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Chronic ear infections could delay a child’s language development, new research suggests. University of Florida researchers launched a study about how the common childhood infection could impact speech. Early ear infections (otitis media) have the potential to impair hearing due to fluid buildup behind the eardrum, according to the study, which was published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology in November 2023. (Stabile, 1/15)

A record number of organ transplants were completed nationwide in 2023, but a surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville says more organ donors are needed. Doctors did 46,632 transplants last year, up from 42,880 the year before, according to a news release this week from the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing, which serves as the nation’s transplant system under contract with the federal government. (Ponson, 1/13)

Older adults with certain eye diseases — cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma — are more likely to fall and break bones than other older adults, according to a study conducted in England and published in JAMA Ophthalmology. (Searing, 1/15)

Treatment for a life-or-death midair medical emergency can depend on which plane you happen to be on. More than 20 million Americans are estimated to have food allergies, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, yet not every commercial plane is stocked with epinephrine autoinjectors. The devices, commonly referred to by the brand name EpiPen, are the most critical treatment for potentially life-threatening allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis, doctors say. (Passy, 1/16)

While snow may be peaceful and pretty, removing it can be risky. Snow shoveling is one of the most dangerous winter activities, with research showing that it leads to around 11,500 injuries and medical emergencies and 100 deaths each year. The American Heart Association has identified snow shoveling as an activity that can put extra stress on the heart. (Rudy, 1/12)

The Quaker Oats Company has added two dozen additional types of granola bars, cereals and snack foods to a December recall over possible salmonella contamination. The company, which is owned by PepsiCo., announced the additional recall in the U.S. and Canada on Thursday. The expanded recall includes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars and Cereals, Cap’n Crunch Bars and select cereals, Gamesa Marias Cereal, Gatorade Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars, Munchies Munch Mix and snack boxes that contain those products. (Aleccia, 1/12)

If you’re eating protein, you could be ingesting hundreds of tiny pieces of plastic each year, research finds. A new study by researchers with the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto found microplastics — tiny particles ranging from one micrometer (one thousandth of a millimeter) to half a centimeter in size — in nearly 90 percent of protein food samples tested. (Chiu, 1/12)

Maybe you have already watched the show, “You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.” This new documentary-style Netflix show is based on the Stanford twin nutrition study, a pioneering research study led by Dr. Christopher Gardner. Gardner and his team aimed to compare the cardiometabolic effects of an omnivore diet and a vegan diet. (Weintraub, 1/15)