the safety of the procedures brought in over $1 billion in revenue in 2022, according to an analysis of the centers’ tax documents. At least $344 million of that money came directly from the government.
Why it matters: Not only are these centers often lying to women and preventing them getting the healthcare they may need, but they are also increasingly getting more of our tax dollars. The analysis found that government funding more than tripled from $97 million in 2019 to $344 million in 2022, the year Roe fell.
Source: The Guardian
WELLNESS + BEAUTY
Do Collagen Drinks Actually Help Your Skin?
What: Collagen as a supplement is one of the many trends that abounds these days. Elle talked to a dermatologist about whether it does what advertisers says it will do. Not shockingly, that doc says: “There is little evidence that ingesting whole collagen will survive digestion and then travel in the bloodstream to the skin in high enough quantities to make any meaningful change to the skin’s structure or function.”
Why it matters: You can save your money, though we must note that Elle editors anecdotally report they think it helps at least one part of the body – your fingernails.
Source: Elle
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