‘Children Are Not Little Adults’ and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves
After more than a week of record-breaking temperatures across much of the country, public health experts are cautioning that children are more susceptible to heat […]
Children’s Health
‘So Rudderless’: A Couple’s Quest for Autism Treatment for Their Son Hits Repeated Obstacles
When Sebastian Rios was a toddler, he hardly talked. “Don’t worry,” his pediatrician told Amparo and Victor Rios, Sebastian’s parents. Kids who grow up in […]
Parents Become Drug Developers to Save Their Children’s Lives
Maggie Carmichael wasn’t developing like other kids. As a toddler, she wasn’t walking and had a limited vocabulary for her age. She was diagnosed with […]
Nurse Midwives Step Up to Provide Prenatal Care After Two Rural Hospitals Shutter Birthing Centers
MUSCATINE, Iowa — Bailee Tordai, who was 33 weeks into her pregnancy, barely made it to the prenatal checkup. Her clunky old Jeep couldn’t complete […]
Kids Want to Put Montana on Trial for Unhealthy Climate Policies
For her birthday every October, Grace Gibson-Snyder and her family explore the Lamar Valley just inside the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. Carved long […]
The Search for Scarce Formula Is Worse for Rural Families on WIC
CANNON FALLS, Minn. — Two months after giving birth, Jennifer Magee noticed a change in her baby’s feeding routine that scared her: She was starting […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Closing In on Covid Vaccines for ‘The Littles’
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you […]
It’s Hot Outside — And That’s Bad News for Children’s Health
AUSTIN, Texas — Heat waves are getting hotter and becoming more frequent because of rising rates of air pollution, putting children’s health at risk, a […]
Covid Funding Pries Open a Door to Improving Air Quality in Schools
Many U.S. schools were in dire need of upgrades — burdened by leaking pipes, mold, and antiquated heating systems — long before the covid-19 pandemic […]
States Fight Student Mental Health Crisis With Days Off
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Linnea Sorensen falls into a funk whenever her girlfriend of four years leaves for her six-month stints with the Marines, and the […]
Trauma Surgeons Detail the Horror of Mass Shootings in the Wake of Uvalde and Call for Reforms
When Dr. Roy Guerrero, a pediatrician in Uvalde, Texas, testified before a U.S. House committee Wednesday about gun violence, he told lawmakers about the horror […]
Grassroots Groups Lead Way on Closing Colorado’s Infant Mortality Gap
AURORA, Colo. — As Britney Taylor toured the Mama Bird Maternity Wellness Spa during its grand opening this spring, she reflected on the birth of […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Taking a Shot at Gun Control
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you […]
Miles de niños tienen problemas de vista que no se detectan a tiempo
Jessica Oberoi, de 13 años, no puede recordar exactamente cuándo su vista comenzó a ser borrosa. Todo lo que sabe es que tenía que entrecerrar […]
Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls for Regular Screening
Jessica Oberoi, 13, can’t exactly remember when her eyesight started getting blurry. All she knows is that she had to squint to see the whiteboard […]
Immigration Bureaucracy Threatens 11-Year-Old’s Spot on Transplant Lists
Nicolas Espinosa’s hopes for his 11-year-old daughter, Julia, are basic and profound: He wants her to stay alive and perhaps be able to eat normally […]
For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been a Strain
Miracle Abbott became pregnant during her junior year at the University of South Carolina Upstate. She worked a low-wage job and had mounting student debt, […]
‘Desperate Situation’: States Are Housing High-Needs Foster Kids in Offices and Hotels
Isela Perez entered the custody of Georgia’s child welfare system at age 10. It happened after her father was deported and her mother left her […]
Politics and Pandemic Fatigue Doom California’s Covid Vaccine Mandates
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In January, progressive California Democrats vowed to adopt the toughest covid vaccine requirements in the country. Their proposals would have required most […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A(nother) Very Sad Week
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, or wherever you […]
California Schools Try to Outrace Covid Outbreaks
A fourth-grade camping trip led to one outbreak, a high school prom to another. But even with covid cases rising as schools head into the […]
As ‘Trigger Law’ Looms, New Clinic Preps to Provide Abortions in Conservative Bastion
CASPER, Wyo. — A modest, tan building sandwiched between a gas station and a small apartment house near this Western city’s downtown has become an […]
The New MADD Movement: Parents Rise Up Against Drug Deaths
Life as he knew it ended for Matt Capelouto two days before Christmas in 2019, when he found his 20-year-old daughter, Alexandra, dead in her […]
Custom Caskets for Kids Look Like Something You ‘Would See in a Child’s Room’
Calyia Stringer had a smile on her face the day she posed for a photo with a yellow flower in her hand. The toddler beamed […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Waking Up to Baby Formula Shortage
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
The Families of Trans Kids in Texas Consider Their Options Amid Crackdown on Care
Cameron Wright, 16, has always seen himself as a “dude.” As a young child, Cameron didn’t have the words to explain the disconnect between how […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: More Covid Complications for Congress
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
Sen. Orrin Hatch’s Legacy Tracks the GOP’s Evolution on Health
When it comes to health policy, former Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, who died April 23 at age 88, leaves a complex legacy of major […]
Journalists Cover the Gamut, From Rising Insulin Costs to Delays in Autism Care for Children
KHN Midwest correspondent Bram Sable-Smith shared a firsthand perspective on ballooning insulin costs on “Tradeoffs” on April 21. Click here to hear Sable-Smith on “Tradeoffs” […]
Anti-Vaccine Ideology Gains Ground as Lawmakers Seek to Erode Rules for Kids’ Shots
Not long ago, Kansas showed strong bipartisan support for vaccines as a tool to support a robust public health system. But bills with language expanding […]
As Eating Disorders Spike During Pandemic, Rural Treatment Options Lag
Erin Reynolds had battled bulimia since childhood, but the weeks before she entered treatment were among her worst. At 22, she was preparing to leave […]
Babies Die as Congenital Syphilis Continues a Decade-Long Surge Across the US
For a decade, the number of babies born with syphilis in the U.S. has surged, undeterred. Data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control […]
California Sees Dramatic Decline in Child Homicide Victims. What’s Changed?
The stunning climb in homicide rates in recent years in California and big cities across the nation obscures a remarkably good-news trend involving young children: […]
Profit Strategy: Psychiatric Facilities Prioritize Out-of-State Kids
South Carolina children who need immediate, around-the-clock psychiatric care risk being stranded for days — even weeks — waiting for help, only to be sent […]
Los retrasos en el diagnóstico y tratamiento del autismo aumentaron durante la pandemia
Wylie James Prescott, de 3 años, tuvo que esperar más de un año después de su diagnóstico de autismo para comenzar la terapia conductual, a […]
Delays for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Grew Even Longer During the Pandemic
Wylie James Prescott, 3, had to wait more than a year after his autism diagnosis to begin behavioral therapy, even though research shows early treatment […]
Montana Is Sending Troubled Kids to Out-of-State Programs That Have Been Accused of Abuse
The high demand for treatment for children with behavioral and substance abuse problems has led Montana health officials to spend Medicaid funds to send kids, […]
Can Melatonin Gummies Solve Family Bedtime Struggles? Experts Advise Caution
For three exhausting years, Lauren Lockwood tried to get her son Rex to sleep through the night. As an infant, he couldn’t sleep without a […]
When Teens Blow Off Parents’ Pleas to Get Vaccinated, the Consequences Can Be Deadly
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Kennedy Stonum, a high school junior, deflected repeated entreaties from her father to please just get vaccinated against covid-19. “I would […]
Dangerous Levels of Lead Were Found in the Water of About Half the Schools Tested in Montana
About half of Montana schools that had tested their water by mid-February under a new state rule had high levels of lead, according to state […]
Targeted by Politicians, Trans Youth Struggle With Growing Fear and Mental Health Concerns
Charlie Apple had experienced people calling into question his humanity, suggesting he was just a confused kid or even a moral aberration. As a transgender […]
An $80,000 Tab for Newborns Lays Out a Loophole in the New Law to Curb Surprise Bills
When Greg and Sugar Bull were ready to start a family, health challenges necessitated that they work with a gestational surrogate. The woman who carried […]
Teen Traveled to Philly to Get Vaccinated Against His Parents’ Wishes
High school junior Nicolas Montero stays busy. He runs track, works night and weekend shifts at Burger King, and keeps on top of his schoolwork […]
This Doctor Thought She Could Navigate US Health Care. Then Her Autistic Son Needed Help.
Alexander Roodman was packing up his room, preparing for a gap year before college, when I met him at his family’s Washington, D.C., townhouse. The […]
Polio, Chickenpox, Measles, Now Covid. It’s Time to Consult History on School Vaccine Mandates
The rapid spread of omicron across the nation — and the finding that vaccines continue to provide strong protection against severe disease — brings covid-19 […]
The Advice to ‘Vaccinate and Test’ Isn’t Much Help to Parents With Kids Under 5
Just before my son’s 9-month checkup, my wife and I debated whether to postpone it. It was a “well baby visit,” but the potential threats […]
State Laws Aim to Regulate ‘Troubled Teen Industry,’ but Loopholes Remain
Five days after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law meant to provide stronger oversight of the more than 100 residential youth treatment programs operating […]
Buffy Wicks Turns Her Health History Into Legislation
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In her short tenure as an elected official, California Assembly member Buffy Wicks hasn’t been shy about sharing her most intimate health […]
As Omicron Surges, Effort to Vaccinate Young Children Stalls
Two months after Pfizer’s covid vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11, just 27% have received at least one shot, according to Jan. […]
With No End in Sight to Pandemic Life, Parents Find Disruption Is the New Normal
As my kindergartner fumbled with his shoes, I stood at our door sifting through the mental parenting checklist newly lodged in my brain: backpack. Sweatshirt. […]
New Parents Slapped With Surprise Bills for Treating Newborns
After Christine Malik gave birth to her first daughter three years ago, a clinician affiliated with a company called Pediatrix entered the hospital room and […]
NICU Bill Installment Plan: That’ll Be $45,843 a Month for 12 Months, Please
Close to midnight on Nov. 12, 2020, Bisi Bennett was sitting on the couch in her pajamas and feeling uncomfortable. She was about seven months […]
Pandemic Poses Short- and Long-Term Risks to Babies, Especially Boys
The pandemic has created a hostile environment for pregnant people and their babies. Stress levels among expectant mothers have soared. Pregnant women with covid are […]
Covid Shots for Kids Are Scarce — And Demand Is Mixed — In Rural Montana
When children ages 5 to 11 were approved for Pfizer’s lower-dose pediatric covid-19 vaccine in November, Annie Edwards was eager to get her daughter Hannah, […]
How LA, Calling the Shots on School Vaccine Mandates, Can Lead the Way on Covid Rules
On March 31, 1977, as a measles epidemic swept through Los Angeles, the county health department issued an ultimatum to the parents of the county’s […]
Watch: No Extra Resources for Children Orphaned by Covid
The number of U.S. deaths from covid-19 has surpassed 778,000. Left behind are tens of thousands of children — some orphaned — after their parents […]
The Kids Aren’t Alright
By KIM BELLARD America, like most cultures, claims to love and value children, but, gosh, the reality sure seems very different. Three recent reports help […]
Journalists Cover Issues From Pollution to Vaccines and the Spread of Covid in Hospitals
KHN freelancer Jim Robbins discussed unhealthy ozone levels in the West on KUNC’s “Colorado Edition” on Tuesday. Click here to hear Robbins on “Colorado Edition” […]
Por qué los piojos siguen acechando, a pesar del distanciamiento social
Una noche reciente, la familia Marker recibió en su casa a una mujer vestida de púrpura, con una actitud militar hacia la limpieza. Linda Holmes, […]
A Covid Head-Scratcher: Why Lice Lurk Despite Physical Distancing
PARKER, Colo. — The Marker family opened their door on a recent evening to a woman dressed in purple, with a military attitude to cleanliness. […]
Schools, Pediatricians Look to Make Up Lost Ground on Non-Covid Vaccinations
WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Melissa Blatzer was determined to get her three children caught up on their routine immunizations on a recent Saturday morning at a […]
Quarantine and Tracing Rules Are All Over the Map for Students
At this point in the pandemic, most parents are familiar with “covid notification” letters. But the letters’ instruction on whether your kid must quarantine or […]
Journalists Offer Primers on Medicare Open Enrollment and Death Benefits Amid Covid
KHN contributing writer and former columnist Michelle Andrews discussed on Newsy on Tuesday how unvaccinated workers risk losing the death benefits they would have otherwise […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Why Health Care Is So Expensive, Chapter $22K
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
Centro comunitario hispano lidera la vacunación infantil contra covid en Chicago
Chicago.- Mientras la asistente médica se ponía guantes y preparaba la jeringa, Victoria Macías, de 5 años, con una máscara rosada de Minnie Mouse y […]
How One Health Center Is Leading Chicago on Kid Covid Shots
CHICAGO — As the medical assistant put on rubber gloves and readied the syringe, 5-year-old Victoria Macias, wearing a pink Minnie Mouse mask and white […]
Hormone Blocker Sticker Shock — Again — As Patients Lose Cheaper Drug Option
Sudeep Taksali thought he’d won his battle to avoid a steep price tag on a medicine for his daughter. He was wrong. In 2020, he’d […]
Montana’s Governor Nixed a Kids’ Vaccine Campaign, So Health Officials Plan Their Own
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration quashed plans for a public service campaign to promote covid-19 vaccinations for eligible teenagers over the summer, a former state […]
‘Not Quite on Board’: Parents Proving a Tough Sell on Covid Vax for Teens
Even as the U.S. prepares to roll out a covid-19 vaccine to elementary school-aged kids, its efforts to inoculate teenagers — who have been eligible […]
Journalists Explore Shadow Pandemics of Hospital Violence and Grieving Children
KHN Midwest correspondent Bram Sable-Smith discussed how the pandemic has exacerbated violence in hospitals on Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show” on Wednesday. Click here […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Biden Social-Spending ‘Framework’ Pulls Back on Key Health Pledges
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
“Este es el último pañal que me queda”: la ansiedad de ser padres en la pobreza
Para los padres que viven en la pobreza, la “matemática del pañal” es un cálculo diario, apremiante y angustiante, con el que están familiarizados. En […]
‘Down to My Last Diaper’: The Anxiety of Parenting in Poverty
For parents living in poverty, “diaper math” is a familiar and distressingly pressing daily calculation. Babies in the U.S. go through six to 10 disposable […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Dems Agree to Agree, But Not on What to Agree On
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on Acast. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
Scientists Search for Cause of Mysterious Covid-Related Inflammation in Children
Like most other kids with covid, Dante and Michael DeMaino seemed to have no serious symptoms. Infected in mid-February, both lost their senses of taste […]
Children With Disabilities Face Special Back-to-School Challenges
LOS ANGELES — Christopher Manzo, a boy with curly brown hair and bright-blue-and-yellow glasses, has lived a third of his five years at home because […]
Our Covid Cocoon: The Parents Aren’t Alright (But Help May Be Coming)
HELENA, Mont. — My unvaccinated 7-year-old son began hacking and sneezing in late September as the hospitals in our home state of Montana started buckling […]
WHO endorses use of world’s first malaria vaccine in Africa
World Health Organization’s director general hails ‘historic day’ in fight against parasitic disease The World Health Organization has recommended the widespread rollout of the first […]
Racism a Strong Factor in Black Women’s High Rate of Premature Births, Study Finds
The tipping point for Dr. Paula Braveman came when a longtime patient of hers at a community clinic in San Francisco’s Mission District slipped past […]
These Schools Use Weekly Testing to Keep Kids in Class — And Covid Out
On a recent Monday morning, a group of preschoolers filed into the gymnasium at Hillside School in the west Chicago suburbs. These 4- and 5-year-olds […]
Mounting Covid Deaths Fuel School Bus Drivers’ Fears
GRIFFIN, Ga. — Natalia D’Angelo got sick right after school started in August. She was driving a school bus for special education students in Griffin-Spalding […]
Home Births Gain Popularity in ‘Baby Bust’ Decade
In a back-to-the-future twist on birth trends, California is seeing a sustained rise in the number of women choosing to deliver their babies in settings […]
California’s Reboot of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure on Health Plans
When Denise Williams’ baby boy was 2 months old, she became alarmed by a rattling sound in his lungs and took him to the emergency […]
Scientists Examine Kids’ Unique Immune Systems as More Fall Victim to Covid
Eighteen months into the covid-19 pandemic, with the delta variant fueling a massive resurgence of disease, many hospitals are hitting a heartbreaking new low. They’re […]
Even in Red States, Colleges Gravitate to Requiring Vaccines and Masks
As students head to college this fall, hundreds of schools are requiring employees and students to be vaccinated against covid, wear masks on campus or […]
Listen: Many Schools Are Buying High-Tech Air Purifiers. What Should Parents Know?
This is a collaboration between KHN and “Science Friday.” Listen to the conversation between KHN senior correspondent Christina Jewett and Science Friday’s host and executive […]
The Pandemic Almost Killed Allie. Her Community’s Vaccination Rate Is 45%.
The Allie Henderson who stepped out of her mother’s car to a driveway full of cheering friends and family holding “Welcome Home” signs was a […]
To Quarantine or Not: The Hard Choices Schools Are Leaving to Parents and Staff
On the second day of high school in Texas, Natosha Daniels’ 14-year-old daughter went all day without eating because she did not want to remove […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Vaccine Approval Moves the Needle on Covid
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
New Montana Law Sows Confusion, Defiance Over School Quarantines
As classes get underway this week and next, Montana school and county health officials are grappling with how a new state law that bans vaccine […]
What Missouri Learned the Hard Way About Rapid Covid Testing in Schools
Early in the tumultuous 2020-21 school year, Missouri officials made a big gamble: set aside roughly 1 million rapid covid tests for the state’s K-12 […]
Pandemia revela una creciente crisis de suicidios en comunidades de color
Rafiah Maxie ha sido trabajadora social clínica en el área de Chicago durante una década. En todo ese tiempo, vio al suicidio como un problema […]
Pandemic Unveils Growing Suicide Crisis for Communities of Color
This story is a collaboration between KHN and “Science Friday.” Listen to the conversation between KHN national correspondent Aneri Pattani and John Dankosky, Science Friday’s director […]
How a Hospital and a School District Teamed Up to Help Kids in Emotional Crisis
In 2019, the Rockville Centre school district in Long Island, New York, was shaken by a string of student deaths, including the suicides of a […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: The Senate Acts
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or wherever you […]
Reading, ’Rithmetic and Resisting Covid: The New 3 R’s as Kids Head Back to School
When kids head back to school this fall, for some it will be the first time they’ve been in a real classroom with other students […]
Public Favors Masks in Classrooms but Balks at Mandating Vaccinations for Students
As the spread of the delta variant threatens the safety of classrooms, a poll released Wednesday found nearly two-thirds of parents support schools’ requiring unvaccinated […]
DeSantis’ Executive Order Is Misleading About Lack of Scientific Support for Masking in Schools
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent guidance on students and masking “lacks a well-grounded scientific justification.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a July […]
New Moms Latched On to Remote Breastfeeding Help. Will Demand Wane as Pandemic Fades?
Madison Cano knew she wanted to breastfeed her son, Theo. But breastfeeding was painful for her. The skin on her breasts was chafed and blistered […]
Bye-Bye to Health Insurance ‘Birthday Rule’? Kansas Lawmaker Floats Fix
When Kayla Kjelshus gave birth to her first child, the infant spent seven days in the neonatal intensive care unit, known as the NICU. This […]
Watch: More Long Covid Cases Seen in Kids
The vast majority of the pandemic’s 4.1 million covid infections in children have been mild. However, doctors are concerned about a growing number of long-haul […]
Dying Patients With Rare Diseases Struggle to Get Experimental Therapies
At 15, Autumn Fuernisen is dying. She was diagnosed at age 11 with a rare degenerative brain disorder that has no known cure or way […]
A Family Wellness Check: California Invests in Treating Parents and Children Together
When a parent takes an infant to the Children’s Health Center in San Francisco for a routine checkup, a pediatrician will check the baby’s vitals […]
Damage to Children’s Education — And Their Health — Could Last a Lifetime
Before the pandemic, 16-year-old Na’ryen Cayou had everything he needed. He had his own room. A partial scholarship to a boys’ prep school. A spot […]
Children and Covid: Journalists Explore Grief and Vaccine Side Effects
KHN senior correspondent JoNel Aleccia discussed grief among the estimated 46,000 children in the U.S. who lost a parent to covid-19 on NBC News NOW […]
Pandemia eleva el número de beneficiarios de Medicaid a más de 80 millones
Las últimas cifras de inscripción al Medicaid muestran que creció de 71,3 millones de miembros en febrero de 2020, cuando la pandemia comenzaba en los […]
More Than 100 Missouri Schools Have Bought ‘Often Unproven’ Air-Cleaning Technology
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Scott Dulle scoured the internet for ways to safely get kids back into St. Thomas More School, a private pre-K-8 […]
Pandemic Swells Medicaid Enrollment to Record 80 Million People
The pandemic-caused recession and a federal requirement that states keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled until the national emergency ends swelled the pool of people in the […]
Not All Experts Are Ready to Vaccinate Kids Against Covid
Lucien Wiggins, 12, arrived at Tufts Children’s Hospital by ambulance June 7 with chest pains, dizziness and high levels of a protein in his blood […]
For Toddlers, Pandemic Shapes Development During Formative Years
CASTLE POINT, Mo. — Lucretia Wilks, who runs a small day care out of her home in north St. Louis County, is used to watching […]
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 […]
Confronting Our ‘Frailties’: California’s Assembly Leader Reflects on a Year of Covid
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When his 20-month-old daughter developed a rash earlier this month, Anthony Rendon did what many other parents do when their child is […]
Homicides Surge in California Amid Covid Shutdowns of Schools, Youth Programs
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What Does Approval of the Pfizer Vaccine for Teens and Preteens Mean for My Child?
Q: The federal government approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. What does this mean for my child? This story also ran on PolitiFact. […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Drug Price Effort Hits a Snag
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. The high cost of prescription drugs is a top health issue for the public and […]
Another Pandemic ‘To Do’ on the List for Schools: Contact Tracing
Chris Hodges, the principal of Gaylord High School in Otsego County, Michigan, never thought he’d be a contact tracer. This story is from a reporting […]
Covid Fears Keep Many Latino Kids out of Classrooms
EAST LOS ANGELES — For the past year, 13-year-old twins Ariel Jr. and Abraham Osorio have logged on to their online classes from their parents’ […]
Masks at the Campfire: Summer Camps for Kids With Medical Needs Adapt to Covid
Olivia Klassen’s face lights up when she talks about summer camp. She loves to do the scavenger hunt with her camp friends. She also loves […]
How Schools Can Help Kids Heal After the Pandemic’s Uncertainty
Kai Humphrey, 9, has been learning from home for more than a year. He badly misses his Washington, D.C., elementary school, along with his friends […]
‘I Just Feel Like Myself’: A Nonbinary Child In Their Own Words
It’s 7:30 a.m. on a school day. Two parents are racing to get their three young children dressed, fed, packed for the day, into coats […]
5 Things to Know About Health Care Changes in Montana
HELENA, Mont. — The 2021 Montana legislative session will be remembered as one of the state’s most consequential as a Republican-led legislature and governor’s office […]
As Schools Spend Millions on Air Purifiers, Experts Warn of Overblown Claims and Harm to Children
Last summer, Global Plasma Solutions wanted to test whether the company’s air-purifying devices could kill covid-19 virus particles but could find only a lab using […]
Only One Vaccine Is OK for Older Teens. It’s Also the Hardest to Manage in Rural America.
As states expand covid-19 vaccine eligibility to allow shots for 16- and 17-year-olds, teens in rural America may have trouble getting them. This story also […]
Censorship or Misinformation? DeSantis and YouTube Spar Over Covid Roundtable Takedown.
In early April, YouTube took down a video featuring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a group of controversial scientists at a March 18 coronavirus roundtable. […]
Readers and Tweeters Give Tips on Treating Diabetes and Long Covid
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names. Glucose […]
Families With Sick Kids on Medicaid Seek Easier Access to Out-of-State Hospitals
Three-year-old Elizabeth Zakutansky was born with a rare genetic condition that causes multiple seizures. Her neurologist, a top expert on treating her condition, practices at […]
Dramática baja de enfermedades por virus comunes, ¿significa máscaras para siempre?
Las máscaras y el distanciamiento físico están demostrando tener importantes beneficios extra, evitando que las personas contraigan todo tipo de enfermedades, no solo covid-19. Pero […]
Nosing In on Kids Who Had Covid and Lost Their Sense of Smell
Orange. Eucalyptus. Lavender. Peppermint. Doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Seattle Children’s Hospital will use scents like these to treat children who lost their sense […]
Indiana School Goes Extra Mile to Help Vulnerable Kids Weather Pandemic
After covid-19 forced Olivia Goulding’s Indiana middle school to switch back to remote learning late last year, the math teacher lost contact with many of […]
Need Amid Plenty: Richest US Counties Are Overwhelmed by Surge in Child Hunger
Alexandra Sierra carried boxes of food to her kitchen counter, where her 7-year-old daughter, Rachell, stirred a pitcher of lemonade. This story also ran on […]
For Spring Season, Young Athletes Get Back in the Game Despite Covid Risk
This story also ran on USA Today. It can be republished for free. This spring, high school senior Nathan Kassis will play baseball in the […]
What price a child’s life? India’s quest to make rare disease drugs affordable
Parents whose only hope was finding foreign sponsorship or a clinical trial are now looking for homegrown breakthroughs For three years, Vidya tried to find […]
What Childhood Vaccine Rates Can, and Can’t, Teach Us About Covid Vaccines
Polls show Americans are increasingly interested in getting vaccinated against covid-19, but such surveys are largely national, leaving a big question: When the vaccines become […]
Rechazan a cuidadores familiares en sitios de vacunación contra covid de California
En California, la confusión y la comunicación fallida han provocado que algunos padres elegibles y cuidadores familiares de personas con discapacidades sean rechazados en los […]
Children’s Hospitals Grapple With Young Covid ‘Long Haulers’
This story also ran on USA Today. It can be republished for free. A slumber party to celebrate Delaney DePue’s 15th birthday last summer marked […]
In California, Caregivers of People With Disabilities Are Being Turned Away at COVID Vaccine Sites
This story is part of a partnership that includes KPCC, NPR and KHN. It can be republished for free. In California, confusion and botched communication […]
Beijing’s SARS Lockdown Taught My Children Resilience. Your Covid Kids Will Likely Be Fine.
This story also ran on The Washington Post. It can be republished for free. Many parents are filled with angst as they prepare for their […]
It’s Time to Get Back to Normal? Not According to Science.
The science says “open the schools, stop wearing masks outside, and everyone at low risk should start living normal lives.” — Blog post by conservative […]
Schools Walk the Tightrope Between Ideal Safety and the Reality of Covid
California mom Megan Bacigalupi has had enough. She wants her kindergartner and second grader back in their Oakland classrooms. This story also ran on USA […]
Kids Already Coping With Mental Disorders Spiral as Pandemic Topples Vital Support Systems
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes NPR, Illinois Public Media and KHN. It can be republished for free. A bag of […]
Baby Blues: First-Time Parents Blindsided by ‘the Birthday Rule’ and a $207,455 NICU Bill
In the nine months leading up to her due date, Kayla Kjelshus and her husband, Mikkel, meticulously planned for their daughter’s arrival. This story also […]
Children’s Hospitals Grapple With Wave of Mental Illness
Use Our Content It can be republished for free. Krissy Williams, 15, had attempted suicide before, but never with pills. The teen was diagnosed with […]
Children’s Hospitals Are Partly to Blame as Superbugs Increasingly Attack Kids
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A memory haunts Christina Fuhrman: the image of her toddler Pearl lying pale and listless in a hospital bed, tethered to an […]
Health Officials Fear Pandemic-Related Suicide Spike Among Native Youth
WOLF POINT, Mont. — Fallen pine cones covered 16-year-old Leslie Keiser’s fresh grave at the edge of Wolf Point, a small community on the Fort […]
Pediatricians Want Kids to Be Part of COVID Vaccine Trials
If clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines aren’t expanded soon to include children, it’s unlikely that even kids in their teens will be vaccinated in time […]
Feds Look to Pharmacists to Boost Childhood Immunization Rates
Torey Watson is trained as a pharmacist but aims to do more than simply fill prescriptions. Pharmax Pharmacy — a small drugstore chain where Watson […]
Parents Complain That Pediatricians, Wary of COVID, Shift Sick Kids to Urgent Care
A mom of eight boys, Kim Gudgeon was at her wits’ end when she called her family doctor in suburban Chicago to schedule a sick […]
Poor and Minority Children With Food Allergies Overlooked and in Danger
As Emily Brown stood in a food pantry looking at her options, she felt alone. Up to that point, she had never struggled financially. But […]
KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: A Little Good News and Some Bad on COVID-19
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. For the first time in a long time, there is some good news about the […]
One School, Two Choices: A Study in Classroom vs. Distance Learning
Cozbi Mazariegos stays in shape these days by running room to room inside her Marin City apartment to answer questions from her kids, ages 7, […]
DeSantis Says COVID Is a Lower Risk for School-Aged Kids Than Flu
Even as his state is a hotbed for COVID-19, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been pushing schools to reopen so parents have the choice of […]
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats in Array (For Now)
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen on SoundCloud. Democrats have shown a remarkably united front, including on health care, in their socially distant, […]
Must-Reads of the Week
Hi, I’m back with a revamped Friday Breeze, tackling a few hot health care topics of the week and some news you may have missed. […]
With Caveats, Hopeful News for Preschools Planning Young Kids’ Return
Sabrina Lira Garcia is proud to work as a clinical assistant in the COVID-19 ward of a Los Angeles hospital, but sometimes she wishes she […]
Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism
When Will Lightbourne looked at the statistics behind California’s coronavirus cases, the disparities were “blindingly clear”: Blacks and Latinos are dying at higher rates than […]
Must-Reads of the Week
The Friday Breeze Want to read the best and most provocative stories from the week? Welcome to the Friday Breeze, where we compile them all […]
Why Doctors Keep Monitoring Kids Who Recover From Mysterious COVID-Linked Illness
Israel Shippy doesn’t remember much about having COVID-19 — or the unusual auto-immune disease it triggered — other than being groggy and uncomfortable for a […]
