Childbirth costly for many low-income Americans
Low-income people with commercial insurance often have higher childbirth costs than people with Medicaid, a new study in Millbank Quarterly finds.
While 81% of people covered by Medicaid pay no childbirth-related costs, less than 16% of low-income people who have commercial insurance receive no-cost childbirth care. Nearly 60% of births covered by commercial insurance plans require patients to pay at least $1,000 out of pocket for their care, the Nov. 5 study found.
People with commercial insurance who had very low incomes — 200% of the federal poverty level, or about $51,650 for a family of three — were more likely than their higher income peers to have debt in collection or experience financial worries. A year after childbirth, nearly half of commercially insured people with very low incomes still owed money for the care.
Out-of-pocket costs for the 19% of Medicaid users who were required to contribute to the costs of childbirth also create financial burdens. About 8% of Medicaid users who had to pay out of pocket said they had to borrow money from friends or family for the care, and a year later about 25% said they still had not made any payments.
Air pollution linked to autism risks
Exposure to air pollution during critical periods of childhood brain development may increase autism risks, a new review finds.
Published Nov. 12 in Brain Medicine, the research found common pollutants such as fine particulate matter and nitric oxide — also known as PM2.5 and NO — can contribute to risk factors for autism spectrum disorder.
Children who are exposed to air pollution prenatally and during their first years of life are at particular risk, researchers said, as the developing human brain is vulnerable to stressors during those periods.
Air pollution exposure during those windows of development can lead to neuroinflammation, endocrine disruptions and other bodily mechanisms that may trigger molecular changes in the brain, the researchers said.
Besides PM2.5 and NO, other air pollutants linked to increased autism risks include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and benzene, the review found. The pollutants come from a range of sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial fuels, power plant emissions, wildfire smoke and cigarettes.
Reducing harmful exposures to the pollutants, particularly during pregnancy, could play a crucial role in preventing some cases of autism, the researchers said.
Fossil fuel emissions soaring, even as planet continues to warm
Annual carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a new high, signaling possibly dire consequences for climate health.
New research by the Global Carbon Project, announced Nov. 13, estimates 41.2 billion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions will have been released by the end of the 2024, an 0.8% increase from last year.
At that rate, the project team estimates there is a 50% chance global warming will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius — a do-not-pass threshold set by climate science experts — by about 2029. As climate change increasingly threatens human health, global leaders have called on nations to limit global temperature rise by the end of the century.
Much of the rise in carbon emissions — from coal, oil and gas — in 2024 came from China. Increases were also seen in India, though they fell in the U.S. and European Union. Emissions related to international aviation, shipping and land-use changes such as deforestation are also on the rise.
The annual report, released as a pre-print in Earth System Science Data, is produced by an international team of more than 120 scientists. The findings were shared at COP29, the U.N. climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, that is being held through Nov. 22.
Drought conditions widespread across US
A record 88% of the continental U.S. has been abnormally dry this year, according to recent national data.
October was the driest month ever recorded by climate stations in the Eastern U.S., with most of the region experiencing below-normal rainfall, findings from the U.S. Drought Monitor show. Abnormally dry conditions have also been recorded in other parts of the U.S., including Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Utah.
A number of U.S. cities reported no rainfall in October, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Sacramento.
Throughout the U.S., ongoing lack of precipitation has led to increased wildfire risks as well as lower stream flows and soil moisture. Above-normal temperatures have also contributed to drier soil, delaying planting and increasing airborne dust.
While precipitation levels can be influenced by wind patterns and other natural causes, research shows human-caused climate change is making droughts more frequent, common and severe in the U.S. A recent study found climate change is the main driver of worsening drought in the Western U.S.
Other recent public health news of note includes:
• New research in Environmental Health Perspectives finds levels of some “forever chemicals” can increase in women’s bodies during pregnancy.
• Fewer workers are dying from hazards that have been the focus of enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency reports.
• U.S. nonprofit hospitals are required to provide charitable care, but criteria on who receives it varies, a Health Affairs study says.
• Heart disease is more common among people who live in previously redlined neighborhoods, and a lack of access to healthy food plays a role, new research finds.
• Annual carbon dioxide emissions from private aviation increased 46% over four years, new findings in Communications Earth & Environment show.
• A study in Environment International links exposure to flame-retardant chemicals during pregnancy with childhood obesity risks.
• Microplastics in the atmosphere could be affecting weather and climate, according to research in Environmental Science and Technology.
The Watch is written by Michele Late, who has more than two decades of experience as a public health journalist.
