Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: The Case For Rethinking Baby Boxes; What Exactly Does 'Ultra-Processed' Food Mean?
We are a bioethicist, an adoptee rights advocate, and a pediatrician writing in response to op-eds in the Hartford Courant and the New Haven Register which support 鈥渂aby boxes.鈥澛燭hese boxes are modern versions of foundling wheels from medieval times. They are metal boxes (usually installed in fire stations or hospitals) to give a mother the means to anonymously surrender an infant when they are unsure they can care for the infant themselves. These boxes represent good intentions. However, they are an inadequate and ineffective policy response which introduces many ethical, legal, and medical problems. This is especially concerning given Connecticut鈥檚 SB 1310 seeking to legalize these devices. (Lori Bruce, Patrice Martin and Mark Mercurio, 2/25)
In recent years, an idea has taken hold across the ideological spectrum: The rise in diabetes and obesity in the United States is attributable to addictive, ultra-processed foods that dominate the American diet. But many people who are enthusiastically objecting to ultra-processed foods have little (if any) understanding of what the phrase means.聽(Chris Gismondi and Megan Kinney, 2/25)
Since the end of World War II, the business plan of American universities has included two key principles that now are undergoing rapid disruptive change: Student-athletes participate in college sports in exchange for tuition, room, and board. Federal funding for academic research is the primary engine for the nation鈥檚 basic science enterprise. (Morris W. Foster, 2/25)
It鈥檚 only February, but my pick for the Worst Biopharma CEO of 2025 has already been decided: Albert Bourla of Pfizer.聽Pfizer鈥檚 decision to hire Patrizia Cavazzoni, a former top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, as its new chief medical officer is one of the dumbest, most damaging corporate screwups since the rollout of New Coke. (Adam Feuerstein, 2/24)