A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Monday, April 2:
Some
Doctors Say No to Expensive Vaccines
Some recommended childhood vaccinations have become so expensive
that many pediatricians are not offering them, a practice that experts
say could lead to a rise in preventable diseases. Doctors say that insurance
companies are not adequately reimbursing physicians for the immunizations,
and the number of recommended vaccines continues to rise, making it difficult
to purchase them for patients. (NY Times, 3/24/07, by Pollack)
Parents,
Teachers Discuss Student Mental Health
This San Jose Mercury News column by Patty Fisher notes that
parents and education officials recently came togethe r at a De Anza College
forum to discuss mental health and suicide among high school and college
students. Experts at the event acknowledged the high levels of stress
that begin in high school and carry on to college, and urged parents and
teachers to intervene before a student asks for help. (SJ Mercury, 3/26/07,
by Fisher)
Art
Project Aims to Bridge Police, Community Relations
This Palo Alto Daily News cover story features the East Palo
Alto Mural Arts Project, a foundation grantee. The organization has painted
a mural outside the East Palo Alto police department that aims to promote
partnerships between the police and community. The mural arts project
brings local youth together to create art. (PA Daily, 3/26/07, by Albach)
Study:
Child Care Can Lead to Lasting Behavior Problems
A young child who spends more than a year in a day care center
is more likely to be disruptive in a classroom setting through sixth grade,
according to the federally financed Study of Early Child Care and Youth
Development. Researchers studied 1,300 children in several types of child
care settings and found that, although child care's effect on behavior
was slight, it happened across all income levels and regardless of the
quality of the day care center. (NY Times, 3/26/07, by Carey)
Insurance
for All Kids Might Mean Cost-Cutting for Seniors
Democratic lawmakers have proposed offering health care to all
uninsured children in the U.S. , but that proposal may come at the cost
of cutting programs for seniors. Experts say that this type of trade-off
may become more common as the federal deficit rises and more baby boomers
reach retirement. (LA Times, 3/26/07, by Alonso-Zaldivar)
HPV
Can Affect Men, Too
As states begin to debate whether the vaccine for the Human Papillomavirus
(HPV) should be mandatory for preteen girls, doctors warn that the virus
also can cause cancer in men. The Centers for Disease Control notes that
half of the sexually active adults in the U.S. are infected with at least
one strain of HPV. Doctors say they are glad the vaccine is being debated,
because it creates an opportunity for parents to talk to their children
about sexual health. (Cincinnati Enquirer, 3/26/07, by O'Farrell)
Choking
Games Gain Popularity Among Teens
This front page New York Tim es story examines the growing popularity
of games in which teens choke themselves or each other, sometimes resulting
in accidental death. Teenagers play asphyxiation games to get high, experts
say. Health care professionals are concerned that an upswing in suicides
by asphyxiation in recent years is really an indication of a higher number
of accidental deaths due to these games. (NY Times, 3/28/07, by Johnson)
Study:
Kids, Especially Preteens, See Too Many Junk Food Ads
More than 40 percent of the food commercials targeted for children
feature junk food and fast food – and preteens see more of these commercials
than any other age group, according to a recent study by the Kaiser Family
Foundation. Health experts and lawmakers said the study is a reminder
of the media's impact on childhood obesity. In 2006, several major food
and beverage companies agreed to devote half of their advertising to promote
healthful lifestyles among children, but those changes have not yet gone
into effect. (AP, 3/28/07, by Freking)
Column:
Most Kids in Child Care Turn Out OK
This column responds to a recently released study about the long-term
effects of child care. Researchers at the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development found more disruptive behavior among children
who had spent a significant amount of time in day care. This column clarifies
the study's findings to explain that the children with more behavior problems
in elementary school typically spent three or four years in a lower-quality
day care setting. (Slate, 3/28/07, by Bazelon)
Anesthesia
Drugs for Kids Kill Brain Cells in Animal Testing
The drugs typically used as anesthesia for children before surgery
have been found to kill brain cells in young animals, researchers say.
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration say there is no evidence
that the drugs have the same effect in children, but convened a public
meeting to discuss the scientists' findings. (AP, 3/30/07)
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