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THIS WEEK'S
HEADLINES
NEWS IMPACTING CHILDREN 0-5 AND THEIR FAMILIES
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Here is a quick look at some headlines from this week impacting the lives of kids 0-5 and their families. The purpose of these stories is simply to share information, and do not necessarily reflect First 5 Kern's areas of support, opinions or efforts towards these issues.
Follow First 5 Kern on social media (@First5Kern) for more kids news, as well as information about our funded programs and initiatives.
Now for the headlines...
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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Under the right conditions, center-based child care is an unlikely COVID-19 threat to staff |
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released results of a study that included over 57,000 child care centers from in multiple states in order to assess the risk of coronavirus transmission from children to providers.
The study focused on child care providers rather than children, providing crucial evidence to understand risks to adults working in direct contact with young children. They concluded that exposure to child care during the early months of the US pandemic was not associated with an elevated risk for COVID-19 transmission to providers. (AAP)
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Thousands of California child care providers have closed. A new union aims to save the rest.
This summer, about 40,000 home child care workers in California unionized after almost two decades of organizing.
Ordinarily, a newly-formed union would start by negotiating a contract that outlines working conditions. But with the pandemic surging, the first priority for Child Care Providers United is emergency relief for providers. (LAist)
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Why California needs
to ban preschool suspensions
Throwing a tantrum, crying inconsolably, hitting or biting, and refusing to follow the rules are challenging behaviors that many preschoolers experience on the playground and in the classroom.
For many children, these tear-stained incidents are quickly forgiven and forgotten. But for some youngsters, the incidents have repercussions that resonate throughout their childhood and beyond. (EdSource)
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Children’s Hospitals Are Partly to Blame as Superbugs Increasingly Attack Kids
A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases in January found that 1 in 4 children given antibiotics in U.S. children’s hospitals are prescribed the drugs inappropriately — the wrong types, or for too long, or when they’re not necessary.
“It’s irresponsible,” Fuhrman added. Coupled with parents begging for antibiotics in pediatricians’ offices, it’s “just creating a monster.” (California Healthline)
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Kern County Network for Children offering training on recognizing signs of child abuse and neglect
The Kern County Network for Children is holding community training this week to help recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect.
The first session is taking place on Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. via Zoom. The free training is designated for those in education, health care, faith-based communities, business and others working with children and families.(KGET)
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Adventist Health releases list of locations for free childhood immunizations in January
Adventist Health Bakersfield will offer free childhood immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases at multiple locations through January. (KGET)
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**NOTE: A monthly calendar for the Children's Mobile Immunization Program, a program funded by First 5 Kern, is available each month on First5Kern.org.
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You know sugar is
bad for your kids.
Here's what you can do.
Even if parents avoid the shelves of chocolate and peanut butter cups, they might not realize that sugary foods are hiding all over the grocery store, even in seemingly healthful options.
More than two-thirds of all packaged foods contain added sweeteners. Research has found links between kids’ high-sugar diets and problems with sleep, learning, emotional health, diabetes and fatty liver disease. (Science Blog)
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Kids With Congenital Heart Disease Face Higher Odds of Mental Health Issues |
Kids born with heart defects may be more likely to develop anxiety, depression and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), regardless of the severity of their heart condition.
Slightly more than 18% of those who had been born with heart disease had a diagnosis or medication for anxiety and/or depression, compared to just over 5% of others, the researchers found. The findings were published online Jan. 4 in the journal Pediatrics. (US News & World Report)
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Childbirth complications are climbing |
The largest health insurer in Louisiana says that pregnancy and childbirth complications have risen 32% as more millennial females have pre-existing conditions increasing the risks.
Dr. Dee Barfield said claims data from 2014 to 2018 show the increase in complications.
Barfield stresses the importance of prenatal visits; she said their study is from women who have access to care due to coverage and they are not seeking medical care early enough in their pregnancy. The study also indicates the average age to have a child increased to 31. (WWL)
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Smoking during pregnancy can cause harm for generations
Nearly nine percent of pregnant women still smoke during their pregnancy. Now, scientists are finding the effects of this unhealthy habit may be worse, and more long-term, than they ever thought.
An experiment in animals found smoking during pregnancy may even affect future generations. Scientists discovered that second-hand smoke not only damaged the lung development of fetuses, but also second-generation animals that had never been exposed to smoke. (ABC12)
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Exposure to dirty air
linked to pregnancy
loss, study finds
Pregnant women in South Asia who have been exposed to air pollution face an increased risk of pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and stillbirth, according to a new study.
Researchers found that an estimated 349,681 pregnancy losses each year across India, Bangladesh and Pakistan were associated with bad air quality. The study suggests that if these countries met air quality standards, it could have prevented 7% of those losses. (CNN)
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The grandparents who dropped everything to
help out during Covid
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Overwhelmed by precarious school and child-care arrangements, working parents are turning to their own mothers and fathers for relief like never before. Grandparents are often transforming their lives to help.
Grandparents concerned about the risks of Covid-19 are often forced to make a choice: Isolate from the younger generation entirely, or dive in, becoming full-time caregivers bubbled with extended family. (Wall St. Journal)
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Our 9 weirdest pieces
of parenting advice
from 2020
2020 was a difficult year to be a parent. Sometimes you need to find ways to just get through to the next day.
From breaking your own rules, to Lego baths and ice cream for dinner, put a smile on your kids' faces - and maybe even your own - with this list of maybe-not-so-crazy parenting ideas. (LifeHacker)
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Parent to parent: Tips for toddler-proofing your home
Our 7-month-old daughter is beginning to try to crawl but mainly scoots around wherever she wants to go. I know she'll be crawling and then on to actually walking soon.
We are first-time parents and want to babyproof our home to make it safer. What are some tips to do this and should we ask her grandparents to do the same? (STLtoday)
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Why your toddler makes you read the same book over and over |
I currently have at least three children’s books completely memorized because I’ve been reading them to my son on repeat for a week. For some reason, he wants these same couple of books over and over again. And I’m not alone in this! Millions of parents say the same thing.
So why are our toddlers obsessed with rereading the same book over and over again? What is it about hearing the same story that is so appealing and how do you keep from throwing out the books you're sick of? (Moms)
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First 5 Kern was established in 1998 when California voters passed Proposition 10, which levied a 50-cent tax on tobacco products. Revenues generated from the tobacco tax are used to fund local programs in the areas of health and wellness, early childcare and education, and parent education and support services that promote early childhood development for children ages zero to five.
For more information on First 5 Kern and the agencies we support, please visit www.First5Kern.org and follow us on social media.
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Special thanks to Vecteezy for assistance on graphics
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