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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 inform, and they do not necessarily reflect First 5 Kern's areas of support 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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Deaths of mothers, infants during childbirth prompt calls to revoke Bakersfield doctor's license |
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Following a string of patient injuries and deaths, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Bakersfield has been placed on probation.
Dr. Arthur Park has been treating women and delivering babies in Bakersfield since 1988. In that time, he’s also been the defendant in at least 10 lawsuits alleging negligence, medical malpractice, or wrongful death, and he’s been associated with the deaths of at least two mothers and five newborns. (Valley Public Radio)
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The 10 most important foods to eat during pregnancy
While eating a balanced diet is always important, it becomes even more so during pregnancy. Here are the top 10 foods to help baby and mama grow and feel their best, compiled by the website Motherly.
As always, we advise you to speak to your doctor about dietary advice during pregnancy. (Motherly)
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Why pregnant women face special risks from COVID
Data on pregnancy and COVID-19 are woefully incomplete. But they offer some reassurance: Fetal infections later in pregnancy appear to be rare, and experts are cautiously optimistic that the coronavirus won’t warp early fetal development.
But emerging data suggest some substance to the worry of many patients: Pregnancy does appear to make women’s bodies more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.(Science)
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You still have to get your kids vaccinated, even if their California school goes online |
Most California kids will kick off the 2020-2021 academic year with distance learning due to the coronavirus, but the state’s strict vaccination laws still require students be up-to-date on their shots before starting class.
Before students are granted admission, California schools are required to review incoming childcare, transitional kindergarten, kindergarten and 7th grade vaccine records. Despite the pandemic forcing California kids behind a screen at home for at least the start of the year, the regulations still stand.
“In order to enroll in school, the law is pretty clear. Otherwise you’re not enrolled, and that’s that.” (Sacramento Bee)
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7 Myths about
children's eyes
Think you have the facts on your child’s eye care? When is the right time to have their eyes checked? Is too much screen time damaging their eyes? Do they need to wear sunglasses? There are a lot of myths and misinformation out there about children’s eye health.
Don’t turn to Dr. Google for answers, ask your ophthalmologist — a physician who specializes in medical and surgical eye care — if you want to set your child up for a lifetime of good vision. (WTVY)
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Californian vaccination rates fall 87%
Many California parents have put off or cancelled their kids’ regular health appointments. The argument is simple: Since the kids are socially distancing, their vaccines can wait.
That’s a risky choice — for the kids and, eventually, for the community.
“What I worry about is there are going to be kids who are going to be months or a year behind on their vaccines. And once they reintegrate into society they’ll be susceptible to diseases they shouldn’t be susceptible to.” (OC Register)
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Children who suffer violence or trauma age faster, study says |
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Children who experience violence or trauma seem to age faster, going through puberty earlier and showing greater signs of ageing in their cells, researchers have found.
They say the findings add to a growing body of work that suggests early adversity can become “biologically embedded” with the potential for adverse health effects later in life.
“There are also clear practical implications for these findings,” said Dr Katie McLaughlin, co-author of the research at Harvard University. Screening for adversity may be warranted in children who have early puberty to help identify those who might be at risk of early onset of physical and mental health problems, she said. (Guardian)
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Grandparent caregivers face more challenges
Grandparents who act as primary caretakers are now facing the difficult choice of sending grandkids back to school amid a pandemic that is far more deadly for older Americans.
And the challenges grandparents face preceed our current pandemic. He is the coauthor of a recent study which finds that compared to parents who act as primary caretakers, grandparents are far more likely to be raising children experiencing emotional or medical issues. (ABC News)
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"Completing the set" Families having babies until they have both sexes
A new analysis of sibling records from more than 300,000 individuals suggests that some parents continue to reproduce until they have children of both sexes.
The practice, which the two University of Michigan biologists who conducted the study dubbed "coupon-collection behavior" in human reproduction, appears to have increased in popularity in recent decades and reduces the amount of sex-ratio variation among families.(PhysOrg)
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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1 Billion children have had school disrupted by Coronavirus |
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the coronavirus pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education in history, with schools closed in more than 160 countries in mid-July, affecting over 1 billion students.
In addition, the U.N. chief said at least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education “in their critical preschool year.”
As a result, Guterres warned that the world faces “a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities.” (Time)
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Pediatrician: We are failing our children in our response to the pandemic
Make no mistake, here in the U.S., we are failing our children in our response to this pandemic. I am already witnessing firsthand the heavy toll that it is taking on our children, not the virus itself but our inability as a society to accept science and cohesively respond to the pandemic.
I am not talking about refugee children in a third world country, I am talking about real kids, real circumstances in Merced, CA, USA. We should be ashamed of ourselves as a society. (Merced County Times)
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Is kindergarten optional this year?
Kindergarten is not just any year. It’s when kids begin to learn how to learn. What they’re soaking up isn’t just their ABCs and it isn’t just how to interact with their peers. It’s how to exist in the school world: how to sit still, how to share, how to take turns, how to be disappointed, how to ask for help, how to navigate new grown-ups, how to navigate new big kids, how to do things for themselves.
These skills are all uniquely difficult to teach remotely. So I’m trying to figure out: If it felt right to opt out of remote pre-K last year, is kindergarten optional too? (Slate)
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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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