Federal purge guts infant death prevention campaign, alarming doctors

A decades-long campaign to prevent infants from dying in their sleep has become a casualty of the Trump administration's federal workforce cuts, and doctors fear it could contribute to more infant deaths at a time when mortalities have already been rising.
The office within the National Institutes of Health that led the Safe to Sleep campaign, a public information effort to prevent sudden unexpected infant death, was shut down on April 1, according to two former NIH officials and two program partners who spoke with The Washington Post.

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Associated Press

an hour ago

• Associated Press

How to stay cool in the heat wave hitting parts of the US --even without air conditioning

The first big heat wave of 2025 has arrived, coinciding with the official start of summer . More than 40 million people in the U.S. were under heat alerts Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the Midwest are expected to crest well into the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius) this weekend. Triple-digit highs could pop up in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Denver. The peak will likely hit the East Coast early next week. Meanwhile, British health officials are also issuing heat warnings for the U.K . Climate change has been exacerbating heat waves, and the problem isn't going away any time soon. An increasingly hot planet — due largely to burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas — means already hot regions are getting worse . Heat doesn't just mean canceled events . It also poses a health risk, especially for children, older people and those with certain health conditions. So here are some tips to stay safe. When does heat become dangerous? The answer depends on more than the temperature. The most detailed measurement is called the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind. The heat index, which measures temperature and humidity, is less descriptive but easier to find on weather apps. Both explain why a shaded soccer field on a 90 degree F day (32 degree C) in arid Phoenix may be less risky than an exposed park on an 80 degree F (27 degree C) day in soupy Little Rock. Just based on heat index, NOAA has a chart that calculates how dangerous prolonged exposure can be. For example, a day where temperatures reach 96 degree F (36 degrees C) and 45% humidity would fall into the 'danger' category for prolonged exposure or strenuous activity. The WBGT threshold isn't exact, but recent research suggests that even some young, healthy people can't endure hours of exposure to high heat and humidity. How to cool down Overnight lows can be a particularly dangerous part of a heat wave, said Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University. 'Your body needs a reprieve,' she said. 'You don't get that overnight, we start the next day at a deficit.' Heat can worsen labor productivity and lead to more visits to the emergency room. 'When we have overnight temperatures that don't drop below 75 degrees' F (24 degrees C), she said, 'You start to see some pretty extraordinary outcomes with respect to heat illness and heat stroke, and even mortality.' Ward's answer: Find air conditioning. That might be at home, but she said census data overcounts how many people have access. If you can't afford to cool the whole house, Ward said, create a 'cool corner' and sleep there, so your body is prepared to tackle the next day. Evaporative or 'swamp' coolers can help in dry heat, but they increase humidity and can make it more difficult to cool down. In humid places, just use a fan. If you don't have air conditioning, find public places that do, including movie theaters, malls and libraries. Some communities set up cooling centers. Depending on where you live, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can help you buy a window air conditioning unit, according to the National Council on Aging . Some local nonprofits and civic organizations can also help you access one if cost is a burden. Know your rights if you work outside Knowing what workplace protections you have is important. But there are no federal heat rules to protect workers in the United States. Some states have them, including Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota and Maryland, according to the National Resources Defense Council. Other states don't have any. If your state has work rules, try to learn them — though there are still challenges to ensuring regulations are actually enforced, said Bharat Venkat, director of the University of California, Los Angeles Heat Lab. He notes that sometimes shaded areas are too far for workers to take breaks without losing wages, or that management can make it impossible for workers to advocate for themselves. 'Most workers don't actually have control over their time or control over where they work,' he said. Within those constraints, finding ways to stay hydrated and lower your body temperature are paramount. You can do this by drinking lots of fluids, wetting clothing or putting cold water or a cold rag on your hands, feet, armpits and neck. A portable handheld fan or a cooling vest can also help. If you're exercising, avoid the hottest times of day and bring more water than you think you need. Knowing heat illness symptoms Heat illness symptoms can vary by person, Venkat said. Medications or underlying conditions can also make it harder to regulate body temperature or notice you're getting too hot. Early trouble signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps and headache. That's when you stop what you're doing and cool yourself off — for example, by splashing yourself with cold water or finding an air conditioned space. As heat exhaustion sets in, new symptoms arrive, including faster heart rate and dizziness. Next comes heat stroke, which can include confusion, slurred words and fainting. Ward said that's when to call 911. 'Don't be embarrassed to call 911 or go to urgent care when you think you might have overdone it in the heat,' he said. ___ Walling reported from Chicago. Wells reported from Cleveland. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .

Medscape

an hour ago

• Medscape

Key Abstracts in Early-Stage NSCLC From ASCO 2025

Dr Jonathan Goldman of the University of California, Los Angeles, highlights key abstracts in early-stage NSCLC from ASCO 2025. Dr Goldman begins with updated results from CheckMate 816, comparing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo + nivolumab. Median overall survival (OS) in the nivolumab arm remains unreached vs 73.7 months with chemo alone. Event-free survival (EFS) is durable at 59.6 vs 21.1 months, as evidenced by 5-year EFS of 49% in the combination arm. Next, he reviews the NeoADAURA trial evaluating neoadjuvant osimertinib ± chemo in resectable EGFR-mutated stage II-IIIB NSCLC. Major pathologic response was higher in osimertinib-containing arms (26% and 25%) vs 2% in the chemo arm, although long-term outcomes remain pending. Dr Goldman also discusses the SWOG/NRG S1914 trial of perioperative stereotactic body radiotherapy ± atezolizumab, which did not show improvements in OS or progression-free survival (PFS). He then highlights a prospective, low-dose CT screening study of the Mississippi Delta cohort, which showed a 4.7% lung cancer detection rate overall and 4.5% in patients with incidental pulmonary nodules — underscoring the utility of low-dose CT as a modality in early detection. In closing, he reports on two studies in small cell lung cancer. The IMforte study showed that lurbinectedin + atezolizumab in 1L maintenance improved PFS (HR, 0.54). In the DeLLphi-304 study, second-line tarlatamab improved OS compared to chemo (HR, 0.6), which is a potentially practice-changing update.

Wall Street Journal

an hour ago

• Wall Street Journal

Health Insurers to Promise Changes to Preapproval Process That Drew Backlash

Following the backlash that hit health insurers after the killing of a top executive last year, the industry will pledge steps meant to smooth the controversial preapproval process that can deny or delay access to care. The initiative is set to be unveiled early next week, according to people familiar with the matter.