Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Responsive mothers may have kids with better language skills

Mothers who are more responsive and warmer in their interactions with their kids may have children with better language skills, especially in low-income households, a small study suggests. Researchers examined data from 37 previous studies that focused on the association between different types of parenting behaviors and early language development in young children.

Carbs like sweets, fries, white bread remain staples of U.S. diet

Americans are cutting back a bit on carbohydrates like sugary foods, refined grains, and starchy vegetables but these unhealthy options still make up about 42% of U.S. adults' daily calories, a new study suggests. From 1999 to 2016, the proportion of calories U.S. adults get from carbohydrates declined from 52.5% to 50.5%, researchers found when they analyzed nationally representative nutrition surveys. Over that same period, the proportion of calories from protein increased from 15.5% to 16.4% and the proportion from fat climbed from 32% to 33.2%.

Youngest kids in class more apt to be diagnosed with ADHD, learning disabilities

Kids who are younger than most of their classmates may be more likely to be diagnosed with learning disabilities, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than older students in their grade, a U.K. study suggests. Researchers examined data from school enrollment and electronic health records for more than 1 million students ages 4 to 15. They calculated kids' ages relative to their classmates based on their date of birth and the cutoff date for school enrollment where they lived.

U.S. CDC expects hundreds more cases of vaping-related illness

Hundreds more Americans have been sickened by a severe vaping-related illness, with the official tally set to be updated on Thursday, according to a U.S. health official speaking at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. The House of Representatives began public hearings this week about the mystery vaping-related lung disease that, as of last week, had sickened 530 people in 38 states. The illness has also claimed the lives of nine people.

FDA approves Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine

The U.S. Food and Administration on Tuesday approved Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos, making it the first approved vaccine for preventing monkeypox disease. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection that does not spread easily from person to person. Infections have until recently been limited to central and western regions of Africa, but cases have been reported in Britain last year and in Singapore earlier this year.

China may roll out e-cigarette rules amid global vaping backlash: state media

China, the world's largest tobacco market, may introduce rules for the e-cigarette industry as early as next month amid growing health concerns and reports that some products contain toxic elements, state media reported. The e-cigarette market in China, which has over 300 million smokers, is still considered less developed compared with other nations. However, dozens of domestic manufacturers such as Relx, Yooz and SNOW+ have taken tens of millions of dollars in venture capital funding.

Tanzania summons World Health Organization rep over Ebola complaint

Tanzania on Tuesday summoned the World Health Organization's local representative over its assertion that the government refused to share information on suspected Ebola cases, signalling displeasure at the agency's rare public rebuke. Transparency and speed are key to combating the deadly hemorrhagic fever because it can spread rapidly. Anyone deemed to have been in contact with potentially infected people must be quarantined and the public warned to step up precautions such as handwashing.

Massachusetts imposes four-month ban on vaping product sales as mystery illness spreads

Massachusetts on Tuesday imposed a four-month ban on sales of all vaping products, amid what officials called a national public health emergency that so far has been linked to nine deaths. The state will block all sales of e-cigarettes and supplies, both those used for tobacco and marijuana, which is legal in the state, Governor Charlie Baker and state officials told a news conference.

Adverse health effects from hurricanes may be long-lasting

Long after the winds have died down and the flooding has subsided, huge hurricanes like Katrina may be shortening people's lives, especially when it comes to seniors with chronic diseases like diabetes, new research suggests. Researchers studying the short- and long-term effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita found that older individuals with diabetes who lived in areas impacted by the storms had a 40% higher risk of mortality in the month following the storms compared to elderly diabetics who lived in unaffected counties, according to a report in Diabetes Care.

More Americans say vaping is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes: Reuters poll

A growing number of Americans say that vaping e-cigarettes is at least as harmful as smoking traditional cigarettes, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, following reports of an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. The national online poll, released Tuesday, found that 63% of adults in the United States disagreed with the statement that "vaping is healthier than traditional cigarettes." That is up 16 percentage points from a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll that ran in the spring of 2016. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2m82D7I)