Lead-Tainted Applesauce Highlights Failings in Food Safety System

Cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches sold in grocery and dollar stores last year poisoned hundreds of American children with extremely high doses of lead, leaving anxious parents to watch for signs of brain damage, developmental delays and seizures. The Food and Drug Administration, citing Ecuadorean investigators, said a spice grinder was likely responsible for the contamination and…

How to Spot Kawasaki Disease in Your Child

Doctors across the United States are seeing a rise in Kawasaki disease, a mysterious condition that primarily affects children under 5. The illness is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children worldwide but it is often unrecognized or misdiagnosed. Kawasaki disease is rare, but cases are climbing in the United States. Here…

Can You Recycle Medical Devices Like Insulin Pens, Inhalers and Covid Tests?

Most of the plastic in your medicine cabinet is high-quality, medical grade — and devilishly difficult to safely dispose of, let alone recycle. The sorting equipment at standard recycling centers typically can’t handle small items, and wishfully including them only prolongs the sorting process that then increases the recyclers’ costs without salvaging the plastic. Some…