By The Defender Staff
Public Health Officials Are Investigating Rare Cancer Cases in Eastern Kentucky Children
The Kentucky Department for Public Health is investigating reports of an unusually high number of brain tumors diagnosed in Eastern Kentucky children. Beth Fisher, a spokeswoman with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, told the Lantern the state is “aware of reports concerning a potential increase in pediatric brain tumor cases.” It’s unclear how many cases are under investigation in that area.
Several public social media posts indicate four to five recent cases of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) within a small area of Southeastern Kentucky. DIPG is a rare and incurable cancer mainly found in children around ages 6-7. Patients who have DIPG may have trouble walking, weakness or drooping in the face, blurred vision and other eye problems and other issues. Survival at two years is about 10%, according to DIPG.org, and 2% at five years.
DIPG is quite rare, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, with about 200-300 cases usually diagnosed in the entire country each year. As of May 1, there were 895 cases registered in the United States. Both the state and national totals could be higher; the registry is elective. Kentucky has one of the nation’s worst rates of cancer. In 2025, more than 10,000 Kentuckians died from cancers.
Children With ADHD Are Six Times More Likely to Experience Depression
Children and teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are significantly more likely to experience depression than their peers, according to a new study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control, and activity levels. While it is widely known for these behavioral symptoms, experts have increasingly recognized that mental health challenges often occur alongside it.
Previous research has shown that many children with ADHD develop additional conditions, but the exact rate of co-occurring depression in this group has remained unclear. To address this gap, researchers set out to bring together existing evidence from across the world.
They wanted to better understand how common depression is in young people with ADHD and whether certain factors — such as age, sex, or medication — make a difference in reported rates. Led by Shipei Wang from the University of Edinburgh in the U.K., the research team analyzed data from 24 rigorous studies involving a total of 6,815 children and adolescents. Of these, just over 5,000 had ADHD.
Crucially, the researchers specifically focused on children with ADHD who did not have an intellectual disability, as intellectual disabilities can independently influence depression severity.
Court Upholds $495 Million Verdict Against Abbott Laboratories in Case Over Preterm Infant Formula
A Missouri appellate court has upheld a $495 million verdict against north suburban-based Abbott Laboratories in a case over whether its formula for premature infants caused a girl to become seriously ill. The decision is the latest blow for Abbott over the issue of whether its formula for babies born prematurely causes a devastating intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
Abbott now faces more than 1,700 lawsuits across the country over the matter. Last month, Abbott lost four cases in Cook County Circuit Court, with a jury awarding $70 million in damages. In the latest decision Tuesday, the Missouri appellate court upheld $495 million in damages awarded by a St. Louis jury in July 2024.
The jury reached its verdict following a three-week-long trial during which Illinois resident Margo Gill alleged her daughter Robynn Davis was given Abbott’s formula for premature infants after she was born at 26 weeks gestation, causing her to develop NEC. Davis, who was born in 2021, underwent extensive surgery because of her NEC diagnosis and continues to suffer from long-term health issues. The jury awarded $95 million in compensatory damages and $400 million in punitive damages.
Study Examines Factors Associated With Co-Occurrence of Autism and Epilepsy in Children
Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of also having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A new study in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology examined factors associated with the co-occurrence of autism and epilepsy in a large population-based group. For the study, investigators at the Mayo Clinic compared the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in children with and without epilepsy based on medical records, and they evaluated associated factors including sex, age at autism identification, and intellectual disability.
The study included 30,490 children in the Olmsted County, Minnesota birth cohort, of whom 257 (0.84%) had epilepsy diagnosed before 19 years of age. Autism prevalence was significantly higher among children with epilepsy as compared with children without across all three research and clinical definitions assessed (21.4% versus 3.2% using broad research criteria, 14.0% versus 1.6% using stricter research criteria, and 7.9% versus 0.7% for clinical diagnosis).
Children with epilepsy and autism were more likely to have intellectual disability (56.5% versus 15.4%), were more often female (38.2% versus 25.8%), and were identified with autism at a younger age (7.4 versus 8.7 years) compared with those without autism.
Authorities Warn Parents About Dangerous Tiktok Challenge With Popular Children’s Toy That Causes ‘Traumatizing’ Burns
A 10-year-old UK girl named Bella had to be hospitalized after a TikTok squishy toy stunt literally blew up in her face, leaving her with “traumatizing” burns. It looked like she’d been whacked in the face,” her mother Charlotte, 42, from Hartcliff, Bristol, told the BBC. Her daughter had reportedly been at a friend’s house when the fiasco occurred.
She had reportedly been copying the viral TikTok challenge where youngsters place NeeDoh — a squishy stress cube made of rubber with a polyvinyl alcohol filling — in the freezer and then microwave it for several seconds to make it more malleable. The harmless-seeming experiment backfired after the gelatinous cube exploded, showering Bella’s face with the molten, napalm-like goo.
“When she came in, I could see straight away her face was bright red….I could see the scald mark and there was skin missing and blisters.” “Because of the silicone outer layer, they couldn’t feel how hot it was inside, so her friend squeezed it, which is when it burst onto both of them,” Charlotte told the outlet. “When she came in, I could see straight away her face was bright red…I could see the scald mark, and there was skin missing and blisters. She was in absolute tears.” After other parents informed her that a TikTok trend could be behind the incident, Charlotte did some web research, finding videos of people microwaving these hot toys in the microwave “to make them more elastic.”
The post Public Health Officials Are Investigating Rare Cancer Cases in Eastern Kentucky Children + More appeared first on Children’s Health Defense.
IPAK-EDU is grateful to The Defender as this piece was originally published there and is included in this news feed with mutual agreement. Read More
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