gender

Should we be tracking paternal deaths

Camille MacMillin/STAT

There’s a long-established crisis in the U.S. when it comes to maternal mortality. Both federal and state agencies monitor maternal and infant health, and a new study argues that early deaths among fathers should also be systemically tracked. But in an initial, localized attempt, the findings point to the opposite of a public health crisis: Fatherhood was associated with reduced mortality.

“The authors are breaking ground by framing preventable paternal death as a family health issue,” said physician Neel Shah. Still, he and other maternal health experts pushed back on the idea that paternal deaths should be monitored alongside maternal deaths. Read more from STAT’s Annalisa Merelli on the discussion around how to frame paternal mortality.  

notable quotable

'We are like aliens for many people.'

That’s how one health professional who studied abroad described returning to Uzbekistan. Bringing new medical expertise back to one’s home country can come with major challenges. In a new First Opinion essay, international education expert Maia Chankseliani describes what she calls the other half of the brain drain story, based on her own interviews with internationally educated professionals who return to their countries of origin.

“Brain drain is a powerful metaphor,” Chankseliani writes. “But as a governing frame, it obscures as much as it reveals.” Read more.

climate

Hospitalizations related to cold temps are rising

The number of hospitalizations for cold-related illnesses tripled over a 25-year period, according to a study published yesterday in Health Affairs. Researchers analyzed patient data and found that hospitalizations for hypothermia, frostbite, and other complications from exposure to excessive cold increased from 42 per 100,000 overall hospitalizations in 1998 to nearly 123 per 100,000 in 2022.

People with autism, substance use disorder, other mental health disorders, and housing insecurity were more likely to experience cold-related hospitalizations than their peers, the research found. They were also far more likely to die in the hospital than other patients. The researchers recommend expanding programs providing home energy assistance and emergency shelter.