Children's Health Archives - Page 17 of 42

A photo shows staff from the Brownsville Independent School District participating in an active shooter drill.

Texas Revamps ‘Active-Shooter’ Drills at K-12 Schools to Minimize Trauma

School lockdown drills are designed to prepare students for violent threats. But for some students, especially those with special needs, the drills can trigger or exacerbate mental health problems. Texas is taking a step toward balancing safety and mental health with new regulations around how the drills are conducted. “If some kids are coming away traumatized or we’re magnifying existing trauma, we’re not moving in the right direction,” one expert says.

By Renuka Rayasam and Colleen DeGuzman

Oct. 21, 2022

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Hits the Road to Sell Democrats’ Record

With the midterm elections rapidly approaching, President Joe Biden has taken to the road to convince voters that he and congressional Democrats have delivered for them during two years in power. Among the health issues highlighted by the administration this week are pandemic preparedness and the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids. The president also promised to sign a bill codifying the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade if Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate — even though it’s a long shot that there will be enough votes for that. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Mary Agnes Carey of KHN join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Oct. 20, 2022

Diagnosis: Debt

Kids’ Mental Health Care Leaves Parents in Debt and in the Shadows

A youth mental health crisis and a shortage of therapists and other care providers who take insurance are pushing many families into financial ruin. But it's rarely acknowledged as medical debt.

By Yuki Noguchi, NPR News

Oct. 19, 2022

A digital illustration depicting a teen girl running fear fully. She is drawn in black-and-white pencil against a solid magenta-pink background. Black ink lines chase and swirl around her, and come to concentrate as a circle over her stomach, depicting a pregnancy. The theme is an inescapable situation and loss of child/personhood.

Abortion Bans Skirt a Medical Reality: For Many Teens, Childbirth Is a Dangerous Undertaking

The laws criminalizing abortion in many conservative U.S. states are expected to boost birth rates among teens, whose bodies often aren’t built for safe childbirth. For adolescents, the emotional and physical challenges of carrying a pregnancy to term can be daunting.

By Sarah Varney

Oct. 7, 2022

A photo shows Bennett Markow looking at his brother, Eli, in a hospital bed during a family visit.

The Cruelest Bills

Listen: Grieving Families Face the Cruelest Bills

KHN Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber talks with NPR's "Consider This" podcast about her reporting on families confronted with medical bills while grieving the loss of a baby who received expensive hospital care.

Sept. 30, 2022

A photo shows Jim Benn outside and surrounded by members of the Bigfork Vikings football team.

Sports Programs in States in Northern Climes Face a New Opponent: Scorching Septembers

Montana and many other states in the northern U.S. have not updated their policies to keep young athletes safe from heatstroke amid rising temperatures.

By Aaron Bolton, MTPR

Sept. 30, 2022

A still from a video shows Sterling Raspe lying down and wearing a nasal cannula.

KHN On Air

Watch: Their Baby Died. The Medical Bills Haunted Them.

Sterling Raspe lived just eight months. In this KHN video, her father shows the 2-inch stack of medical bills generated by Sterling’s care.

Sept. 30, 2022

A digital illustration in pencil and watercolor. A mother, painted in lively pinks and golds with vibrant red hair, holds a ghostly, colorless outline of her baby, who is wrapped in medical bills.

The Cruelest Bills

Shattered Dreams and Bills in the Millions: Losing a Baby in America

On top of fearing for their children’s lives, new parents of very fragile, very sick infants can face exorbitant hospital bills — even if they have insurance. Medical bills don’t go away if a child dies.

By Lauren Weber

Sept. 23, 2022

A photo shows a toddler lying asleep in bed, being checked with a stethoscope.

Shift in Child Hospice Care Is a Lifeline for Parents Seeking a Measure of Comfort and Hope

Terminally ill children, unlike adults, can get hospice services while continuing to receive life-extending or curative care. More than a decade after the inception of the federal policy, it is widely credited with improving the quality of life for ailing children and their families, even as some parents find themselves in a painful stasis.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

Sept. 22, 2022

Nutritional formula is poured into a baby bottle. There is a second, empty bottle beside the one being filled. They sit on a wooden countertop.

Formula May Be Right for Infants, but Experts Warn That Toddlers Don’t Need It

Sales of formulas designed for toddlers increased in recent years, but health experts warn parents that, generally, once children reach their 1st birthday, they are fine with cow or plant milk and don’t need the expensive, high-calorie products. And doctors say toddler formula should not be given to infants.

By Christina Szalinski

Sept. 21, 2022

A photo shows J.R. Chester standing beside a window to the left. She is looking out the window.

Texas, Battling Teen Pregnancy, Recasts Sex Education Standards

As Texas adjusts to a near-total abortion ban, Texas schools are redoubling efforts to end teen pregnancies by enacting new standards for sexual health education. Beyond focusing on abstinence, they are teaching middle schoolers about contraceptives and preventing sexually transmitted infections. But parents must opt in for their children to get the lessons.

By Emmarie Huetteman

Sept. 20, 2022

KHN On Air

Journalists Look Into Wildfire Trauma and the South’s Monkeypox Response

KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Sept. 17, 2022

A photo shows a child receiving an oral polio vaccine.

With Polio’s Return, Here’s What Back-to-Schoolers Need to Know

Because polio has been vanishingly rare in the United States for nearly a half-century, doctors may not consider it when diagnosing patients with typical symptoms. Here are the signs and the science behind an infectious disease that is largely a mystery to modern society.

By Céline Gounder

Sept. 16, 2022

A photo shows a sample of heel-stick blood being tested.

Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, but Should States Keep Those Samples?

Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 14, 2022

A photo shows pills on a bathroom scale surrounded by a human-shaped cookie cutter, suggesting weight loss.

California and New York Aim to Curb Diet Pill Sales to Minors

California and New York would be the first states to require anyone under 18 to obtain prescriptions to purchase over-the-counter weight loss products, which some research has linked to eating disorders.

By Laurie Udesky

Sept. 14, 2022

A man wearing a suit stands in a legislative chamber a looks at something out of frame.

‘He Stood His Ground’: California State Senator Will Leave Office as Champion of Tough Vaccine Laws

California state Sen. Richard Pan, who spearheaded some of the country’s most ambitious vaccine mandate legislation, is leaving office this year because of term limits. A pediatrician, he plans to practice medicine full time but has not ruled out a future run for office.

By Angela Hart

Sept. 6, 2022

A photo shows John Tokhi helping a customer inside of the smoke shop he co-owns.

More Communities Are Giving Flavored Tobacco the Boot. Will California Follow?

San Jose and Sacramento this summer joined scores of other California cities and counties that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and candy-flavored e-cigs. In November, California voters will decide whether to allow a statewide ban to take effect.

By Zinnia Finn

Aug. 19, 2022

An illustration shows a drawing of kidneys with red coloring, suggesting disease, against a green backdrop.

For Kids With Kidney Disease, Pediatric Expertise Is Key — But Not Always Close By

A study published in JAMA leads to questions about the uneven distribution of pediatric nephrologists nationwide. Children with end-stage kidney disease feel the impact.

By Colleen DeGuzman

Aug. 19, 2022

Two young boys that appear to be around 5 years old are draped over their father's lap, appearing exhausted. One of the boy's cheeks are flushed; he appears overheated. Sunlight comes in through a window, highlighting the family but casting the rest of the room in shadow.

‘Children Are Not Little Adults’ and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves

Public health experts say heat waves pose health risks for children, whose bodies may not be as effective at cooling and who rely on caretakers to prevent and notice the signs of heat-related illness.

By Emmarie Huetteman

Aug. 4, 2022

A kid lying in bed at night looking at a phone.

Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media

Legislators are considering two bills that address online addiction among children by taking aim at website features such as push notifications and targeted posts. But Big Tech is fighting the effort, saying companies are already taking steps to protect children.

By Zinnia Finn

Aug. 1, 2022

Trump 2.0

Public Health

Audio Reports

Special Reports

More Topics

Children's Health