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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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FDA says pregnant women should not take ibuprofen
after 20 weeks
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Some of the most commonly used pain and fever medications could be harmful to pregnant women and their unborn babies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.
The agency requires labeling changes for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to explain that if women take these medications at about 20 weeks or later into their pregnancy, they can cause fetal kidney problems.
NSAIDs include both prescription and over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen, commonly known by the brand names Advil and Aleve. (USA Today)
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Vaping while pregnant puts unborn babies at risk
E-cigarettes are considered a safer alternative to smoking but they can contain nicotine which is known to stunt babies' development. And tests by experts at Durham University show the effects are as bad after vaping as after smoking conventional cigarettes.
Vapers’ babies were unable to grasp a finger in their hand and were not startled by having head support removed. They were harder to settle and more irritable than non-smokers’ infants. (The Sun)
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Natural infant formula is on the horizon: How to copy mother's milk
Of all the milk produced by mammals, human milk is the most complex. It contains more than 200 unique sugars for infant nutrition, quadruple that of the 50 in cow’s milk. Studies of breastfeeding show that mother’s milk plays a key role in boosting infant nutrition, immune system development, and gut health.
That's why the gold standard of infant formula is to create a product as similar to breast milk as possible. Two synthetic biology breakthroughs, recently, bring infant formula even closer to actual human milk. (Forbes)
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ACEs & TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE
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New study sheds light on how childhood trauma is
passed down generations
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In recent years, mounting evidence has backed up the profound idea that the legacy of trauma in childhood can be passed down to people's offspring, even affecting the mental and physical health of future generations.
But it has never been crystal clear how the signals triggered by traumatic experience become “imprinted” in the reproductive cells.
Now, scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland explain how the impacts of trauma in early life might be passed down through generations via changes that occur in the blood. (IFL Science)
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The best toy and gift ideas for kids in 2020
An infant's first holiday or birthday can't pass unnoticed! Though they may have more fun with the box than anything in it, there are still plenty of fun gift ideas to add to their toy chests — and if they can grow into it, that's just a total bonus.
From activity gyms and teether toys to an adorable rocker and the softest play mat ever, here are our favorite picks for babies under the age of 1 this year! (Pop Sugar)
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An expert's guide to safe sleeping for your baby
Babies should sleep alone, on their back and in a crib. That's the best way to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
SIDS is the unexplained death of a child under 1 year of age that usually occurs during sleep. The United States has about 3,500 sleep-related deaths a year among babies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(Medical Xpress)
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The invisible toll of mass incarceration on childhood development
Parental incarceration produces menacing effects on children of all races.
A diverse body of research has found that kids with incarcerated parents are more likely than their peers to be placed in special education, be held back in school, receive poor evaluations from teachers, demonstrate increased delinquency and drop out. Parental incarceration has long-lasting consequences into adulthood. (The Hechinger Report)
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New California paid family leave law explained
Attorney Jenna Gerry from Legal Aid at Work provides a detailed explanation on California's new paid family leave law: who benefits, how it works, who funds it and more.
Governor Newson signed Senate Bill 1383 which features expanded coverage for Paid Family Leave, notably providing job protections for workers who until now were at risk of losing their job for utilizing the leave benefits for which they pay. (Legal Talk Network)
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For medically vulnerable children, pandemic-induced supply shortages continue |
California is home to about 35,000 children with medical complexities. These children have chronic conditions that require significant medical attention and specialized equipment, such as ventilators. These children may have cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, chronic heart conditions or other congenital disorders.
Typically, they receive monthly supplies from a distributor. But suppliers and parents began reporting shortages, most notably of ventilator circuit supplies, early in the pandemic. Now, nearly six months later, the problem is ongoing. (California Health Report)
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Babies could be drinking millions of microplastics a day from feeding bottles
Babies could be consuming millions of microplastic pieces that have leached into the formula from their feeding bottles, suggests a new study published in Nature Food today.
While the idea of feeding your baby a bottle filled with microplastics certainly sounds worrying, the effect of microplastics on human health is currently poorly understood. (IFL Science)
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Biological record of pre-term birth differs in men and women
Birth size is a rough indicator of the quality of the perinatal environment, explain researchers. The fetus adapts to cope with the adverse conditions, which in turn may result in long-lasting changes.
Being born small and extremely preterm exposes infants to many stressors in early life, and researches have found that infant boys are especially vulnerable to these stresses, and respond differently to them than infant girls. (EurekAlert)
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EARLY CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
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We have a gap in producing quality child care and what parents can afford to pay |
How do we make child care affordable and accessible while still making sure that it has quality and stability for the workforce?
The business model for child care has put serious challenges in place for many providers to stay open.
Linda Smith, Bipartisan Policy Center’s Director of Early Childhood Initiative joins the On the Move panel to discuss the impact of COVID on the child-care industry. (Yahoo! Money)
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Improving Child Care Workers’ Conditions
The benefits of child care to early childhood development, long- and short-term child health, and parental employment are well established, but less attention has been paid to the well-being of the workers who produce these positive outcomes.
Child care is part of the infrastructure for family success, and yet, these workers often struggle to meet their own household needs. (Health Alert)
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Should we screen kids' genes to predict school success?
Many factors boost a child’s chance of success in school. But recent research has raised another possibility — one that is discomforting to many — the idea that scientists might someday be able to spot the genetic markers associated with academic performance. (The Hechinger Report)
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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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