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DeSantis has made Covid-19 vaccine skepticism his calling card ahead of a potential run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The announcements Tuesday came at a roundtable focused on vaccines that DeSantis led. The risk of heart inflammation is far greater from Covid-19 than from vaccination. DeSantis last year moved to block cruise lines departing from Florida from requiring their customers to be vaccinated, and to block municipalities from imposing vaccine mandates. In June, DeSantis touted Florida’s status as the only state not to preorder vaccines for children younger than 5.

☆ Tantrums: Screens hurt kids' emotional regulation, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Frequently using digital devices to distract from unpleasant and disruptive behavior like tantrums was associated with more emotional dysregulation in kids — particularly boys and children who were already struggling with emotional regulation, according to the study. It can be helpful for caregivers to help kids name their emotions and offer solutions when they are responding inappropriately to those feelings, she said. To reinforce it, adults can talk about their own emotions in terms of colors in front of their kids, Radesky said. And there is some content that can help teach emotional regulation when your tank is empty. The study isn’t saying to never distract a child with media, but rather to keep your go-to tools ones that encourage emotional regulation, Radesky said.

☆ The flu can be a big deal for children. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The culprit behind her illness: influenza A, the most common strain of the influenza virus currently circulating across the country. “Young children are at higher risk of hospitalization and serious complications of flu,” she added. “I don’t wish this on anyone.”The best way to protect your familyMost children with influenza will recover well at home, Lockwood explains. “Getting a flu shot is the single best way to prevent the flu,” Stockwell said. Children 6 months through 8 years who are receiving the flu vaccine for the first time should receive two doses one month apart.

☆ Measles outbreak in central Ohio grows to more than 50 children, driven by ‘lack of vaccination’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A measles outbreak in central Ohio is growing, sickening more than 50 children, with many of them needing hospitalization, according to data updated Tuesday by Columbus Public Health. “Measles can be very serious, especially for children under age 5,” Columbus Public Health spokesperson Kelli Newman wrote in an email Monday. In the Ohio outbreak, the hospitalized children have been seen at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “For measles, it is the most infectious disease we have,” she said. Pediatric hospitals already strainedWhile the measles outbreak spreads across central Ohio, the United States has been battling a surge of respiratory illnesses, such as flu and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ CDC encourages people to wear masks to help prevent spread of Covid, flu and RSV over the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time. The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to include other respiratory viruses such as the flu. The system is the basis for when CDC advises the public to wear masks. About 5% of the U.S. population lives in counties where the CDC is officially recommending masks due to high Covid levels. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said the circulation of Covid, flu and RSV at the same is a "a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season."

Some 83 percent of babies in the United States start out on breast milk, but by 6 months, just 56 percent are breastfed — and at that stage, only a quarter drink breast milk exclusively, as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. To find out what it takes to breastfeed a baby, The New York Times followed four mothers for a day as they nursed, pumped and supplemented their milk with formula. Dr. Ma returned to work four weeks after her oldest daughter’s birth and two weeks after her second arrived. While performing long operations, she leaked breast milk under her surgical gown. Now her hours are more reasonable, and she has an office with a door that locks — but Dr. Ma still feels relentless pressure to keep up.

☆ Don’t want to give your kid a smartphone? Here are some alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For most parents, figuring out whether to give your child a smartphone can be a challenging task. Indeed, according to a 2021 study, more than two-fifths (42%) of children now own their own phone by age 10. How to decide if your child is readyBefore deciding whether or not to give your child a smartphone, it's important to consider if they are ready for one. How beneficial would a phone be for your child, both in terms of their safety and their social development? "The current evidence doesn't support a specific age at which a smartphone is or is not recommended," Megan Moreno, a pediatrics professor at the University of Wisconsin said.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

☆ Children's hospitals call on Biden to declare emergency in response to 'unprecedented' RSV surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The president should declare an emergency under the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act, and the health secretary should declare a public health emergency, Wietecha and Del Monte wrote. ACEP described the situation as a public health emergency. Oregon this week became the first state to declare on emergency in response to the RSV surge. A national public health emergency would be determined based on countrywide data, science trends and the insight of public health experts, the spokesperson said. UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh has faced a huge surge in respiratory illnesses since September, said Dr. Raymond Pitetti, director of the hospital's emergency department.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday sidestepped calls from pediatric groups who have been urging the government to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge in respiratory illnesses in children. As of Wednesday, 78% of pediatric hospital beds were full nationwide, with seven states reporting capacity levels above 90%, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Biden has encouraged people to get the flu shot and the updated Covid booster. “We’re already seeing a rise in the flu and RSV and other respiratory illnesses, especially among young children,” Biden said last month at the White House. We’ve made these updated vaccines easy to get and available for free at tens of thousands of convenient locations.”The Covid public health emergency, which has been extended several times since the pandemic first hit, is set to expire in January.

☆ US home births reached highest level in 30 years in 2021
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

This follows a 22% increase in home births between 2019 and 2020, “corresponding with the initial surge of COVID-19 cases in the United States,” the report says. Home births increased 21% for Black women, 15% for Hispanic women and 10% for White women in 2021. Among the 30 states that reported more births at home, West Virginia had the highest increase: 49% between 2020 and 2021. Despite the rise, home births still remain rare, accounting for 1.26% of all births in the US, according to the report. The pediatrician group generally doesn’t recommend planned home births, but it does recognize a woman’s right to choose one.

☆ 'Jeopardy!' champ Amy Schneider testifies against Ohio transgender care ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

champion Amy Schneider testified before an Ohio House of Representatives committee meeting Wednesday against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming medical care for minors. After receiving gender-affirming care, "for the first time in my life, that alarm went silent, and I knew peace and quiet for the first time." Rep. Latyna Humphrey, a Democrat, asked Schneider if she has ever regretted receiving gender-affirming care or experienced suicidal thoughts after her transition. “We’ve made quite a few concessions, and that’s to bring this to a middle ground,” Click said of the substitute bill. Four states — Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee — passed laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.

☆ Texas GOP looks to restrict transgender health care and drag shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Texas Republicans introduced several bills this week that target the transgender community, including at least two measures seeking to criminalize gender-affirming care for minors and one bill looking to prevent children from attending drag performances. For minors, this type of care typically includes puberty blockers, which are recommended to trans youths before the onset of puberty, or hormone therapy for teenagers. The Texas bills come on the heels of a previous attempt this year by the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, to deem transition-related care for minors as child abuse under state law. Greg Abbott, the state’s Republican governor, subsequently called on citizens to report parents of transgender minors to the state if they suspect these minors are receiving gender-affirming care. The state’s current definition of “sexually oriented businesses” includes any venue where two or more people perform nude and alcohol is served.

☆ Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And if Covid-19 booster coverage reached 80% among school-age children by the end of the year, more than 50,000 hospitalizations could be averted. Preventing Covid-19 hospitalizations could help ease the strain on pediatric hospitals, which have been especially full for the past few weeks as the respiratory virus season – including flu, RSV and Covid-19 – sweeps the country earlier than usual. But more than 2,400 children were admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 last week – nearly three times higher than the week before, CDC data shows. And Covid-19 vaccination rates among children have long lagged behind those for adults. Just 32% of children ages 5 to 11 and 61% of those ages 12 to 17 have competed their initial series of Covid-19 vaccination, compared with 78% of adults.

The answer is likely to frustrate parents: There is no obvious reason some healthy babies get so sick with RSV that they must be hospitalized, on oxygen, while others do not. That means babies who have never been exposed to a virus like RSV may be hit harder than older children who've had previous RSV infections. A study published Thursday in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine found that in Europe, about 2% of healthy children under age 1 who get RSV require hospitalization. The U.S. is in an unusual surge in respiratory viruses, including RSV, that have overwhelmed children's hospitals. “They’re experiencing their first RSV virus at the same time as other viruses,” including rhinoviruses that cause the common cold.

Consumer Reports’ toddler-booster/combination car seat ratings have been updated with our latest test findings, revealing the seats that provide the best balance of crash protection, ease of use, fit to vehicle, and booster belt fit. Also known as harness-to-booster seats or forward-facing-only combination seats, toddler-booster car seats are typically used for kids who have outgrown the height or weight limit of their rear-facing seat. See our car seat buying guide for more information. SEE ALL Consumer Reports product reviewsEspecially when it comes to booster seats, experts say that it’s not just a matter of your child’s weight or height. Complete car seat ratings are available to CR Digital and All Access members.

☆ As election nears, some conservative groups have ramped up anti-trans campaign ads
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +10 min

In the last leg of what has been a heated midterm election cycle, some conservative groups have ramped up misleading or inflammatory campaign ads targeting transgender rights, which have become an increasingly partisan and divisive issue. Within the last several weeks, the American Principles Project aired campaign ads in six battleground states, the group wrote on Twitter. Justin Unga, the director of strategic initiatives for the Human Rights Campaign, said ads targeting transgender rights can have real-world ramifications. A record 346 anti-LGBTQ bills have been filed in state legislatures around the country this year, including 145 that restrict transgender rights, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Many of the recent campaign ads targeting transgender rights were directed at Black and Latino voters, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

☆ Two Florida medical boards advance ban on gender-affirming care for minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Florida’s state medical boards voted Friday afternoon to approve the language of a first-of-its-kind rule banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors who don’t already receive it. The rule updates the medical standards of practice in the state to mostly prohibit health care professionals from starting treatment for gender dysphoria in those younger than 18. Gender dysphoria refers the stress and discomfort some experience when their gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. The measure bans the prescription of puberty blockers or hormone therapy to new patients who are minors, and it forbids gender-affirming surgeries. In a statement Friday, Equality Florida said once the rule goes into effect, it will be the only ban in the country of gender-affirming care for minors instituted by a state medical board.

☆ FDA advises parents not to use infant head shaping pillows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Parents should not use infant head shaping pillows to change a baby’s head shape or symmetry, the Food and Drug Administration advised on Thursday. Head shaping pillows typically look like a small mat that slopes downward in the middle to an indent or hole designed to cradle the back of an infant’s head. Not all such pillows are labeled as "head shaping" — some are called baby head support pillows, head cushions, flat head pillows, or anti-flat head pillows. According to the FDA, marketing claims for head shaping pillows commonly suggest that they can improve an infant’s head shape and symmetry or prevent or treat flat head syndrome. The FDA also urged health care providers to discourage the use of infant head shaping pillows and to educate parents on the risks associated with them.

☆ Don’t use infant head shaping pillows, FDA warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“The FDA is not aware of any demonstrated benefit with the use of infant head shaping pillows for any medical purpose,” the agency said in a statement. “If you own an infant head shaping pillow, throw it away; do not donate or give it to anyone else,” the agency said. For health care providers, the FDA recommends they discourage the use of infant head shaping pillows, and ensure that patients understand the risk of infant death with use. Infant head shaping pillows are easily available, and found at many major infant retailers according to Dr. Sarah Schaffer, pediatrician at the National Children’s Hospital. “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of injury death in infancy,” said the American Academy of Pediatrics on their website.

☆ More Children Are Being Screened for Mental-Health Issues. But Then What?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Andrea Petersen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A mental-health crisis among children and teens that had been brewing for years worsened as routines were disrupted in the pandemic. Mental-health screenings for kids are expanding across the country. But as more children are identified as needing assistance, families can face a tough time getting help from resources that are already stretched thin. A mental-health crisis among children and teens that had been brewing for years worsened as routines were disrupted in the pandemic and many kids faced isolation and loss. Schools have added or expanded screenings for mental health or emotional well-being, and earlier this month, a panel of medical experts recommended children and teens ages 8 to 18 be screened for anxiety disorders.

☆ Florida medical board votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Florida’s medical board is the first in the country to pursue such a rule, but Florida is among a wave of states where officials have attempted to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. The effort to restrict such care began in April, when DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued nonbinding guidance through the Florida Health Department that sought to bar both “social gender transition” and gender-affirming medical care for minors. Accredited medical groups — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — have supported gender-affirming care for transgender youths. The first nine attendees who spoke were in favor of restricting gender-affirming care for minors. Only one of the eight had received gender-affirming medical care as a minor.

There are early signs that this year's flu shot appears to work well at keeping people out of the hospital. A report on Chile's flu season, released Thursday by the CDC, found the vaccine was 49% protective against flu-related hospitalizations. That might seem low, but from 2015 to 2020, flu shot effectiveness in the U.S. ranged from 29% to 48%. It's unclear whether this year's flu shots in the U.S. will be as effective as was found during Chile's flu season. Only about half of the population gets an annual flu shot, typically.

An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Thursday in favor of adding the Covid vaccine to the recommended immunization schedule for children and adults. The decision to officially add Covid vaccination to the schedule now goes to the CDC. The recommended immunization schedule is not a vaccine mandate. For example, the CDC added the HPV vaccine to the recommended schedule in 2006. The CDC's recommended vaccination schedule also provides guidance to insurance providers, which tend to cover vaccines on the list.

☆ Covid-19 vaccines will be on the 2023 vaccine schedule, but that doesn’t mean they’re required in schools
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Covid-19 vaccines will be part of recommended immunization schedules in 2023 for both children and adults, after a unanimous vote by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The board members addressed concerns from the public that adding Covid-19 vaccinations to the schedule would force schools to require the shots. This discussion does not change that.”In fact, Covid-19 vaccines are explicitly banned from being included in school mandates in at least 20 states. “Mandates may not do anything to those people who would pull their kids out of public school,” Hackell said. Schools are public spaces with a level of control, and 95% vaccination coverage is a goal with intent.

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