Malathion ADD, Squinty Kids and Lifesaving End-of-Life Care: The ReportingonHealth Daily Briefing

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August 19, 2010

Here's what we're reading today:

Palliative Care: There was lots of coverage of a small study showing that palliative (aka end of life) care can actually extend  life in some cancer patients, but Boston Globe reporter Stephen Smith's story stands out for its vivid writing about one patient's experience. (Check out our tips for writing compelling patient narratives and getting the story right even when your subjects don't.)

Environmental Health: New research shows that prenatal exposure to some pesticides, like malathion, may affect some children's ability to pay attention. Attention California and rural journalists: this study was conducted on women in California's farm-heavy Salinas valley.

Squint Stigma: We have nothing but admiration for the Swiss researchers who managed to get funding for a study showing that children who squint are less likely to be invited to birthday parties.

Slate Labs: Not specifically related to health, but we find this CJR Q&A with Slate Labs about its multimedia experiments interesting – could it spark some ideas for your own work?