Category: Health

(NEW YORK) — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state is suing a hospital in Eureka for allegedly refusing emergency abortion care to women whose lives are in danger.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Humboldt County Superior Court, alleges Providence St. Joseph Hospital violated multiple California laws due to its refusal to provide urgent abortion care to people experiencing obstetric emergencies.

Providence St. Joseph’s is a Catholic hospital and the primary hospital services provider in Eureka, the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Oregon in northern California.

The lawsuit names one particular patient, Anna Nusslock, who had her water break when she was 15 weeks pregnant with twins in Feb. 2024.

Nusslock, a 35-year-old healthcare professional, claimed in the lawsuit that doctors at Providence St. Joseph’s told her the only option was abortion, but they could not provide her the service, based on hospital policy.

“Without abortion care, I risked infection or hemorrhage, both of which are so dangerous to my health and my life, and increased with every minute that passed,” Nusslock said during a press conference Monday.

Nusslock said she was told by doctors that they were prohibited from offering an emergency abortion if her twins still had any signs of heart tones, despite her own life being at risk and the pregnancy no longer being viable.

“I was told I could not receive emergency abortion care while at Providence because of hospital policy,” Nusslock said.

Instead, Nusslock alleges Providence staff gave her a bucket and towels “in case something happens in the car” and told her to drive 12 miles to a small community hospital where doctors were allowed to perform the procedure.

Once at that smaller hospital, Nusslock said she was actively hemorrhaging when she was placed on an operating table and the pregnancy was aborted.

In the state’s lawsuit, Attorney General Rob Bonta argues Providence has been violating multiple California laws by refusing emergency abortion care to women in need.

California is requesting a court order to force the hospital to perform prompt emergency care including abortions.

“Pregnant patients have the same rights to health care, including emergency care, that any other patient has,” said Bonta.

Bonta claims Providence is barring doctors from providing lifesaving or life-stabilizing emergency abortion treatment even when a pregnancy is not viable and when doctors have determined that immediate abortion care is necessary to save the life of the mother.

The lawsuit alleges that Providence only allows the procedure if the mother’s life is in immediate danger of death by which time intervention can be too late.

“This policy, let’s make no mistake, is draconian,” Bonta said. “It has no place in institutions that are charged with delivering accessible and equitable healthcare.”

While Bonta argues Providence must provide the care under California law, federal law on the topic is less clear.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires every hospital in the United States that operates an emergency department and participates in Medicare to provide life-stabilizing treatment to all patients, but in a recent case, the U.S. Supreme Court did not confirm that the act includes abortion care.

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for Providence St. Joseph Hospital said, “Providence is deeply committed to the health and wellness of women and pregnant patients and provides emergency services to all who walk through our doors in accordance with state and federal law. We are heartbroken over Dr. Nusslock’s experience earlier this year.”

“This morning was the first Providence had heard of the California attorney general’s lawsuit, and we are currently reviewing the filings to understand what is being alleged. Because this case is in active litigation and due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on the matter,” the spokesperson added.

“As part of our pledge to delivering safe, high-quality care, we review every event that may not have met our patient needs or expectations to understand what happened and take appropriate steps to meet those needs and expectations for every patient we encounter,” the spokesperson said.

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(NEW YORK) — North Carolina became the latest state to have a public health emergency declared by U.S. health officials in response to Hurricane Helene.

In a press release on Sunday evening, the Department of Health and Human Services said its Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) was moving equipment and personnel to North Carolina to help address the “potential health impacts” of Hurricane Helene.

It comes after PHEs were previously declared for Florida and Georgia. On Thursday, major disaster declarations were approved by President Joe Biden, which unlocked federal funds for disaster assistance and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

“We will do all we can to help North Carolina officials respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”

Communities in western North Carolina, including the city of Asheville, were hit with “catastrophic” and “historic” flooding and landslides from Helene. Gov. Roy Cooper said between 10 and 29 inches of rain fell across the state’s western mountains.

Water systems have been impacted and some roads have washed away, hampering the ability for officials to set up food and water distribution sites.

The PHE declaration gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services greater flexibility in meeting the needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and allows the ASPR to deploy teams to support local health requests, according to the HHS.

ASPR has deployed about 200 personnel including Health Care Situational Assessment Teams to evaluate the impact on health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers, and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams to help state and local health workers provide care.

While the immediate impacts of natural disasters — such as hurricanes — include injuries and deaths, there are longer-term health issues that PHEs can help address.

Natural disasters can disrupt vital health services, including dialysis and breathing machines, and affect survivors’ emotional health and well-being, according to FEMA.

Flooding from hurricanes can damage sewage systems. If untreated sewage enters the drinking water supply, it could lead to widespread gastrointestinal illness. Additionally, flooding can cause mold to form, which can lead to respiratory illnesses if not removed.

HHS said it is identifying the number of Medicare beneficiaries in affected zip codes that rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment and devices, including dialysis and oxygen tanks “to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk citizens in potentially impacted areas.”

This is especially important for older Americans, who are at the highest risk of health issues. Research has shown that natural disasters can worsen mortality caused by heart disease and strokes among senior citizens.

For those experiencing emotional distress related to the hurricane, the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has free crisis counseling through the Disaster Distress Helpline, which is toll-free and available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories.

Counselors are available in more than 100 languages via third-party interpretation services when callers indicate their preferred language to the responding counselor, according to the HHS.

A PHE declaration lasts for the duration of the emergency or 90 days but can be extended by Secretary Becerra if needed.

Earlier this year, HHS issued PHEs in Texas in response to Hurricane Beryl; in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in response to Hurricane Debby; and in Louisiana in response to Hurricane Francine.

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(NEW YORK) — The number of kids dying from influenza in the 2023-2024 season has set a new record for a regular flu season, after one new death was reported last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There were 200 pediatric flu-related deaths in the 2023-2024 season, compared to the previous high of 199 during the 2019-2022 season.

About 80% of the kids that died from flu this season were not fully vaccinated against influenza, CDC data shows. Nearly half of the children had at least one pre-existing medical condition.

Everyone over the age of six months is recommended to get their annual flu vaccine before the end of October, according to the CDC.

Children up to 8 years old receiving their first flu shot should receive two doses if they previously have not, the CDC notes.

Older adults over the age of 65, who are at higher risk of severe illness including hospitalization and death, may opt for a higher dose flu shot for further protection. 

“Vaccination remains our most effective tool to prevent illness and reduce the risk of serious complications in children,” said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News medical contributor.

Vaccination rates among children for flu have been declining in recent years. About 53.9% of children were vaccinated against influenza this season, about 2.2% points lower than last season and 8.5% points lower than pre-pandemic.

“The decline in flu vaccination rates among children is deeply concerning and is at least partly linked to the rise in pediatric cases we’re witnessing,” Brownstein said.

Estimates show that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu medical visits by about two-thirds and halved the risk of hospitalization among kids, according to the CDC.

“We must address this drop in vaccinations to prevent further unnecessary and preventable loss of young lives,” Brownstein added.

The influenza virus spreads year-round, but flu activity typically picks up in the fall and winter, peaking between the months of December and February.

While the impact of flu varies from season to season, estimates from the CDC show the virus has resulted in up to 41 million illnesses, 710,000 hospitalizations and 51,000 deaths annually in the past decade, according to the CDC.

“The record number of pediatric flu deaths this season is a stark indicator of how severe influenza can be,” Brownstein said.

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While the United States has made considerable progress fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis since its peak in the 1980s, headway has not been equal among racial/ethnic groups.

Overall, HIV rates have declined in the U.S. and the number of new infections over the last five years has dropped among Black Americans and white Americans. However, Hispanic and Latino Americans have not seen the same gains.

Between 2018 and 2022, estimated HIV infections among gay and bisexual men fell 16% for Black Americans and 20% for white Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, Hispanic Americans saw rates held steady, the CDC said.

There may be several reasons for the lack of decline, including Hispanic Americans facing health care discrimination, experts told ABC News. Some may also face the stigma that prevents patients from accessing services or makes them feel ashamed to do so. There is also a lack of material that is available in their native language or is culturally congruent, experts said.

“Where we are in the HIV epidemic is that we have better tools than ever for both treatment and for prevention, and we have seen a modest slowing in the rate of new infections, but we have seen a relative increase in the rate of new infections among Latino individuals, particularly Latino men who have sex with men,” Dr. Kenneth Mayer, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical research director at Fenway Health in Boston, told ABC News.

“So, the trends are subtle, but they’re concerning because it does speak to increased health disparities in that population,” he continued.

Hispanic Americans make up more cases and more deaths

Although Hispanic and Latino Americans make up 18% of the U.S. population, they accounted for 33% of estimated new HIV infections in 2022, according to HIV.gov, a website run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is in comparison with white Americans, who make up 61% of the U.S. population but just 23% of HIV infections.

Hispanic and Latino gay men currently represent the highest number of new HIV cases in the U.S.

What’s more, Hispanic males were four times likely to have HIV or AIDS compared to white males in 2022 and Hispanic females were about three times more likely than white females to have HIV over the same period, according to the federal Office of Minority Health (OMH).

Additionally, Hispanics males were nearly twice as likely to die of HIV Infection as white males and Hispanic females to die of HIV Infection in 2022, the OMH said.

Erick Suarez, a nurse practitioner and chief medical officer of Pineapple Healthcare, a primary care and HIV/AIDS specialist located in Orlando, Florida, told ABC News that watching the lack of progress made in the HIV/AIDS crisis for the Hispanic and Latino population is like “traveling back in time.”

“When I say traveling back in time for the Hispanic/Latino population with HIV, I mean [it’s like] they are living before 2000,” he said, “Their understanding of treatment and how to access it is in that pre-2000 world. … The state of HIV and AIDS in the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States right now is a few steps back from the general American population.”

He said many Hispanic/Latino HIV patients come to the United States unaware of their HIV status. If they are aware of their status, they come from countries where prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is hard to find or doesn’t exist.

When they get to the United States, they be afraid or unsure of where or how to access health care. Even Hispanic/Latino Americans whose families have been here for generations, have trouble accessing health care due to racial and ethnic disparities, Suarez said.

Previous research has shown Hispanic/Latino Americans with HIV reported experiencing health care discrimination, which could be a barrier to accessing care.

Facing discrimination, stigma

Hispanic and Latino patients with HIV report facing discrimination in health care, experts told ABC News. A CDC report published in 2022 found between 2018 and 2020, nearly 1 in 4 Hispanic patients with HIV said they experienced health care discrimination.

Hispanic men were more likely to face discrimination than Hispanic women and Black or African American Hispanic patients were more likely than white Hispanic patients to face discrimination, according to the report.

There may also be stigma — both within the general population and within their own communities — associated with HIV infection that could prevent patients from accessing services, according to the experts.

Suarez said one of his most recent patients, who is Cuban, traveled two hours to a clinic outside of their city to make sure no one in their familial and social circles would know their status.

“The interesting part is that even though I speak with them like, ‘You understand that everything that happens within these walls is federally protected, that it is private information. No one will ever know your information, and our goal is for you to get access healthcare. You can do this in your own city,'” Suarez said.

“Now, because of the stigma, they will travel long distances to avoid contact with anyone and make sure that no one knows their status. So, stigma is a huge factor,” he continued.

Rodriguez said this stigma and mistrust has led to many Hispanic and Latino Americans to not seek medical care unless something is seriously wrong, which may result in missed HIV diagnoses or a missed opportunity to receive post-exposure prophylaxis, which can reduce the risk of HIV when taken within 72 hours after a possible HIV exposure.

Making resources ‘available, attainable and achievable’
Experts said one way to lower rates is to make information on how to reduce risk as well as how to get tested and treated available in other languages, such as Spanish, and making sure it is culturally congruent.

However, Rodriguez says translating documents is not enough. In the early 2010s, when the CDC was disseminating its national strategy to reduce HIV infection, the agency began to circulate materials on how to reduce HIV incidence, reducing stigma and increasing use of condoms for sex, Rodriguez said.

He said that of a compendium of 30 interventions, maybe one was in Spanish. When he took the materials back to his native Puerto Rico, many were having trouble understanding the materials because it has been translated by someone who is of Mexican heritage.

Secondly, rather than the materials being written in Spanish, they had been translated from English to Spanish, which doesn’t always translate well, Rodriguez said.

“When we talk about Hispanics, we have to talk about, first of all, the culture. Our culture is very complex. Not one Spanish language can speak to all of the Hispanic communities,” he said. “And then we also have to look at the generations of Hispanics. Are you first generation, second generation, third generation? “

He added that the key is making resources “available, attainable and achievable.”

This month, the White House convened a summit to discuss raising awareness of HIV among Hispanic and Latino Americans and to discuss strengthening efforts to address HIV in Hispanic and Latino communities.

Mayer said it’s also important to make sure information is disseminated on social media that is culturally tailored for Hispanic and Latino experiences.

“It’s important for social media to seem culturally relevant, to make sure that they understand that HIV is not just a disease of old white guys, and that they may have a substantial risk,” he said. “Make sure that they’re educated by what they can do to protect themselves since we have highly effective pre-exposure prophylaxis, and we have ways to decrease STIs with a doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis.

The experts added that having more Hispanics and Latinos represented in medicine, research and public health may encourage more Hispanic and Latino Americans with HIV or at risk of HIV to seek care or treatment.

“Seeing and being able to recognize that your healthcare provider looks like you, sounds like you, in some way it represents you, is a key aspect of getting people on treatment and access,’ Suarez said. “And not only that, but keeping them in treatment and having them come back and stay and keep that going, that’s a key issue.”

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(SILVER SPRING, Md.) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved the first new drug to treat people with schizophrenia in more than 30 years.

Cobenfy, manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb, combines two drugs, xanomeline and trospium chloride, and is taken as a twice-daily pill. In clinical trials, this combination helped manage symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, which are common in schizophrenia.

“Schizophrenia is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a severe, chronic mental illness that is often damaging to a person’s quality of life,” Tiffany Farchione, M.D., director of the Division of Psychiatry, Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the approval announcement.

“This drug takes the first new approach to schizophrenia treatment in decades,” Farchione continued. “This approval offers a new alternative to the antipsychotic medications people with schizophrenia have previously been prescribed.”

Cobenfy offers new hope for people with schizophrenia, providing an innovative treatment option that could change how this condition is managed, according to Jelena Kunovac, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the Department of Psychiatry.

“We are overdue for a medication that targets schizophrenia with a different mechanism of action,” Kunovac told ABC News.

The first drugs for schizophrenia, including chlorpromazine and haloperidol – also known by the brand names Thorazine and Haldol, respectively – were introduced in the 1950s and revolutionized treatment of the disease. However, there have been very few new medications since then, with most subsequent FDA approvals being for variations of these older drugs.

Most schizophrenia medications, broadly known as antipsychotics, work by changing dopamine levels, a brain chemical that affects mood, motivation, and thinking, Kunovac explained. Cobenfy takes a different approach by adjusting acetylcholine, another brain chemical that aids memory, learning and attention, she said.

By focusing on acetylcholine instead of dopamine, Cobenfy may reduce schizophrenia symptoms while avoiding common side effects like weight gain, drowsiness and movement disorders, clinical trials suggest. These side effects often become so severe and unpleasant that, in some studies mirroring real-world challenges, many patients stopped treatment within 18 months of starting it.

In clinical trials, only 6% of patients stopped taking Cobenfy due to side effects, noted Dr. Samit Hirawat, chief medical officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. “That’s a significant improvement over the 20-30% seen with older antipsychotic drugs,” he added.

The most common side effects of Cobenfy are nausea, indigestion, constipation, vomiting, hypertension, abdominal pain, diarrhea, increased heart rate, dizziness and gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to the FDA announcement.

“It may prove advantageous to those who don’t tolerate what has been available,” Dr. Leslie Citrome, a clinical professor of psychiatry and expert in psychopharmacology at New York Medical College, told ABC News regarding Cobenfy. “This will provide a new approach that may work out quite nicely.”

Citrome emphasized that patients who have trouble tolerating the side effects of traditional schizophrenia medications may benefit most from Cobenfy, and that a different mechanism of action holds hope for those who have not responded adequately to existing treatments.

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder that affects about 24 million people worldwide, or roughly one in 300 people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It often leads to significant challenges in daily functioning, work, and relationships, impacting both patients and their families.

The disorder typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and can lead to lifelong disability if not properly managed, according to the WHO, further highlighting the need for effective treatment options.

Following approval, doctors could start prescribing Cobenfy by the end of October, according to Adam Lenkowsky, executive vice president and chief commercialization officer at Bristol Myers Squibb.

Experts hope that the drug’s unique mechanism and reduced side effects will help set a new standard of care for schizophrenia patients. Studies for additional therapeutic uses, including the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and bipolar disorder, are also underway.

Jake Goodman, MD, MBA is a psychiatry resident physician and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — A rise in rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths may have been linked to an off-season surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 2021, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Open Network.

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) includes deaths of infants under one year old without a known cause, deaths that are due to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed and those from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“This is an important topic because SIDS and other unexpected deaths are still one of the leading causes of infant mortality, and there’s still a lot unknown,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

The most recent CDC data shows about 3,700 infants died from SUID in 2022 and 41% were from SIDS.

“There are very few things that are as horrific as a family experiencing a sudden infant death, and especially given the causes are so often unknown,” Brownstein said.

Using records from the CDC, researchers analyzed more than 14,000 cases of SUID and found that rates per 100,000 live births increased by 10% from 2019 to 2021.

Results showed the risk of SUID was highest from June to December 2021 — at the same time there was an off-season surge in hospitalizations due to RSV after the virus skipped its typical winter season in 2020.

Influenza hospitalizations were rare during this time and hospitalizations from COVID-19 did not have any clear association with monthly changes in SUID rates in the study.

These findings may indicate a connection between the risk of SUID and seasonal shifts in infections like RSV, but more research is needed to better understand this link.

“The findings underscore the importance of monitoring infant mortality during and after pandemics and obviously it puts big support for vaccinations and RSV prevention,” Brownstein said.

Currently, there are newer RSV shots available that doctors say are important to help prevent RSV and give babies the best protection against this virus that hospitalizes thousands of kids a year, mostly babies.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women get an RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to pass on antibody protection to newborns.

The CDC recommends an RSV antibody shot called nirsevimab for all babies less than 8 months old unless their mother received an RSV vaccine in pregnancy at least 2 weeks before birth.

While nirsevimab had supply constraints last year in its first season, Sanofi, the drug manufacturer, recently announced they have started shipping shots to doctors’ offices and anticipate having enough doses for all eligible babies in the US this RSV season.

Doctors say safe sleep is also important for SUID prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep alone, placed down on their back on a firm, flat surface, with nothing in the sleeping area other than a fitted sheet.

Scott Gummerson, MD, ScM, is an emergency medicine resident and member of the ABC Medical News Unit.

Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH is a physician board-certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine and a medical fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — Americans can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting Thursday ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

This is the third year in a row the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Americans to order over-the-counter tests at no charge.

Anyone wanting to order tests can do so at COVID.gov/tests. Four tests will be shipped free by USPS, starting Sep. 30.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first made the announcement last month that the free COVID tests program was restarting.

“As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge and have them sent directly to their homes,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said during a media briefing at the time. “These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season.”

She added that the tests will be able to detect infection from currently circulating variants.

Currently, KP.3.1.1, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 52.7% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same media briefing, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said immunity from vaccination and previous COVID infection have helped limit the burden of COVID on the health care system.

“I do want to acknowledge that we continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity across the country right now in tests coming back from labs,” Cohen said, adding, “Circulating COVID disease is not translating into similar increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations or deaths.”

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(NEW YORK) — A woman who lost over 200 pounds said she accomplished it by focusing not on the weight she was losing, but the life she was gaining.

“I wanted to gain life more than I wanted to lose weight,” Leah Hope told ABC News’ Good Morning America of her motivation, adding, “There’s a much bigger picture that this is not about wanting a smaller body, but it is about chasing a bigger life.”

Hope, 35, said she hit a “rock bottom” moment in 2022 when she visited Disneyland in California with family members.

Weighing almost 400 pounds at the time, Hope said she remembers being in pain after just a few hours of walking at the theme park.

“I just had to end up spending most of the day by myself while my sister’s family was out enjoying the park,” Hope recalled. “I just left that day saying, ‘This is not the life that I want to be living, and if I continue on the path that I’m on, this is what my life is going to continue to look like.'”

After being overweight most of her life, Hope said she realized she had “become comfortable in my discomfort” and was motivated to change things.

She said she started small and focused on making one change at a time and then layering on more changes.

“Once that thing didn’t feel overwhelming anymore, then I added another thing,” Hope said.

For example, Hope said she started her weight loss journey by just adding one nutritious food to her diet each day.

Once she was comfortable with that change, she added one nutritious meal, and then began walking 10 minutes per day and later began writing what she was eating in a food journal.

“What prompted me to try to lose weight naturally was my focus on wanting to get healthy from the inside out, both internally, hormones, organs, all that, and mentally, emotionally, just holistic health, changing my lifestyle overall,” Hope said. “And so it seemed like it would make most sense to approach this naturally for myself.”

Hope added that while small changes and a natural approach to weight loss worked for her, everyone is different. People should consult with their health care provider before starting any weight loss routine.

“I strongly believe everyone has to decide what the best route is for them,” Hope said.

As she started to change her lifestyle, Hope began sharing her journey on social media. A TikTok video she posted last year, one year into her weight loss effort, now has over 14 million views.

When she faced obstacles on her two-year weight loss journey, Hope said she reminded herself of her focus on “gaining life” versus losing weight.

“As long as I continued to tell myself that, I could look at the scale and say, ‘You know what? Maybe the scale didn’t go down this week, but I did 2,000 more steps this day,’ or, ‘I actually enjoyed this healthy meal that I prepared,” Hope said. “Shifting my mindset to focus on building healthy habits, rather than just seeing a smaller number on the scale, is really what helped me continue through the road bumps, through not seeing the results that I wanted, and just continuing to remind myself that there’s a much bigger picture to this.”

The Walt Disney Co., is the parent company of ABC News.

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(NEW YORK) — The journey to get pregnant can be a long road for many women, some of whom are sharing that they found unlikely help from an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.

The hashtag #mucinexdpregnancy has over 1,500 posts on TikTok from women claiming the medication Mucinex helped them get pregnant.

“I tried the Mucinex hack [and] it worked!,” one TikTok user captioned a post with more than one million views. “After 5 months of trying gave it a shot [and] got pregnant first try.”

“Trying to conceive for years just to take Mucinex and get pregnant,” another TikTok user captioned a viral video with two million views.

According to people sharing their stories on social media, taking a Mucinex pill every day during their high-fertile window helped them get pregnant.

ABC News’ Good Morning America spoke with board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd to break down the trend and whether it’s research-proven to work.

Why would Mucinex help with pregnancy?

Mucinex contains an active ingredient, guaifenesin, that helps with congestion by thinning phlegm, a type of mucus produced by the respiratory system.

The theory in using Mucinex to help with fertility is that guaifenesin could also help thin cervical mucus, making it easier for sperm to reach an egg during fertilization, according to Shepherd.

In addition to Mucinex, guaifenesin is also an active ingredient in other over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

“The reason why people think that this is going to be a way that’s going to help increase chances of fertility is that the actual medication is going to thin secretions,” Shepherd said. “Now, when we think of thinning secretions, we are usually looking at it from a perspective of cervical secretions.”

Is there any research proving Mucinex can help with fertility?

Not really, according to Shepherd.

“When we actually look at the data and the studies that have been done on Mucinex and fertility, we know that it hasn’t significantly improved the quality of cervical mucus, which could, again, help with some of the motility of the sperm getting to the egg,” she said. “However, it is, again, something that women can try on their own, but there is no strong data that’s going to say that it’s significantly going to increase their chances of fertility.”

The most frequently-cited study is one published over 40 years ago in 1982, in a journal entitled Fertility and Sterility. In the study, which included 40 couples over a span of 10 months, the female was given 200 mg guaifenesin three times daily from day five of her menstrual cycle through when she was ovulating. Scientists studied how well the sperm moved through her cervical mucus after using the guaifenesin.

Of the 40 patients, two-thirds showed some improvement in sperm motility. Fifteen of the 40 couples became pregnant during the study, though their pregnancies cannot attribute that solely to guaifenesin.

More recently, in 2010, a case study showed anecdotal evidence of improvement in one patient’s sperm count and motility after taking guaifenesin 600 mg extended release tablets twice a day for two months.

However, the study’s researchers said it was “not clear” why the patient had improvement and that more research on guaifenesin and male fertility was needed.

What does the maker of Mucinex say about taking it for infertility?

Reckitt, the maker of Mucinex, told GMA in a statement that taking the medication for infertility is considered “off-label use.”

“Reckitt is aware of recent social media activity surrounding Mucinex and fertility, and we understand why there is heightened interest in this topic. As a global leader in health and hygiene, it is important that we clarify that Mucinex should only be used as intended in line with label directions. Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes off-label use,” the company said in a statement.

“Taking any medications outside their approved indications or without acknowledging all active ingredients may be harmful. In case of doubt, we recommend women have a discussion with their healthcare professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication,” the company said.

Is guaifenesin safe to take during pregnancy?

Guaifenesin is considered pregnancy category C by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

That classification means means there’s no data on human fetuses and studies on animal fetuses showed adverse effects.

Women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should always check with their medical provider before taking any medication.

What causes infertility?

Female infertility is known to decline with age as well as smoking, excessive alcohol use, obesity, low body weight and excessive physical or emotional stress.

Medical conditions that impact the ovulation cycle, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries can also contribute to infertility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shepherd said it is important that women talk with their doctor if they have concerns about infertility, which is defined by the CDC as being unable to get pregnant after one year of trying or after 6 months if 35 years or older.

“When we look at the different trends that we may see on social media … I think that is so important for every woman to take into account that they need to discuss this specifically with their doctor to ensure that it doesn’t cause any harm, but also that they are following recommended ways for them to improve their chances [for pregnancy] in health and wellness,” she said.

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(NEW YORK) — With autumn in full swing, flu season is ramping up as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu season in the U.S. typically picks up in the fall and winter months and children, especially, are the most likely to get sick from influenza, a type of respiratory virus.

Here’s how to prepare for the season ahead:

What causes influenza (flu)?

The flu is caused by various influenza viruses that impact the respiratory system. For the 2024-2025 flu season, the CDC expects the dominant influenza viruses in the U.S. to be an A(H1N1) virus, an A(H3N2) virus, and a B/Victoria virus.

What are common flu symptoms?

Symptoms of the flu can vary but per the CDC, they may include fever or chills, a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea. The latter two symptoms are more common among children with the flu.

What is the flu incubation period and when are you most contagious?

Individuals with the flu can spread the virus to others, and according to the CDC, the incubation period can last between one and four days. The first three days of an infection tend to be the most contagious period.

The CDC recommends a flu vaccine for nearly everyone six months and older in the U.S. every flu season, except for anyone younger than six months or anyone with a severe, life-threatening allergy to any ingredient in a vaccine or the flu vaccine specifically.

What months are considered flu season?

The flu is most active between the fall and winter months. During the 2023 to 2024 flu season, CDC reports showed that national flu activity started to increase in October 2023 and didn’t start to decline until mid-April 2024.

How can you prepare for flu season?

Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and a mom, shared in a TikTok post what she keeps on hand at home to stay prepared for flu season.

Her top items include:

• Disposable vomit bags
• Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen in multiple forms, including chewable tablets, liquid form or suppositories
• Digital Thermometer
• Zyrtec or a similar second-generation histamine for allergic reactions or hives
• A portable pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and oxygenation
• Packs of electrolyte powder
• Cough suppresants and oral anesthetics including those in lollipop forms
• Saline nasal mist
• A squeeze bottle kit for over-the-counter saline solutions
• A saline inhaler
• Nasal saline drops with a suction bulb

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