Category: children’s health

Must-Reads of the Week

KHN’s Midwest correspondent Lauren Weber drills through the vital health care policy stories of the week, so you don’t have to.

Why Doctors Keep Monitoring Kids Who Recover From Mysterious COVID-Linked Illness

About 1,000 children worldwide have had the condition known as MIS-C — Multisymptom Inflammatory Syndrome in Children. Children’s hospitals around the U.S. are trying to keep tabs on young people after they recover from the ailment, to gauge any long-term effects.

Efforts To Curb Congenital Syphilis Falter In COVID’s Shadow

A new federal report sheds light on the reasons newborn syphilis rates are on the rise despite simple treatment options. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public health departments will struggle to respond.

Searching For Safety: Where Children Hide When Gunfire Is All Too Common

The overall crime rate has dropped during the pandemic, but unfortunately gun violence has not. In St. Louis, at least 11 children have been killed by gunfire so far this year. Living in neighborhoods with frequent violence has forced some families to improvise ways to keep their children safe, even in the place they are supposed to be most secure: their home. The stress of growing up in these conditions could lead to chronic health problems into adulthood.

The Pandemic Is Hurting Pediatric Hospitals, Too

Children’s hospitals were generally in good shape before COVID-19, but now their revenues are plunging as beds they reserved to assist in the pandemic effort remain empty.

‘An Arm And A Leg’: Health Care Takes A Financial Hit In The Midst Of Pandemic

In the first quarter of 2020, half the country’s economic devastation happened in the health care sector. Much of the slowdown came after hospitals postponed elective surgeries and as Americans skipped routine doctor’s office visits.

Born Into A Pandemic: Virus Complicates Births For Moms And Babies

COVID-19 is changing medical care, not only for vulnerable elders but also for pregnant women and their babies entering the world.

A Switch To Medicaid Managed Care Worries Some Illinois Foster Families

Illinois is moving thousands of children into its Medicaid managed-care program. Proponents say the approach can cut costs while increasing access to care. But after a phase-one rollout of the new health plans caused thousands to temporarily lose coverage, some question whether it’s the right move.

How Climate Change Is Putting Doctors In The Hot Seat

Health care providers are seeing the effects of climate change in hospitals across the U.S. ― and urging their peers to take action.

Pediatric Practices Struggle To Adapt And Survive Amid COVID-19

Across the U.S., pediatric practices that provide front-line care for the nation’s children are struggling to adjust to crashing revenues, terrified parents and a shortage of protective equipment — and all while being asked to care for young patients who could well be vectors for transmission without showing symptoms.