Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of March 23, 2026–March 27, 2026.
More parents are declining routine preventive care for newborns in addition to vaccines
The AP (3/21, Ungar) reported physicians throughout the nation are concerned that skepticism propelled “by rising anti-science sentiment and medical mistrust is increasingly reaching beyond vaccines to other proven, routine, preventive care for babies.” For example, a recent study published in JAMA, “which analyzed more than 5 million births nationwide, found that refusals of vitamin K shots nearly doubled between 2017 and 2024, from 2.9% to 5.2%.” Meanwhile, “other research suggests that parents who decline vitamin K shots are much more likely to refuse getting their newborns the hepatitis B vaccine and an eye ointment to prevent potentially blinding infections.”
Brain age index based on microstructures of sleep EEG data predicted dementia risk
MedPage Today (3/23, George) reports, “A brain age index based on microstructures of sleep electroencephalography (EEG) data predicted dementia risk, a meta-analysis showed.” Investigators found that “across five cohorts and 7,105 participants, each 10-year increase in the EEG-derived index was tied to a 39% higher risk of dementia (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.21-1.59, P<0.001) after adjusting for covariates.” This “relationship remained significant after adjusting for comorbidities and apnea-hypopnea index scores (HR 1.31, P<0.001) and APOE4 gene status (HR 1.22, P=0.03).” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
Prescription drug promotion by social media influencers consistently associated with misinformation, review suggests
MedPage Today (3/24, Henderson) reports a systematic scoping review of 12 articles suggests that consumers should not “expect accuracy and transparency in the promotion of prescription drugs by social media influencers.” While evidence was limited in the review, researchers observed that “recurrent themes in posts about prescription drugs by influencers included misinformation and blurred lines between personal testimony and paid promotion, with weak regulatory oversight.” Of the review’s findings, “concerns about accuracy and misinformation were raised in seven studies.” In addition, the authors wrote that several studies detailed the “critical role of parasocial dynamics in shaping trust and engagement with influencer content (persuasiveness).” Furthermore, researchers noted that FDA and FTC guidance on transparency was “described as vague, outdated, and difficult to enforce across global platforms.” The review was published in JAMA Network Open.
CMS unveils Medicaid model that supports coordination for children with complex needs
Fierce Healthcare (3/25, Minemyer) reports that the administration has introduced a “new payment model that aims to support care management for children in Medicaid with complex medical or behavioral health needs.” Known as Accelerating State Pediatric Innovation Readiness and Effectiveness (ASPIRE), the program “is a 10-year voluntary model that will include up to five states. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in a post that the model will put Medicaid providers in a position to take on accountability for these populations.”
Modern Healthcare (3/24, Early, Subscription Publication) reports, “CMS characterizes ASPIRE as a successor to the Integrated Care for Kids Model, or InCK, which the agency launched in 2019 and shuttered last year.”
Research suggests it is difficult to drink enough fluids to prevent kidney stones
HealthDay (3/25, Thompson) reports that “it’s very difficult—and possibly impossible—for people to down enough fluids to prevent kidney stones, a major new study says.” Investigators found that “patients with kidney stones were able to hydrate more and increase their urine output after being equipped with Bluetooth-enabled ‘smart bottles’ that measured their fluid intake.” Nonetheless, “these patients continued to struggle with kidney stones at about the same rate as others not provided added help with hydration, researchers found.” The findings were published in The Lancet.
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