Category: children’s health

How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?

Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.

Illustrated Report: How Gun Violence Goes Viral

As chatter and images about guns and violence slip into the social media feeds of more teens, viral messages fueled by “likes” can lead to real-world conflict and loss.

‘All We Want Is Revenge’: How Social Media Fuels Gun Violence Among Teens

Teens share photos or videos of themselves with guns and stacks of cash, sometimes calling out rivals, on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. When posts go viral, fueled by “likes” and comments, the danger is hard to contain.

Dangers and Deaths Around Black Pregnancies Seen as a ‘Completely Preventable’ Health Crisis

Studies show that high rates of Black fetal and infant deaths are largely preventable — and part of systemic failures that contribute to disproportionately high Black maternal mortality rates.

Naming Suicide in Obits Was Once Taboo. Changing That Can Help Loved Ones Grieve.

Mental health is being talked about more openly than ever, but the word “suicide” has remained largely taboo when describing how someone died. See why that’s slowly changing, what it means for people who grieve those deaths, and how candor can help prevent additional suicides.

Parents See Own Health Spiral as Their Kids’ Mental Illnesses Worsen

The day-to-day struggles that parents of kids with mental health conditions must navigate have led to their own crisis: The stress can take a physical toll that disrupts parents’ ability to provide care, say psychologists, researchers, and advocates for families.

Doctors Sound Alarm About Child Nicotine Poisoning as Vapes Flood the US Market

Popular e-cigarettes lack packaging that stops kids from consuming the hazardous nicotine inside.

Got Milk in School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over the Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety

It has been over a decade since whole milk was served in schools through the National School Lunch Program, after U.S. government dietary guidance effectively banned it. But dairy farmers, some health experts, and members of Congress say it’s time to bring it back.

Montana Adds Protections for Kids in Private Residential Treatment Programs

Programs in the so-called troubled teen industry will be required to provide a 24-hour hotline and unmonitored video calls with family and be subject to more inspections under a new Montana law.

CDC to Reduce Funding for States’ Child Vaccination Programs

Citing the recent debt ceiling deal, the CDC is trimming its funding to child vaccination programs that focus on communities vulnerable to disease outbreaks. The cuts come despite data showing the percentage of children getting vaccinated has dropped in recent years.