Tomorrow’s Health: Gun violence, maternal mortality & weight loss

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The rate of women dying after the birth of a child is on the rise and gun violence has a ripple effect on young people.

Gun violence

Harvard Medical School researchers examined the ripple effect of gun violence on America’s youth.

They looked at the physical, mental, and financial toll and found young survivors have a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders and a 144% increase in substance abuse disorders.

On average, survivors spent more than $34,000 for health care in the first year alone after injury.

CDC numbers show gun violence is now the number one cause of death among children and teens.

Maternal mortality

Maternal mortality is on the rise. That’s according to a study by Columbia University looking at challenges mothers face after giving birth.

The findings show two-thirds of maternal deaths from 2011 to 2015 could have been preventable with timely and high-quality care.

Researchers say improving access to health care services, particularly in the first year after birth, is critical. Currently, pregnancy Medicaid typically ends after 60 days.

Weight loss

Doctors may want to sugar coat their treatment plan when talking to patients about weight loss.

Researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed recordings of physician conversations and found those who used a more optimistic tone were more likely to have patients who lost weight as opposed to those who emphasize the negative consequences of obesity.

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