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Study looks at the link between lithium in tap water and autism

The level of lithium in a pregnant woman’s household’s tap water may correlate to a higher chance of their infant being diagnosed with autism, according to a new study looking at how this environmental factor may impact the prevalence of the neurological difference. The study, published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Pediatrics, looked at lithium levels in Denmark’s tap water and compared it to the health records of more than 50,000 children. Researchers believe the results will help us to gain a better understanding of this compound on the brain. “Any drinking water contaminants that may affect the developing…
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Park district to test autonomous lawn mowers at 3 parks; deadline for Naperville art competition set for April 11; NAMI DuPage hosting fundraiser for mental

The Naperville Park District will be testing the use of autonomous electric lawn mowers this month in three parks: White Eagle Park, 3140 White Eagle Drive; Kingshill Park, 4271 White Eagle Drive; and Monarch Park, 1585 White Eagle Drive. The district has contracted with Havenshine Technologies Inc., based in Naperville, which will provide the mowers and staff to supervise the mowers in each park. “We are researching the use of autonomous mowers and we are impressed by their safety, efficiency and potential for improving our overall maintenance of turf fields,” Director of Parks Tim Quigley said in a news release.…
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Doctor denied position at Merritt, BC emergency room

The ongoing closures of the emergency room at the Nicola Valley Hospital in Merritt, BC, have local residents calling for help. Many believe it’s just a matter of time before someone dies due to an ER closure. A solution has presented itself, but Interior Health says it’s not up to their standards. “We have these three mountain pass highways (and) the Coquihalla highway all merging into our town and I mean if that ER is closed, someone’s going to die. Someone will die here,” said community advocate Georgia Clement. Read more: Another ER closure at Nicola Valley Hospital The closures…
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We’re off to Chennai – RoSPA Workplace Safety Blog

Only a few months into the year, 2020 is already proving to be more exciting than ever. This March, RoSPA will be launching our first ever Awards Excellence Forum in India. taking place on Tuesday, March 24at Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Campus in Chennai, India. This free event is a phenomenal example of just how far the RoSPA Health & Safety Awards scheme has reached across the globe. Hosting this international event is International Awards Ambassador Stephen Storey. With over 27 years of experience in the health and safety industry, combined with his rich RoSPA Award winning history, Stephen will…
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BC colon cancer survivor speaks out about life-altering diagnosis

A BC woman who survived stage-three colon cancer is sharing her story in hopes of raising awareness about a disease that will affect one in six British Columbians. Jaylee Thomas was diagnosed almost 10 years ago, just before her 33rd birthday and while pregnant with her first child. Thomas told Global News he didn’t notice any symptoms except some abdominal discomfort that he sent to the doctor. 5:19 March is colorectal cancer awareness month The terrifying diagnosis was just the start of a painful journey, with her doctor delivering more devastating news as she was prepared to start months of…
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Saskatchewan health minister insists ‘we acted’ on COVID-19 advice

Saskatchewan health minister Paul Merriman is insisting he followed the advice of the province’s top doctor during COVID-19’s fourth wave, during which the government’s own notes showed Saskatchewan had, at times, the highest rates of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in the country . A Global News investigation showed the province’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, warned the health minister, more than a month before the province began transferring COVID-19 ICU patients to Ontario, that Saskatchewan’s acute care system would collapse unless the provincial government implemented more restrictions. That investigation also showed the government’s internal documents stated Saskatchewan’s…
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COVID: How different variants affected Canadian children

A new study of more than 1,400 Canadian children who contracted COVID-19 found that fever and cough were associated more heavily with Omicron and Delta variants, but that serious outcomes like hospitalization and being moved to the intensive care unit remained even across all variants. The fact that rates of hospitalization and being moved to the intensive care unit remained stable even with later variants could be a sign that when it comes to children, the virus is not getting milder, researchers said. “Unlike in adults, it does not appear that children are being less severely affected by emerging variants,…
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US Life Span Falling Behind Our Peer Countries

March 6, 2023 · 7:29 AM From NPR: The average life expectancy for Americans is shortened by over seven months [in 2021]according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That decrease follows an already big decline of 1.8 years in 2020. As a result, the expected life span of someone born in the US is now 76.4 years — the shortest it has been in nearly two decades. But we still have the best healthcare system in the world, right? Not if you judge it by life expectancy. From Health System Tracker: Life expectancy in the…