Long COVID symptoms in children more prevalent in those 14 and older: study
Children older than 14 are more likely than younger children to present with long COVID-19 symptoms, a new study shows, but it doesn’t preclude younger […]
Children
Certified Organic Meat Put to the Test
Researchers tested 76 samples of different kinds of organic and conventional meats for 33 different carcinogens. A study on carcinogenic risk associated with the intake […]
How to Reduce the Cancer-Causing Properties of Meat
What are the preparation methods to reduce exposure to carcinogens in cooked meat? What are some ways we can decrease our exposure to the carcinogenic […]
4 Key Q&As About the Impact of Climate Change on Health Equity
While climate change effects ripple across the world and all populations, it is poised to disproportionately affect people of color, low-income communities, immigrants, and other […]
Climate Change and Health Equity: Key Questions and Answers
While climate change poses health threats for everyone, people of color, low-income people, and other marginalized or high-need groups face disproportionate risks due to underlying […]
Mitigating Childhood Lead Exposure and Disparities: Medicaid and Other Federal Initiatives
Exposure to lead can seriously harm a child’s health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, […]
Probiotics vs. Antibiotics for Autism
What role do antibiotics play in the development and treatment of autism spectrum disorder? “There are many examples in nature of intestinal microbes altering host […]
Spinach and Berries to Prevent Muscle Soreness
What are the effects of spinach and berries on oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle soreness in athletes? Higher fruit and vegetable consumption was “positively associated […]
Moderna asks FDA to authorize vaccine for kids under 6
Moderna on Thursday asked the Food and Drug Administration to authorize its vaccine for children under six years of age, becoming the first company to […]
The Public Health Concerns of Weed Legalization
There are some serious public health concerns about the legalization of marijuana, but they’re probably not what you might expect. Regarding marijuana legalization, “opinions range […]
Sports Drinks Are Neither Safe Nor Effective
Commercial influences may have corrupted the American College of Sports Medicine’s hydration guidelines. If you had to name the greatest medical advance over the past […]
Do Natural Thymol Cleaning Products Disinfect as Well as Bleach?
What’s the best household cleaning product to use? Household cleaning products can be hazardous, landing hundreds of thousands of children in U.S. emergency rooms. The […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: February 2022
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is split on their readiness to return to normal, with many worried about the consequences of lifting […]
Cannabis Brain Damage in Teens May Not Be Reversible
Is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ opposition to cannabis legalization just reefer madness revisited? “Since the commercialism of marijuana [in Colorado], its use among adolescents […]
The Last Major Phase of the COVID-19 Vaccination Roll-out: Children Under 5
With the FDA likely to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5, the last major phase of the […]
Vaccine Monitor: 6 in 10 Parents of Teens and One-Third of Parents of 5-11 Year-Olds Say Their Child is Vaccinated for COVID-19, Both Up Since November
1 in 4 Parents Say Their Student Had to Quarantine in January Due to COVID-19 Infection or Exposure; Overall 4 in 10 Report Some Education […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: January 2022 Parents And Kids Update
This Vaccine Monitor survey finds an increase in the share of parents reporting their child has received a COVID-19 vaccine, with 61% of parents of […]
The Intersection of Medicaid, Special Education Service Delivery, and the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented health and education challenges for children with disabilities, many of whom receive special education services. Many children receiving special education […]
Update on COVID-19 Vaccination of 5-11 Year Olds in the U.S.
This piece provides an analysis of COVID-19 vaccination rates among 5-11 year-old children across the states. Overall, we find wide variation in share of children […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Differences in Vaccine Attitudes Between Rural, Suburban, and Urban Areas
This report examines the views and experiences of people in rural, urban and suburban areas related to the pandemic, and finds they hold very different […]
Medicaid Enrollment Churn and Implications for Continuous Coverage Policies
Recent policy actions and proposals in Medicaid have renewed focus on the problem of churn, or temporary loss of coverage in which enrollees disenroll and […]
Following an Early Period of High Demand, Vaccination for Children Ages 5-11 Has Significantly Slowed
As of December 5, 16.7% of 5-11 year-olds had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose with 4.3% of children reaching full vaccination, according to […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Winter 2021 Update On Parents’ Views Of Vaccines For Kids
This report updates parents’ intentions for vaccinating their children, against COVID-19, as well as their views and concerns about vaccine safety, whether their schools encourage […]
KFF’s Kaiser Health News Wins NABJ Award for Excellence in Radio Journalism for a Story About Teaching Children to Cope with the Constant Threat of Gun Violence in Their Communities
The National Association of Black Journalists has recognized KFF’s Kaiser Health News and two of its editorial partners with a 2021 “Salute to Excellence” award […]
Medicaid Policy Approaches to Facilitating Access to Vaccines for Low-Income Children
Following the recent US Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation, children ages 5-11 are now […]
How Could the Build Back Better Act Affect Uninsured Children?
This brief examines characteristics of uninsured children in 2020 and discusses how current policy proposals, including outreach efforts, continuous eligibility requirements, and closing the coverage […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: October 2021
This report tracks the public’s COVID-19 vaccine intentions, including parents’ intentions for their children ages 5-11 who may soon become eligible to get a vaccine. […]
1 in 4 Workers Say Their Employer Required Them to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine, Up Since June; 5% of Unvaccinated Adults Say They Left a Job Due to a Vaccine Requirement
Most Parents Say Their Kids Will Go Trick-or-Treating for Halloween; 1 in 8 Won’t Due to COVID-19 With the Biden administration moving to require large […]
Advancing Health Equity Requires More and Better Data
Increasing availability of high-quality comprehensive data disaggregated by race/ethnicity is a prerequisite for efforts to advance health equity, not only related to COVID-19 but in […]
Policy Considerations as Children Ages 5-11 Become Eligible for the COVID-19 Vaccine
A new KFF issue brief lays out key factors for the successful rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations for younger children, ages 5 to 11. This week, […]
Vaccinating Children Ages 5-11: Policy Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout
This brief highlights key issues to consider for the vaccination rollout to younger children.
Returning to School: COVID-19 Prevention Policies Across the Country
To better understand the extent to which states have adopted policies consistent with CDC guidance, we examined state policies for all 50 states and DC […]
Analysis Examines Insurance Coverage, Affordability and Access to Home and Community-Based Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs
A new KFF analysis examines key characteristics of children with special health care needs, the affordability and adequacy of their health coverage, and the implications […]
Children with Special Health Care Needs: Coverage, Affordability, and HCBS Access
This issue brief provides context for ongoing policy discussions by describing key characteristics of children with special health care needs, comparing insurance affordability and access […]
Nearly Half of Parents of Adolescents Ages 12-17 Say Their Child Got a COVID-19 Vaccine Already; a Third of Parents of Children Ages 5-11 Say Their Child Will Get Vaccinated “Right Away” Once Eligible
Nearly half (48%) of parents of vaccine-eligible children ages 12-17 now say their child has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: Vaccination Trends Among Children And COVID-19 In Schools
This report tracks parents’ vaccine COVID-19 vaccine intentions for their children and finds that nearly half of parents of 12-17 year olds say their child […]
How Real Is the Rise in Autism Rates?
Before speculating about the reason for the “explosive” increase in autism, one has to make sure the explosion is real. In 1943, a famous paper was […]
Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Impacts and Vaccinations for Children
COVID-19 has disproportionately negatively affected the physical and mental health, academic growth, and economic security of children of color. At the same time, the limited […]
Lead Contamination in Calcium Supplements
Do calcium citrate and calcium carbonate have as much lead as calcium supplements derived from dolomite and animal bone? You may remember I’ve explored the role calcium […]
DotCom Therapy snags $13M to expand pediatric teletherapy services
The company, which partners with health systems and schools to provide virtual therapy services for kids, will use the Series A funds to expand. The […]
BioNTech to seek approval for Covid jabs for younger children
Company behind Pfizer vaccine expected to file results of trial of five- to 11-year-olds with regulator soon Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus […]
Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent Meets All Endpoints in P-III Study in Children with Atopic Dermatitis
Shots: The P-II/III LIBERTY AD PRESCHOOL (part B) involves assessing the efficacy & safety of Dupixent (200/300mg) + low-potency TCS vs TCS alone in 162 […]
New Campaign from THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN about Kids and the COVID Vaccines
August 25, 2021 – THE CONVERSATION / LA CONVERSACIÓN expands to address questions about the COVID-19 vaccines and children with new FAQ videos featuring pediatricians. […]
Parents Report More Negative Pandemic Effects on Kids Who Attend School Virtually vs. In-Person
In his latest Axios column, Drew Altman shows that parents feel that children have fared better during COVID attending school in-person than virtually in terms […]
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: The Impact Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On The Wellbeing Of Parents And Children
This report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of parents and children. It finds that more than one-third of parents say […]
Four in Ten Parents of School-Aged Children Say a Child Fell Behind Academically Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Four in Ten Parents Say Someone in Their Household Left a Job or Worked Fewer Hours to Care for Their Children, Including Higher Shares of […]
What Should We Do to Lower Lead Levels in Breast Milk?
What are the effects of sodium and calcium intake on blood lead levels in pregnant and breastfeeding women? Although our skeleton “has predominantly been considered a storage […]
Children Head Back to School Amid an Ongoing Pandemic That Has Had Significant Effects on Their Health and Well-Being
As students head back to in-person school this fall, a new KFF brief highlights the effects of the ongoing pandemic on the health and well-being […]
Back to School amidst the New Normal: Ongoing Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Children’s Health and Well-Being
As millions of children across the nation prepare to go back to school this fall, many will face challenges due to ongoing health, economic, and […]
The Next Stage of COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out in United States: Children Under 12
Analysis of characteristics of children under 12 in the U.S. to help inform COVID-19 vaccination efforts when they become eligible.
Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccinations among Children
This data note assesses which states are reporting data on COVID-19 vaccinations for children by race/ethnicity and calculates vaccination rates to better understand potential racial/ethnic […]
The Dangers of Oil Pulling
In my previous articles on oil pulling, I discussed how the ancient practice may be no more effective than swishing with plain water for plaque […]
Alexion’s Ultomiris (ravulizumab) Receives CHMP’s Positive Opinion Recommending its Approval for Children and Adolescents with PNH
Shots: The CHMP’s positive opinion is based on a P-III study assessing Ultomiris and showed effectiveness in completing C5 complement inhibition @26wks. for children & […]
Risks and Benefits of Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diets for Autism
What did the most comprehensive double-blind study of diet for autism find, and what are the potential downsides? When you read in alternative medicine journals that there is “a great […]
Report: As ambulatory visits fell in California, kids saw steeper declines than adults
In late March 2020, ambulatory visit volumes fell by more than 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels in California, according to a report by the state’s […]
Testing Wheat- and Dairy-Free Diets for Autism
What happens when children with autism on gluten- and casein-free diets are covertly challenged with wheat and dairy? The first randomized, control study of a gluten-free […]
Dietary Placebo Effects in Autism
The original randomized controlled trials of gluten- and casein-free diets may have been complicated by parental expectation bias. My video Are Autism Diet Benefits Just […]
A Randomized Controlled Dietary Trial for Autism
What were the results of the first randomized controlled study of a dietary intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? At the start of my video […]
Is the Casein in A2 Milk Healthier?
The casomorphins—breakdown products of casein, a milk protein, with opiate-like activity—in bovine milk appears to have opposite effects than those from human breast milk on […]
Do Casomorphins from Cow’s Milk Contribute to Autism?
Casomorphins—breakdown products of casein, a milk protein, with opiate-like activity—may help explain why autism symptoms sometimes improve with a dairy-free diet. In my last video […]
Lead in Seafood and Wild Game
Most hunters may not be aware of the health risks related to consuming meat from animals shot with lead ammunition. I’m often asked in lectures […]
Nutritional Yeast to Help Prevent Common Childhood Infections
The amount of beta-glucan fiber in just a dusting of nutritional yeast a day is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial […]
Mental Health and Substance Use Considerations Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This brief explores factors contributing to poor mental health and substance use outcomes among children during the pandemic, highlighting groups of children who are particularly […]
Role of Mothers in Assuring Children Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations
This brief discusses the role that mothers play in managing children’s health care needs and mothers’ attitudes and concerns about COVID-19 vaccinations.
What’s Best for Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis): Coconut Oil vs. Mineral Oil vs. Vaseline
Natural topical remedies for eczema, including licorice root gel, St. John’s Wort cream, and emollients such as coconut oil, mineral oil, and petroleum jelly, are […]
Difficult Tradeoffs: Key Findings on Workplace Benefits and Family Health Care Responsibilities from the 2020 KFF Women’s Health Survey
This brief provides new data from the 2020 KFF Women’s Health Survey on how workplace benefits and caring for children’s health care needs differ by […]
Roche’s Evrysdi (risdiplam) Receives Health Canada’s Approval for Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Adults and Children
Shots: The approval is based on two studies i.e. FIREFISH & SUNFISH. The FIREFISH study involves assessing Evrysdi in infants aged 2-7mos. with symptomatic Type […]
Do Cell Phones Cause Brain Tumors?
What does the world’s leading authority on carcinogens have to say about mobile phones? Do cell phones cause cancer? That’s a question billions of people […]
Can Cell Phone Radiation Damage Your DNA?
Do mobile phones cause brain tumors? Whenever a trillion-dollar industry is involved—whether it’s Big Food, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, or Big Telecom—there’s so much money […]
J&J Vision Collaborates with Menicon to Offer Contact Lenses for Managing the Progression of Myopia in Children
Shots: Menicon to develop and manufacture contact lenses to help manage the progression of myopia in children. J&J Vision will focus on expanding the availability […]
Helpful Foods to Support People with Autism
The sulforaphane found in five cents’ worth of broccoli sprouts has been shown to benefit autism in a way no drug ever has in a […]
Pfizer and BioNTech Initiate COVID-19 Vaccine Trial in Children Under 12
Shots: The companies have started testing BNT162b2 in children aged 6-11yrs. with initial results anticipated in H2’21. The companies are planning to expand the vaccination […]
Fighting Autism Brain Inflammation with Food
One food may be able to combat all four purported causal factors of autism: synaptic dysfunction, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. In a keynote […]
Fever Benefits for Autism in a Food
Dramatic improvements in children with autism when they have a fever suggest that the disorder may be reversible if one can replicate the phenomenon in other […]
BioMarin Report Results of Vosoritide in P-III OLE Study for the Treatment of Children with Achondroplasia at ENDO 2021
Shots: The ongoing P-III OLE study involves assessing Vosoritide (15 mcg/kg) vs PBO in 119 children with achondroplasia. The CHMP opinion is expected in Europe […]
NHS to use world’s most expensive drug to treat spinal muscular atrophy
Zolgensma, which costs £1.79m for one-off treatment, will be available in England this year for the first time The world’s most expensive drug, which treats […]
Sanofi’s Dupixent (dupilumab) Receives Health Canada Approval as the First Biologic to Treat Atopic Dermatitis in Children
Shots: Health Canada has approved Dupixent for the treatment of mod. to sev. AD in children aged 6 to 11yrs. whose disease is not adequately […]
Lead Contamination in Hot Sauces
Given the lead contamination found in candies containing chili imported from Mexico, 25 hot sauces were tested for heavy metals. “Lead toxicity is prevalent and […]
Arsenic in Rice Milk, Rice Krispies, and Brown Rice Syrup
I recommend people switch away from using rice milk For kids and teens, the amount of arsenic flowing through their bodies was found to be […]
Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereal
When it comes to rice and rice-based products, pediatric nutrition authorities have recommended that arsenic intake should be as low as possible. “The US Food […]
Which Brands and Sources of Rice Have the Least Arsenic?
Arsenic levels were tested in 5,800 rice samples from 25 countries.The arsenic found in five servings of rice a week poses a hundred times the […]
Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 Receives Health Canada’s Approval for Adults and Children with Diabetes
Shots: Abbott’s next-generation, sensor-based glucose monitoring technology, FreeStyle Libre 2, received Health Canada’s approval for adults & children with diabetes The system continuously measures glucose […]
The Effects of Too Much Arsenic in the Diet
Even at low-level exposure, arsenic is not just a class I carcinogen, but may also impair our immune function and increase our risk of cardiovascular […]
Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, and Wine Come From?
What happens when our crops are grown in soil contaminated with arsenic-based pesticides and arsenic drug-laced chicken manure? When arsenic-containing drugs are fed to chickens, […]
Why Was Chicken the Primary Source of Arsenic Exposure in Children?
What was the National Chicken Council’s response to public health authorities calling for the industry to stop feeding arsenic-based drugs to poultry? “Dietary practices influence our […]
Biomarin Reports the US FDA’s Acceptance of Vosoritide’s NDA to Treat Children with Achondroplasia
Shots: The acceptance marks the first marketing application accepted for achondroplasia in the US with an anticipated PDUFA date as of Aug 20, 2021. The […]
No Purveyor of Unhealthy Products Wants the Public to Know the Truth
In 2011, Denmark introduced the world’s first tax on saturated fat. “After only 15 months, however, the fat tax was abolished,” due to massive pressure […]
Doctors Develop Safety Guidelines for Halloween 2020
Doctors Develop Safety Guidelines for Halloween 2020 It is possible to have fun this Halloween and stay safe too despite COVID-19. Here are 10 safety […]
What Parents Should Know About the New USDA Dietary Guidelines
What Parents Should Know About the New USDA Dietary Guidelines New USDA Dietary Guidelines have important recommendations: No added sugar before 2 years old and […]
Vitamin C for Male Infertility and Lead Poisoning?
What is the clinical relevance of vitamin C among lead-exposed infertile men? Compared to controls, lead battery industry workers given 1,000 mg of vitamin C […]
Can Vitamin C Supplements Help with Lead Poisoning?
“Even if a nutritional manipulation is proven effective in reducing blood lead levels, reliance on such an intervention places most of the burden for prevention […]
Garlic Powder to Lower Lead Levels
There are so-called chelation drugs that can be taken for acute, life-threatening lead poisoning—for instance if your two-year-old swallowed one of the little lead weights […]
Eating to Block Lead Absorption
Intake of certain nutrients has been associated with lower lead levels in the body. For example, women with higher intake of thiamine, also called vitamin […]
Adult Exposure to Lead
“Children in approximately 4 million households in the United States are being exposed to high levels of lead.” As I discuss in my video The […]
Why You Don’t Want “Normal” Blood Lead Levels
“By the 1950s, lead—a dangerous neurotoxin that was once buried deep in the ground, far away from humans—had polluted the entire planet.” We have leaded […]
The Flint Lead Crisis May Be the Tip of the Iceberg
Back in the 1960s, a Pulitzer prize-winning scientist described the problem of childhood lead poisoning as “so well defined, so neatly packaged with both causes […]
BioMarin Reports NDA Submission to the US FDA for Vosoritide to Treat Children with Achondroplasia
Shots: BioMarin has submitted an NDA to the US FDA for vosoritide to treat children with achondroplasia The company also reported that EMA has begun […]
How the Lead Paint and Gas Industries Got Away with It
We have known for thousands of years that lead can be toxic and for more than a century that children could be poisoned by lead […]
What Explains the Egg-Cancer Connection
The reason egg consumption is associated with elevated cancer risk may be the TMAO, considered the “smoking gun” of microbiome-disease interactions. “We are walking communities […]
Roche’s Evrysdi (risdiplam) Receives the US FDA’s Approval for SMA in Adults and Children
Shots: The US FDA has approved Evrysdi to treat SMA in adults and children ≥ 2mos. The approval is based on two clinical studies designed […]
It’s Back-to-School amid COVID-19, and Mothers Especially Are Feeling the Strain
This post examines the effects of coronavirus on parents of children in school, including parents’ worries about their children returning or not returning to school […]
Brief Examines What’s Known About Children and Coronavirus Transmission as Schools Prepare for Fall
With schools nationwide preparing for fall and the federal government encouraging in-person classes, key concerns for school officials, teachers and parents include the risks that […]
What Do We Know About Children and Coronavirus Transmission?
As schools prepare for Fall, this brief examines what’s known about children and COVID-19, including the risk the virus poses to children and the risk […]
The Crowding Out Strategy to Eating Healthier
It may be more expedient politically to promote an increase in consumption of healthy items rather than a decrease in consumption of unhealthy items, but […]
BioMarin Reports the Submission of MAA to EMA for Vosoritide to Treat Children with Achondroplasia
Shots: The MAA is based on P-III study assessing the efficacy and safety of vosoritide, further supported by the long-term safety and efficacy from the […]
By Nearly a 2-1 Margin, Parents Prefer to Wait to Open Schools to Minimize COVID Risk, with Parents of Color Especially Worried Either Way
Most Say Things Will Get Worse Before They Get Better, and Just Over Half Now Say Their Mental Health is Worse Because of Coronavirus Worry […]
KFF Health Tracking Poll – July 2020
This poll examines the public’s views on reopening society during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as parents’ worries when it comes to their children returning […]
Did You Know That Reptiles Can Be Great Pets?
Did You Know That Reptiles Can Be Great Pets? Reptiles as pets? Geckos, and dragons, and snakes! Oh my! To novice keepers and first-time herpetologists, […]
Are the BPA-Free Plastics Like Tritan Safe?
Do BPA-free plastics such as Tritan, have human hormone-disrupting effects? And what about BPS and BPF? Recent human studies indicate that exposure to the plastics […]
One Way to Treat Asthma and Autoimmune Diseases with Diet
Cutting two teaspoons of salt’s worth of sodium from one’s daily diet can significantly improve lung function in asthmatics In the 1960s and 1970s, a […]
Boosting Antiviral Immune Function with Green Tea
Unlike most antiviral drugs, green tea appears to work by boosting the immune system to combat diseases such as genital warts (caused by HPV) and […]
What is COVID19-Related Inflammatory Syndrome In Children?
A rare and life-threatening COVID19-related inflammatory syndrome is rampant in children in the US and the European Union. Children with this mysterious illness – that […]
Best Ways to Engage with Kids during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown
COVID19 is a universal crisis, which has an impact on children as well. With a restriction on playing outdoor games to just hanging out with […]
The Role of Meat and Dairy in Triggering Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes “arises following the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic β [beta] cells…[and] is most often diagnosed in children and adolescents, usually presenting […]
