Pediatricians Stand By Meds For ADHD, But Some Say Therapy Should Come First

The American Academy of Pediatrics is out with new guidelines on ADHD that some hoped would boost the role of behavioral interventions before medications. But the AAP stuck by its recommendation that children 6 and older should be given medicine combined with therapy after diagnosis.

Insurers Test New Way To Cut Maternity Care Costs: Bundling

More insurers are experimenting with paying health care providers one lump sum to cover the cost of maternity care. Physicians and insurers hope the model — known as bundled payments — will help improve health outcomes.

Invasive Mosquitoes Plunge Deeper Into California

Invasive mosquito species capable of carrying dangerous viruses such as Zika, dengue and yellow fever have been detected in 16 California counties. There’s no evidence the mosquitoes have transmitted these diseases within the state, but health officials urge residents to take steps to slow their spread.

Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Hoodwinking Parents And Schools

The vaping hoodie. The vaping watch. The vaping phone case. Each ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. The vaping market is crowded with sleek, camouflaged devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor illicit usage of a product that has surged in popularity among high schoolers.

Vaping By The Numbers

The explosive rise in a serious lung illness linked to vaping spotlights the popularity of e-cigarettes among teens and young adults. Vaping is now so pervasive among young people that federal health officials say its use has fueled a sharp reversal in what had been a celebrated two-decade decline in overall tobacco use by teenagers.

California Lawmakers Send Contested Vaccine Bill To Governor. Will He Sign It?

The state Senate on Wednesday sent a measure to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom that would tighten the rules for children’s medical exemptions from vaccines. Newsom, who said in June that he would sign the measure after amendments had been made at his request, now wants more changes.

Back To School 2019: Backpack, Lunchbox And A Drug Test

As schools begin a new year, more districts will test students as young as 11 for illicit drug use even as other drug prevention efforts are scaled back. More than 1 in 3 school districts nationwide give students drug tests.

How And When Immigrants’ Use Of Government Benefits Might Affect Their Legal Status

Confusion about a new federal rule to restrict legal immigration based on the use of public benefits may dampen sign-ups for health care, housing and food aid even among immigrants not directly targeted by the rule. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that will help clear up some of the misunderstanding.

DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes

People with diabetes say they’ve been waiting for years for better technology to manage their chronic condition. Tired of waiting, some tech-savvy, do-it-yourselfers are constructing their own devices using open-source programming instructions.

The Real-Life Conversion Of A Former Anti-Vaxxer

Kelley Watson Snyder, a mother who for years opposed mandatory childhood vaccinations and joined with like-minded parents who espoused similar views, today runs a pro-vaccination Facebook page. What changed?

Child Drowning Rates Drop As Communities Adopt Stricter Building Codes

Children are far less likely to drown than they were in the 1980s, in California and across the nation. Experts say state and local laws that require more fencing and security features around family swimming pools have made a difference and should be expanded nationwide.

Medi-Cal Enrollment Among Immigrant Kids Stalls, Then Falls. Is Fear To Blame?

Enrollment among undocumented immigrant children in California’s Medicaid program started strong before stagnating and then falling. Although this decline is similar to an enrollment decline among all children in Medicaid nationwide, experts believe there are different reasons behind it.