Latest KFF Health News Stories
Formula May Be Right for Infants, but Experts Warn That Toddlers Don’t Need It
Sales of formulas designed for toddlers increased in recent years, but health experts warn parents that, generally, once children reach their 1st birthday, they are fine with cow or plant milk and don’t need the expensive, high-calorie products. And doctors say toddler formula should not be given to infants.
Texas, Battling Teen Pregnancy, Recasts Sex Education Standards
As Texas adjusts to a near-total abortion ban, Texas schools are redoubling efforts to end teen pregnancies by enacting new standards for sexual health education. Beyond focusing on abstinence, they are teaching middle schoolers about contraceptives and preventing sexually transmitted infections. But parents must opt in for their children to get the lessons.
Journalists Look Into Wildfire Trauma and the South’s Monkeypox Response
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
El regreso de la poliomielitis y la vuelta a clases: lo que debes saber
Ahora que la poliomielitis vuelve a aparecer décadas después de que se considerara eliminada en Estados Unidos, los que no están familiarizados con la temida enfermedad necesitan una guía para protegerse a sí mismos y a sus hijos
With Polio’s Return, Here’s What Back-to-Schoolers Need to Know
Because polio has been vanishingly rare in the United States for nearly a half-century, doctors may not consider it when diagnosing patients with typical symptoms. Here are the signs and the science behind an infectious disease that is largely a mystery to modern society.
Algunos estados permiten que se utilicen en estudios de investigación, a veces por parte de terceros a cambio de una cuota, o que se proporcionen al personal policial que investiga un delito.
California y Nueva York buscan frenar la venta de píldoras para adelgazar a menores
Si ambas medidas se convierten en ley, sus defensores esperan que den impulso a la restricción de la venta de píldoras dietéticas a niños y adolescentes en más estados.
Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, but Should States Keep Those Samples?
Shortly after birth, babies are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for life-threatening conditions. States generally save leftover blood from those samples, and parents and privacy experts are concerned that information could be used without consent years later.
California and New York Aim to Curb Diet Pill Sales to Minors
California and New York would be the first states to require anyone under 18 to obtain prescriptions to purchase over-the-counter weight loss products, which some research has linked to eating disorders.
‘He Stood His Ground’: California State Senator Will Leave Office as Champion of Tough Vaccine Laws
California state Sen. Richard Pan, who spearheaded some of the country’s most ambitious vaccine mandate legislation, is leaving office this year because of term limits. A pediatrician, he plans to practice medicine full time but has not ruled out a future run for office.
For Kids With Kidney Disease, Pediatric Expertise Is Key — But Not Always Close By
A study published in JAMA leads to questions about the uneven distribution of pediatric nephrologists nationwide. Children with end-stage kidney disease feel the impact.
More Communities Are Giving Flavored Tobacco the Boot. Will California Follow?
San Jose and Sacramento this summer joined scores of other California cities and counties that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes and candy-flavored e-cigs. In November, California voters will decide whether to allow a statewide ban to take effect.
Cada vez más comunidades rechazan el tabaco aromatizado. ¿Es el turno de California?
Aunque comunidades grandes y pequeñas de todo el estado ya han actuado, los californianos decidirán en noviembre si promulgan una de las prohibiciones estatales más completas del país sobre el tabaco aromatizado.
‘Children Are Not Little Adults’ and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves
Public health experts say heat waves pose health risks for children, whose bodies may not be as effective at cooling and who rely on caretakers to prevent and notice the signs of heat-related illness.
Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media
Legislators are considering two bills that address online addiction among children by taking aim at website features such as push notifications and targeted posts. But Big Tech is fighting the effort, saying companies are already taking steps to protect children.
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Manchin Makes a Deal
In a rare surprise for official Washington, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a deal to expand the planned health bill in the Senate to include provisions raising taxes and addressing climate change. The measure would include a third year of expanded subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, but not health care coverage for people left out of Medicaid in states that failed to expand the program. Meanwhile, the ACA goes back to court, and the Biden administration restores anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people that were rolled back by the Trump administration. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Céline Gounder of KHN about the latest on the monkeypox outbreak.
Watch: Navigating Social Media After Mass Shootings
A University of Pennsylvania professor shares advice on navigating the intersection of gun violence and social media as part of KHN’s new “Spotlight” interview series.
‘So Rudderless’: A Couple’s Quest for Autism Treatment for Their Son Hits Repeated Obstacles
Amparo and Victor Rios began searching for answers about their son’s development when he didn’t hit some milestones after turning 2. Three years later, they are still trying to get their insurance to pay for expensive therapy to help him.
Parents Become Drug Developers to Save Their Children’s Lives
Families affected by ultra-rare diseases are starting their own companies to speed the development of treatments for their kids, venturing into territory that traditional drugmakers deem too risky.
Nurse Midwives Step Up to Provide Prenatal Care After Two Rural Hospitals Shutter Birthing Centers
Dozens of Iowa hospitals have closed their birthing units. A team of University of Iowa nurse midwives can’t reopen them, but they’ve found a way to provide prenatal checkups and other crucial services in two towns.
