Latest News On Children’s Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Mothers of Color Can’t See if Providers Have a History of Mistreatment. Why Not?

KFF Health News Original

Many women, especially Black women, have reported discrimination in maternity care, but expectant mothers lack tools to see where this happens. Funding and regulations to measure disparities have been slow in arriving, but some innovators are trying to fill the void.

More Schools Stock Overdose Reversal Meds, but Others Worry About Stigma

KFF Health News Original

Colorado is among several states that ensure schools have access to the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone for free or at reduced cost. But most districts hadn’t signed up by the start of the school year for a state distribution program amid stigma around the lifesaving treatment.

Más escuelas tienen el medicamento para revertir sobredosis, pero otras se preocupan por el estigma

KFF Health News Original

La Administración de Salud Mental y Abuso de Sustancias federal recomienda que las escuelas, incluidas las primarias, tengan naloxona disponible, ante el aumento de las sobredosis mortales de opioides, especialmente de la potente droga fentanilo.

Florida Foster Kids Are Given Powerful Medications, but Feds Find State Oversight Lacking

KFF Health News Original

A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services raises troubling questions about the use of powerful medications within Florida’s child welfare system and the risk of overdoses or dangerous side effects if children are given the wrong combination of drugs.

A Decades-Long Drop in Teen Births Is Slowing, and Advocates Worry a Reversal Is Coming

KFF Health News Original

After three decades of declines in teen pregnancies, data shows the rates are starting to plateau. The reversal of “Roe v. Wade,” coupled with efforts to suspend sex education in schools and higher rates of youth mental health issues post-pandemic, could culminate in a perfect storm.

Officials Agree: Use Settlement Funds to Curb Youth Addiction. But the ‘How’ Gets Hairy.

KFF Health News Original

Parents, educators, and elected officials agree that investing in school-based prevention efforts could help curb the rising rate of youth drug overdoses. The well-known D.A.R.E. program is one likely choice, but its effectiveness is in question.

As Younger Children Increasingly Die by Suicide, Better Tracking and Prevention Is Sought

KFF Health News Original

Decades-long systemic shortcomings have left suicide among children ages 5 to 11 poorly tracked and addressed. Now, as rates appear to be rising, advocates are strengthening efforts to screen for problems and prevent deaths in younger children.

Despite Successes, Addiction Treatment Programs for Families Struggle to Stay Open

KFF Health News Original

Residential addiction treatment programs that allow parents to bring their children along have been recognized for their success. But a mix of logistical challenges and low reimbursement rates mean they struggle to stay afloat.

“Lo que queremos es venganza”: cómo las redes sociales alimentan la violencia armada entre adolescentes

KFF Health News Original

Los adolescentes publican en Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat o TikTok, fotos o videos de sí mismos con armas y montones de dinero, a veces desafiando a sus rivales. Cuando los mensajes se hacen virales, alimentados por los “likes” y los comentarios, el peligro es difícil de contener.

‘All We Want Is Revenge’: How Social Media Fuels Gun Violence Among Teens

KFF Health News Original

Teens share photos or videos of themselves with guns and stacks of cash, sometimes calling out rivals, on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. When posts go viral, fueled by “likes” and comments, the danger is hard to contain.

Illustrated Report: How Gun Violence Goes Viral

KFF Health News Original

As chatter and images about guns and violence slip into the social media feeds of more teens, viral messages fueled by “likes” can lead to real-world conflict and loss.

Naming Suicide in Obits Was Once Taboo. Changing That Can Help Loved Ones Grieve.

KFF Health News Original

Mental health is being talked about more openly than ever, but the word “suicide” has remained largely taboo when describing how someone died. See why that’s slowly changing, what it means for people who grieve those deaths, and how candor can help prevent additional suicides.

Parents See Own Health Spiral as Their Kids’ Mental Illnesses Worsen

KFF Health News Original

The day-to-day struggles that parents of kids with mental health conditions must navigate have led to their own crisis: The stress can take a physical toll that disrupts parents’ ability to provide care, say psychologists, researchers, and advocates for families.