A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Monday, Feb 12:
Suicide
Prevention a Hot Topic on College Campuses
More colleges, including Stanford, are creating campus programs
aimed at offering preventive mental health service s to students and recognizing
the early indicators of depression. A list of warning signs from the American
Society for Suicide Prevention is included in this article. (SF Chronicle,
2/4/07, by Sturrock)
Lowest
Teen Pregnancy Rate Ever Recorded
Statistics show that the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is the lowest
that it has been since reliable data collection began 65 years ago. Some
exp erts attribute the decline in teen births to increased public education
and improved access to contraceptive choices. (Forbes, 2/5/07)
More
Obese Children Turn to Surgery
More children's hospitals are offering weight-loss surgeries
to severely obese children who have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight
by conventional means. Critics argue that gastric-bypass surgery may be
harmful if used while children's bodies are still developing. (AP, 2/5/07,
by Caruso)
Study:
Activity Levels and TV Watching Unrelated
A new study shows tha t children who watch very little TV are
not necessarily more physically active than their peers who don't. Researchers,
however, stress that the eating habits of children who watch TV affect
obesity more than sedentary behavior, and they encourage anti-obesity
advocates to consider physical activity and TV watching as separate issues.
(Boston Globe, 2/5/07)
Critics
Question Making Cervical Cancer Vaccine Mandatory
As many states, including California , move to make the new HPV
cervical cancer vaccine mandatory for all preteen girls, some parents
are concerned that the decision may be a result of lobbying rather than
concern for girls' health. Critics say that the vaccine's manufacturer
is lobbying lawmakers heavily to require it, even before the long-term
effects of the inoculation can be known. (WSJ, 2/7/07, by Carryrou)
Study:
1 in 150 US
Children Has Autism
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently completed
the most comprehensive study ever on the prevalence of autism and has
concluded that the disorder is more common than previously thought, affecting
one in every 150 children. Experts said although the study shows
that many children suffer from autism, they aren't sure if there has been
a true increase in the prevalence of the disorder, or if research methods
are simply getting more thorough. (NY Times, 2/9/07, by Carey)
Are
Celebrities Role Models for Girls?
Many parents are expressing concern that celebrities like Paris
Hilton or Britney Spears are a bad influence on preteen girls. One mom
says that the media's infatuation with these famous women is producing
"prosti-tots," a generation of young girls who dress and act
inappropriately for their age. (Newsweek, 2/12/07, by Deveny and Kelley)
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