A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Tuesday, May 29:
Same-Sex Couples Encouraged to Adopt Foster Kids
The San Francisco Department of Human Services is launching a
campaign to encourage same-sex couples to adopt foster children, especially
older kids who often are difficult to place. Advocates of the program
claim that same-sex couples are a largely untapped resource in the city's
efforts to find a home for every foster child. (SF Chronicle, 5/21/07,
by Lelchuk)
Palo Alto Schools Opt Out of Survey
The Palo Alto School District has chosen not to participate in Newsweek's
annual survey of the nation's best high schools. School officials noted
that the rankings are artificial and cause additional student stress.
Newsweek officials said this may be the first time an entire district
has dropped out of the survey, which ranks schools based on the number
of students taking tests for advanced courses. (SJ Mercury, 5/21/07, by
Noguchi)
Extracurricular
Fitness Program Hosts Local 'Olympics'
About 1,000 Bay Area kids participated in the recent fourth annual
Tommie Smit h Youth Track Meet, sponsored by the local philanthropy group,
100 Black Men. The meet was the culmination of a year-long track program
at local schools run by volunteer coaches and local Oly mpians that aims
to combat childhood obesity by encouraging a culture of fun fitness. (SF
Chronicle, 5/20/07, by Jones)
Study: Brain Development Tracked in Children
A long-term study of children's brain development commissioned by the National Institutes of Health suggests that children reach adult levels of performance on many basic cognitive and motor skills by age 11 or 12, and that there are no differences in math and language abilities between boys and girls. (Forbes, 5/19/07)
Opinion: Universal Health Insurance Needed for Children
This New York Times column by Bob Herbert argues that red tape
in the U.S. Medicaid system can prevent eligible children from receiving
health benefits. Herbert calls for universal coverage for children of
all ages and advocates that child health care be a prominent discussion
during the 2008 presidential election. (NY Times, 5/19/07, by Herbert)
Race Factors into Autism Treatment
This Los Angeles Times article notes that a child's race sometimes
factors into treatment for autism. Caucasian children with autism often
are diagnosed earlier and treated more thoroughly than their African American
and Latino peers. (LA Times 5/19/07, by Brink)
Middle and High School Drug Testing on the Rise
As fears among parents and school administrators increase about
substance abuse, more middle and high schools are turning to random drug
testing. But health officials caution against random testing, arguing
that the results of such tests are unreliable, and testing deteriorates
trust between adults and teens. (LA Times, 5/21/07, by Roan)
Librarians Help Kids Understand Tough Issues
More parents are turning to their local librarian when their children are forced to deal with difficult issues. This article encourages parents to ask their librarian for help locating books that are designed to help kids understand topics such as serious illness, grief and loss. (NY Times, 5/20/07, by Winerip)
UCSF Unveils Children's Psychiatric Center
The University of California at San Francisco has announced plans to open the Pritzker Center for Children's Psychiatry, funded largely by a $25 million gift from philanthropists John and Lisa Pritzker. The center will research, diagnose and treat the unmet psychiatric needs of children and adolescents, and Tipper Gore will chair the center's leadership council. (WSJ, 5/23/07)
Bullied Girl Finds Hope in Letters of Support
A Novato teen who has switched schools twice due to bullying and now is homeschooled is receiving support from others across the country thanks to a letter-writing campaign started by two concerned peers. Anti-bullying advocates praised the campaign, saying that it is important for kids who have been bullied to know that they have support from their peers, as well as their parents. (SF Chronicle, 5/23/07, by Lelchuk)
More
Kids Encouraged to Play Old-Fashioned Games
In an effort to increase the amount of time that kids engage
in unstructured play, many parents are teaching their kids how to play
low-tech games like marbles, hopscotch and jacks. Some experts say that,
while unstructured play should be encouraged, the recent upsurge in traditional
games may be more a sign of parents' nostalgia than kids' enthusiasm.
(International Herald Tribune, 5/20/07, by Williams)
Daycare Boosts Mental Health Later in Life
A new study in the journal Child Development has found that young adults who grew up in turbulent environments developed fewer depressive symptoms if they attended high-quality daycare as young children. (Reuters, 5/22/07 by Harding)
New
Guidelines for Protecting Babies' Hearts
The American Heart Association has released eight new recommendations to help prevent congenital heart defects, including several actions that women can take before becoming pregnant. (WebMD, 5/22/07, by Hitti)
Opinion: Finding a Better Way to Measure Schools
This San Jose Mercury News column by Patty Fisher applauds the Palo Alto School District for opting out of Newsweek's annual index of top schools, saying that the survey, which is based on the number of students taking tests for advanced courses, is only an artificial measure of quality. Instead, Fisher advocates for a qualitative, comprehensive measure of performance that takes into account student engagement. (SJ Mercury, 5/23/07, by Fisher)
Experts:
Suicides in College Point to Mental Illness Beforehand There
has been an increase in suicides on college campuses in recent years,
a trend experts attribute to an increase in academic and social stress.
The article also notes that a growing number of students are undergoing
treatment for a mental illness before they enter college. (LA Times, 5/23/07,
by Paddock)
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