Anti-Transgender Bills In Dozens Of States Fuel Debate Over Parental Rights, Government Interference

The New York Times: ‘It’s Degrading.’ Transgender Youth Targeted In Dozens Of Bills Across America
By the time Peyton Badalucco came out to his mother as transgender, he had been secretly binding his chest in a desperate attempt to hide his body. He was 14 years old and so miserable that he could barely muster the emotional strength to leave the house. Coming out led to months of counseling, a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria and, finally, hormone therapy when he was 15. He lost several friends while transitioning, he said, but as his body changed, his depression and anxiety faded, and he stopped worrying about what people thought. (Levin, 3/12)

The New York Times: This Trendy Baby Formula Maker May Pose Health Risks To Infants
Like many first-time parents, Jon Borgese, a tech executive in Manhattan, had heard the buzz around the Baby Brezza formula maker, a countertop device that automatically dispenses warm bottles of formula at the touch of a button.The $200 machine, widely available at retailers like Amazon, Target and Buy Buy Baby, markets itself as the “most advanced way” to mix powdered baby formula and water “to perfect consistency.” (Singer, 3/13)

ABC News: 8% Of Children Have Suicidal Thoughts, New Study Says 
Eight percent of 9- and 10-year-olds reported suicidal thoughts and 2% reported a suicide attempt, according to a new study of 8,000 children in the U.S., published in Lancet Psychiatry. Suicide is a major public health concern and the second-leading cause of death in youth after unintentional injury. (Safai, 3/12)

The New York Times: Hunger Is On The Rise. Food Donors Are Getting Creative.
When Diego Gerena-Quiñones zips through the afternoon traffic in Midtown Manhattan on his cargo bike, it looks like he could be delivering shoes or office supplies. But his load is much more indispensable. Everyday, Mr. Gerena-Quiñones and others at his cargo bike company make numerous pickups for Transfernation, a nonprofit that arranges for corporate cafeterias and restaurants to donate uneaten food to soup kitchens. (Laterman, 3/13)

Stat: Her Son Died. 20 Years Later, She Met The Medical Student Who Got His Heart
The young man handed her a stethoscope, opened his shirt, and pointed to where she should place it. Hesitantly, she reached forward, pressed it to his skin, and broke into tears. The heart Elisabeth Tilly heard inside the chest of a 25-year-old stranger was the same that once beat inside her son. (Weintraub, 3/13)

The New York Times: High Blood Pressure In Young Adulthood May Be Bad For Your Brain
The cumulative effect of high blood pressure from young adulthood to middle age is associated with poorer mental function at age 50, a new study concludes. For their analysis, published in Circulation, researchers looked at 191 generally healthy men and women ages 18 to 30 who were participating in a larger health study. Over the next 30 years, they measured their blood pressure with nine periodic readings to create a cumulative blood pressure score. (Bakalar, 3/13)

The New York Times: Omega-3s Show No Overall Benefits For Heart Health Or Cancer Prevention
Omega-3 fatty acids have almost no effect, good or bad, on the risk for cardiovascular disease or cancer. Those are the findings of two large studies, one an update in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the second in the British Journal of Cancer, that combined data from dozens of randomized controlled trials. (Bakalar, 3/12)