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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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Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for younger kids on track, with shots to come in the fall, company says |
Pfizer released details Tuesday about the progress of its COVID-19 vaccination trials in children, showing that they have completed early testing and are moving forward with lower-dose trials in younger kids.
Pfizer and BioNTech already have studied their vaccine in 2,260 adolescents age 12 to and 15 and received authorization to provide them shots in the United States. The companies also have completed early trials in a small number of younger children to show safety and establish relevant vaccine doses. (USA Today)
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Gut microbiomes associated with infant's fear responses
Why do some babies react to perceived danger more than others? According to new research, part of the answer may be found in a surprising place: an infant's digestive system.
The research team discovered that the gut microbiome was different in infants with strong fear responses and infants with milder reactions. (News-Medical)
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COVID distancing may have weakened children's immune systems
Scientists are concerned that measures to combat Covid-19 have weakened the immune systems of young children who have not been able to build up resistance to common bugs, leaving them vulnerable when mask-wearing and social distancing eventually end.
Contact with viral pathogens happens on a fairly regular basis and although it does not always lead to sickness, the exposure helps shore the immune system against the threat should the bugs be encountered again.(Guardian)
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EARLY LEARNING,
CHILD DEVELOPMENT & CARE
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WATCH: Child care, unfiltered |
Child care was labeled essential during the coronavirus pandemic, but preschool teachers, family child care providers, relatives and nannies have long been doing the critical work of helping young kids grow and thrive.
Last summer, Southern California Public Radio, home to 89.3 KPCC FM and LAist.com, gave cameras to 12 early learning and care providers and asked them to document their lives.
The series of stories are a window into child care providers’ vast and varied roles, and how they’ve adapted to the pandemic. (LAist)
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Districts should focus on finding California’s missing kindergarteners, especially English learners
The California Department of Education recently released data showing a 2.6% decline in K-12 enrollment, the largest drop in 20-plus years. More than a third was in kindergarten — a critical year for learning and child development, particularly literacy and oral language development. (EdSource)
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Universal TK could reshape child care - and not everyone loves that
Offering transitional kindergarten for every 4-year-old could reshape child care and preschool in California.
But the reception to the TK proposal is mixed, and some child care providers say it could hurt an industry that’s already been battered by the pandemic.
(LAist)
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Your child care payments could get you up to $16,000 in credits
If you're paying someone to look after your kids or a dependent while you work, March's stimulus bill lets you write off a big chunk of expenses related to that child or dependent care. That includes if you hire someone to care for your kid or a dependent, whether it's for day care or a babysitter -- or even for care-related transportation. (c|net)
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Child care closures weren't as bad as feared, but long-term issues loom
Despite fewer than expected center closures, the pandemic is still having a very real impact on child care supply. Experts and educators are particularly concerned about a few key aspects, including dramatic enrollment declines, staffing issues and funding. (Hechinger Report)
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Placental hormone levels can identify potential pregnancy complications
Women who will develop potentially life-threatening disorders during pregnancy can be identified early when hormone levels in the placenta are tested, a new study has shown.
Pregnancy disorders are usually diagnosed during the second or third trimester of gestation when they have often already had a serious impact on the health of the mother and baby. (News-Medical)
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Geriatric pregnancy? There's a better way to talk to pregnant people
Ours is not a culture that makes life easy for pregnant people. One might hope that the doctor's office would be an island of support and empathy amid the sea of judgment. So often, it's anything but.
"Hostile uterus," "Geriatric pregnancy," and "Lazy ovary" are all actual, official medical phrases used by doctors to speak to pregnant people and those struggling with conception. (CNN)
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Air pollution exposure in pregnancy may boost babies' obesity risk
Women exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy have babies who grow unusually fast in the first months after birth, putting on excess fat that puts them at risk of obesity and related diseases later in life, new CU Boulder research shows.
The study of Hispanic mother-child pairs is the latest to suggest that poor air quality may contribute at least in part to the nation’s obesity epidemic. (CU)
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TikTok revealing dentist can detect pregnancy by looking at patient's mouth
A dental student has gone viral on TikTok after revealing that a dentist might be able to tell whether a patient is pregnant just by looking at their mouth.
Symptoms may include inflamed and tender gums that are more prone to bleeding. According to the American Pregnancy Association, pregnancy gingivitis is caused by hormonal changes that increase the blood flow to the gum tissue. (Fox News)
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California must renew efforts to keep families in crisis together |
Maya, a pregnant mother living in her car with her 6- and 8-year-old children, reached out for help in Sacramento last April. Within 24 hours, she received a hotel voucher and rental assistance for permanent housing. She also was linked with local programs that provided a crib and diapers for her child on the way, home-based trauma support and referrals to other community services.
Maya’s story is an example of how struggling families can succeed when counties and community partners work together to prevent children from being placed in foster care, as happens almost 100 times a day in California. (CalMatters)
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Children’s Hospital LA Awarded $2M for precision medicine study on ACEs |
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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles received a three-year, $2 million grant from the state of California to conduct a precision medicine study screening children for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The grant was provided by the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine.
With the grant, CHLA will use the Pediatric ACEs Screening and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) along with a lab test that takes note of potential disturbances to mitochondria, which can potentially identify toxic stress in children as early as infancy. (Health Analytics)
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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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