A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Monday, April 9:
Lawmakers
Disagree on Children's Health Insurance
Lawmakers hoping to expand the State Children's Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP) to cover all of the nation's uninsured children are meeting
resistance by the Bush administration. Critics of the plan say that SCHIP
is not the right vehicle to insure all of the country's children, and
have asked that the program be used for only low-income uninsured children.
SCHIP covers children from families whose incomes are above the Medicaid
threshold but still may not be able to afford insurance on their own.
(NY Times, 3/31/07, by Pear)
'Amazing'
Girls Overcome Dual Message
This New York Times story profiles girls in high-achieving high
schools, who often receive mixed messages: Do everything possible to get
into a good college, but at the same time have fun and don't work too
hard. (NY Times, 4/1/07, by Rimer)
Study
Finds Link Between Pregnancy Weight Gain and Overweight Toddlers
Women who gain the recommended amount of weight while pregnant
are four times more likely to have an overweight 3-year-old, compared
to women who gain less than the recommended amount, according to a study
by researchers at Harvard Medical School. Experts say more studies need
to be conducted before pregnancy guidelines are changed. (AP, 4/2/07,
by Ritter)
New
Local Children's Hospital Planned
This article describes UCSF Medical Center's plans for a new
hospital that will focus on caring for women, children and cancer. UCSF
hopes to raise $500 million from local philanthropists before breaking
ground. The article notes that while UCSF is recognized for its pediatric
research, it never has been thought of as a destination for children seeking
treatment. (SF Chronicle, 4/2/07, by Guthrie)
Study:
Antidepressants Prescribed to Fewer Kids
Researchers have found that prescriptions of antidepressants
to children have fallen significantly since the FDA released a warning
that the drugs may increase the risk of suicide for children. Some experts
are concerned that the risk of suicide caused by the drugs has been overplayed,
keeping children who could benefit from the drugs from seeking treatment.
(Healthday, 4/2/07, by Reinberg)
$500
Million to Combat Child Obesity
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has pledged $500 million over
five years to fight the childhood obesity epidemic. Among the foundation's
strategies will be lowering the barriers to a healthy lifestyle for lower-income
kids by improving access to healthful foods and developing safe play spaces
in underserved areas. The foundation also will work to persuade governments
to adopt policies that can remedy problems associated with childhood obesity.
(NY Times, 4/4/07, by Strom)
Value
of Homework Debated
This article describes the debate among parents, students and
teachers about what amount of homework is appropriate. Some advocates
of less homework, including a Menlo Park principal, say that too much
homework can stifle motivation and negatively affect family time, but
many teachers say that it is impossible to teach all of the required material
without additional work outside of class. (NY Times, 4/4/07, by Berger)
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