Maternal Mortality Rates In The United States: 2021
A March 2023 report from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that in 2021, 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019. The maternal mortality rate for 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with a rate of 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019. In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black (subsequently, Black) women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White (subsequently, White) women (26.6). Rates for Black women were significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women. The increases from 2020 to 2021 for all race and Hispanic-origin groups were significant. Rates increased with maternal age. In 2021, they were 20.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for women under age 25, 31.3 for those aged 25–39, and 138.5 for those aged 40 and over. The rate for women aged 40 and over was 6.8 times higher than the rate for women under age 25.
Prevalence And Characteristics Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged Eight Years
Data from the March 24, 2023 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report show that for 2020, across all 11 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring sites, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence per 1,000 children aged eight years ranged from 23.1 in Maryland to 44.9 in California. The overall ASD prevalence was 27.6 per 1,000 (one in 36) children aged eight years and was 3.8 times as prevalent among boys as among girls (43.0 versus 11.4). Overall, ASD prevalence was lower among non-Hispanic White children (24.3) and children of two or more races (22.9) than among non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black), Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander (A/PI) children (29.3, 31.6, and 33.4 respectively). ASD prevalence among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) children (26.5) was similar to that of other racial and ethnic groups. ASD prevalence was associated with lower household income at three sites, with no association at the other sites.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Breast Cancer Prevention And Screening Recommendations Provided By ChatGPT
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in February 2023 created a set of 25 questions related to advice on obtaining screened for breast cancer. They submitted each question to ChatGPT three times to see what responses were generated. ChatGPT provided appropriate responses for most (88%) questions posed about breast cancer prevention and screening as assessed by fellowship-trained breast radiologists. It gave one inappropriate recommendation regarding scheduling mammography in relation to COVID-19 vaccination. Inconsistent responses were found for two questions about breast cancer prevention and screening locations. Although clinically appropriate, recommendations related to screening mammography referenced American Cancer Society guidelines, without mention of the American College of Radiology or the United States Preventive Services Task Force. A description of the study was published on April 4, 2023 in the journal Radiology.
Gene Editing To Prevent Ventricular Arrhythmias
Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) offer a promising cell-based therapy for myocardial infarction, however, the presence of transitory ventricular arrhythmias, termed engraftment arrhythmias (EAs), hampers clinical applications. According to an article published on April 6, 2023 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle have engineered stem cells that do not generate dangerous arrhythmias, a complication that has to date thwarted efforts to develop stem-cell therapies for injured hearts. To create their therapeutic heart cells, the Seattle researchers used pluripotent stem cells. Unlike adult stem cells, which have specialized to become specific cell types, pluripotent stem cells can become any type of cell in the body. From 2012 to 2018 the Seattle team successfully injected pluripotent stem cells into damaged heart walls to create new muscle to replace that lost during an infarction. In animal studies, they showed that the grafted cells would integrate with the heart muscle, beat in synchrony with the other heart cells, and improve the heart’s contractility.