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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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Gestational diabetes rates during pregnancy on the rise in California |
Pregnant women in California are increasingly facing a gestational diabetes diagnosis. The disorder’s unrelenting ascent has alarmed medical providers, and spurred a range of efforts to address the problem.
In 2004, only about one in 20 pregnant women in the state tested positive for the disorder, according to the California Department of Public Health. By 2018, almost one in eight pregnant women had a gestational diabetes diagnosis. (Mercury News)
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This nearly universal childbirth practice doesn't make labor safer
Electronic fetal heart monitoring (EFM), which continuously tracks the baby’s heart rate and contractions during labor and delivery, is used in nearly 90 percent of all hospital births in the US.
But despite their widespread use, some experts say there’s not enough evidence to support electronic fetal heart monitoring for low-risk births — and that overusing them leads to unnecessary C-sections. (Yahoo!)
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Utah dads to be required to pay half of pregnancy costs
Biological fathers in Utah will be legally required to pay half of a woman’s out-of-pocket pregnancy costs under a new law unique to the state that critics say doesn’t do enough to adequately address maternal healthcare needs.
The bill’s sponsor has presented the measure as an effort to decrease the burden of pregnancy on women and increase responsibility for men who have children. (ABC)
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Mom's love gives babies the ability to empathize
once adults
Skin-to-skin contact is vital for receiving affection and helps babies and mothers bond, which brings about feelings of love between the two.
When mothers take that love initially shown via skin-to-skin contact and give it consistently to their babies, a new study states that babies can increase brain function and empathize better with others as adults. (BabyGaga)
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All pregnant people deserve a law like New Zealand's
New Zealand recently became the first country to offer bereaved women paid time off after a miscarriage or infant loss. Employees will be entitled to three days' leave following a pregnancy under the law, which lawmakers unanimously approved and which is set to gain royal assent.
This new measure immediately gained traction and started trending around the world. It's crucial to talk more about why. (CNN)
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California can take steps to address mental health crisis for children, parents and child care providers |
One recent poll found that 70% of parents are currently worried about their family’s mental health. According to national research, many more young children are experiencing high levels of social and emotional difficulties than expected.
We should expect this crisis to build over the next year, not recede. The time to prepare is now. California can take several steps to address mental and behavioral health concerns of young children ages 0 to 5, their parents, and child care providers over the next year to reduce adverse childhood experiences and build resilience. Here are some of the most impactful of those steps. (First 5 Center for Children's Policy)
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Research connects cardio health and cognition as early as preschool
For years, adults have been encouraged to get sufficient exercise to support their brain health. As it turns out, cardiovascular health in children appears to equate to better cognitive function as well, an effect that is observable as early as 4 years old, researchers report.
Though the study doesn’t prove that a child’s cardiorespiratory fitness increases their cognitive abilities, it does add to a growing body of evidence that the two are closely linked, even at an early age.(Early Learning Nation)
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Obesity prevalent among childhood brain tumor survivors
Childhood brain tumor survivors have a high prevalence of significant weight gain, overweight and obesity, and changes in BMI may indicate hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, according to a study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The findings highlight the need for more intense endocrine surveillance and interventions to control weight and curtail serious risk for adverse metabolic health effects, such as cardiovascular morbidity, according to researchers. (Healio)
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Calif. bill to reduce lead leaching from faucets passes key committee
State legislation to set a legally enforceable limit on the amount of lead leaching from drinking water faucets and fixtures passed out of the California Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee on Wednesday.
Assembly Bill 100 would create the nation’s most legally stringent lead leaching standard for faucets – no more than 1 microgram. California would be the first state to pass a performance standard to ensure faucets and fixtures are truly lead-free. (EWG)
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Study links prenatal phthalate exposure to altered info processing in infants
Researchers have found evidence linking pregnant women's exposure to a class of chemicals widely used in packaging and consumer products to altered cognitive outcomes in their infants.
Most of the findings involved slower information processing among infants with higher phthalate exposure levels, with males more likely to be affected. (Science Daily)
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A call on the community to report suspected abuse this child abuse prevention month |
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Together with the Department of Human Services, the Kern County Network for Children encourages the public to be aware of the signs of child abuse and neglect and to report it when appropriate.
Between 2008 and 2020, 52 children died from abuse, including five who perished in 2020 alone. All of these children were under 5 years of age, making them the most vulnerable because they are the least seen. Many others have suffered near fatal and severe injuries at their abusers’ hands. In 2019 alone, 2,759 cases of reported child abuse were substantiated in Kern County. (Bakersfield Californian)
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Long Beach will house up to 1,000 migrant children at convention center
The city of Long Beach will temporarily house up to 1,000 unaccompanied migrant children at the city’s convention center, a federally funded effort that will move forward in the coming weeks.
The Long Beach Convention Center will provide shelter, food and some recreational activities to children affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. (KTLA)
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What working dads can do when a high-pressure job asks too much
Today’s working fathers care about success both in their careers and at home. But many find that their career success cuts both ways.
Some find themselves enmeshed in a career that, while it has many merits, may no longer fit their full range of life priorities, especially as fathers, and keeps them from feeling fully successful at work and home. (HBR)
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CHILD CARE & EARLY EDUCATION
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How Biden's infrastructure plan could leave child care behind
President Joe Biden’s American Jobs Plan is expansive and ambitious, a $2 trillion infrastructure package that includes money for roads and bridges, home health care for seniors, measures to fight climate change, and more.
One thing it doesn’t say much about, though, is child care. (VOX)
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Pre-k may boost
math scores even
eight years later
One of the only recent studies following graduates of public pre-K programs into middle school delivered some positive news for those seeking to expand such opportunities: Students in Georgia who attended the state’s prekindergarten program at age four were up to twice as likely to meet academic standards on the state’s standardized math test in grades 4-7. (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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