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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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Newsom wants to spend millions on the health of low-income mothers and their babies |
Amid a pandemic that has pushed millions of mothers out of the workplace, caused fertility rates to plunge and heightened the risk of death for pregnant women, California lawmakers are seeking a slate of health proposals for low-income families and children.
Newsom has long advocated family-friendly health and economic policies. Flush with a projected budget surplus of $75.7 billion, state politicians have come up with myriad legislative and budget proposals to make poorer families healthier and wealthier. (US News & World Report)
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The impact on children's emotions and behaviors on parenting
Both genetic traits and environmental influences affect parent-child interactions, but little is known about how child behavior affects parenting and subsequent child outcomes.
A group of researchers is investigating the correlation between stimulating genes and the environment. Negative emotions, Affects the parenting environment. (News Times)
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‘Snow plough parenting’: Building a generation of kids with no resilience
Parenting methods have shifted dramatically over the decades, with many techniques once considered normal during the Boomer years now slammed as outdated and negligent.
But experts are warning that some new parenting styles might not be any better, and are creating kids with a lack of resilience and problem-solving skills. (Starts at 60)
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Immediate skin-to-skin touch with mom could save many preterm infants' lives |
When a baby is born prematurely, immediate skin-to-skin contact could save their lives.
Instead of placing low-weight newborns in an incubator, new research suggests they should be nestled up close to their mother's chest, or that of a close caregiver's, and fed exclusively on breast milk.
Currently, the WHO recommends continuous kangaroo care for all preterm infants, but only after they are taken away and declared clinically stable in the NICU. (ScienceAlert)
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Taking race out of the equation for childbirth
Black and Hispanic women are more likely than white women to be nudged toward C-sections if they’ve already had one, according to researchers who study health disparities.
Over the past 10 years, one reason for this has been a simple calculator that helps patients and doctors decide when it’s safe to try for a VBAC. (Consumer Reports)
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She got pregnant. His body changed, too.
Couvade syndrome, in which men get pregnancy symptoms, remains a medical mystery.
A lot of fringe theories have been put forward to explain it. But these men know that they are not really pregnant. The enduring mystery of their symptoms reveals something deeper: Becoming a father changes a man’s identity, emotions, even hormones. (The Atlantic)
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New research examines the lifelong impact of racism on a child's development |
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New analysis from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child examines the adversities of deeply embedded structural and cultural racism, interpersonal discrimination, and the inequities in public systems, and the profound impact they can have on children’s healthy development when experienced in the earliest years.
Researchers found that, “the need to cope continuously with the burdens of structural racism and everyday discrimination can be a potent activator of that kind of persistent stress response,” leading to a lifetime of physical and mental health struggles. (FFYF)
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Post-COVID, cold and flu viruses may return with a vengeance |
As masks come off, schools reopen, and some travel resumes, we should expect a resurgence of these viruses — perhaps a big one.
Some experts fear we’re in for a nasty cold-and-flu season or two, pointing to a combination of factors that could make for a rough re-entry to the mixed microbes world. (Stat)
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In the debate over "SIDS monitors," evidence is thin all around
In recent years, researchers and parents have hoped that increasingly sophisticated monitoring technologies might provide a crucial edge against SIDS.
But many pediatrics experts argue that there's little evidence these devices work, and that there are no measurable warning signs that could identify an imminent case of SIDS and allow a parent to somehow intervene. (Salon)
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Children's risk of illness from COVID-19 as low as it is for the flu
The CDC has decided that fully vaccinated people don't need to wear masks in most circumstances. But it left some parents concerned about how the change might affect children too young to be vaccinated.
There's a small risk that the virus can pass to an unvaccinated child. But the risk that a child gets seriously ill is comparable to the risk of the flu. (NPR)
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EARLY LEARNING,
CHILD DEVELOPMENT & CARE
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Strong early learning and child care are essential
There is no doubt early learning and access to quality child care play a critical role in the wellbeing and prosperity of LA County families and communities.
Strong child care and early learning systems increase productivity by allowing parents to work. Nationwide during the pandemic, working parents have experienced increased financial, care giving, and health pressures. (Antelope Valley Press)
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Child care costs $17,000 per year in California. Could Biden plan help?
Imagine paying less than half of what you now pay for child care. Or being among the thousands of parents who could send their 3- and 4-year-olds to free pre-kindergarten as the system expands.
Those and other ideas to make child care less expensive and more accessible are proposals Washington is seriously considering, with a big push from the White House. (SacBee)
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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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