HealthBeat
Lead detected in baby food
Parents don’t only have to worry about lead in their kids’ drinking water. Now they may need to give their baby food a second thought. An environmental watchdog group’s analysis found detectable levels of lead in 20 percent of baby food samples. The Environmental Defense Fund analyzed 11 years of Food and Drug Administration food […]
June 15, 2017 4:50 pm
Herrera Beutler pushes legislation for counties without health plans
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler recently announced that eleven insurers had filed 71 health plans for the 2018 insurance exchange. The problem? No insurers signed up to provide plans in two counties, Klickitat and Grays Harbor. That means 1,119 people living in Klickitat County will no longer have their current health plan and won’t have […]
June 14, 2017 1:10 pm
FDA seeks removal of opioid due to abuse risk
For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration has asked a drug manufacturer to remove a pain medication from the market over concerns of drug abuse. On Thursday, the FDA asked Endo Pharmaceuticals to remove the opioid pain medication, Opana ER, from the market. In explaining the move, the agency said it believes the […]
June 9, 2017 9:49 am
Study: Refined grains during pregnancy linked to increased obesity in kids
Children born to women with gestational diabetes and who had diets high in refined grains have a higher risk of obesity, according to a new study. The National Institutes of Health study found those children had a higher risk of obesity by age 7 compared to children born to women with gestational diabetes but who […]
June 7, 2017 2:54 pm
Study: Pot-smoking doesn’t end with parenthood
Adults who smoke marijuana may cut back when they become parents, but they don’t quit, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Washington looked at marijuana use among 80 adults – both parents and nonparents – over a 12-year period. The researchers found that a greater percentage of nonparents reported using marijuana […]
June 2, 2017 6:00 am
Washingtonians need help spelling illness names
In honor of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Google created a map with the most commonly misspelled word in each state. So why am I writing about this on a health blog? Well, because it turns out the word Washingtonians turn to Google for help spelling is a health ailment. So what is it? Pneumonia. […]
June 1, 2017 11:49 am
Pediatricians: Time to limit fruit juice
The American Academy of Pediatrics released new fruit juice recommendations this week that got parents everywhere talking. The gist: Your kids are probably drinking more juice than they should be. Fruit juice offers no nutritional benefits over whole fruit and has no essential role in healthy, balanced diets of children, according to the AAP. Rather […]
May 25, 2017 4:54 pm
Planning a vacation? FDA has some tips
Planning to get away to a sunny locale this summer? The Food and Drug Administration is offering some tips for ensuring your next beach vacation is a healthy one. Here’s what health officials recommend: Avoid tanning: Any increase in skin pigment (called “melanin”) is a sign of damage. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause […]
May 25, 2017 1:12 pm
WA women can now get 12-month birth control supply
Insurance companies are now required to cover 12-month supplies of birth control for women in Washington. Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1234 into law Tuesday. The bill requires any health plan issued or renewed after Jan. 1, 2018 to provide one-year birth control refills at one time, as opposed to the one-month or three-month […]
May 17, 2017 4:34 pm
Teen dies from too much caffeine
A 16-year-old died last month from a “caffeine-induced cardiac event,” prompting health officials to remind parents that kids shouldn’t consume energy drinks. The South Carolina high school student reportedly died after drinking a café latte, large Diet Mountain Dew and an energy drink in a two-hour period. He collapsed in his classroom, and the county […]
May 16, 2017 5:12 pm