Children S Health

Two separate articles caught my eye. The first, "Is There a Third World Within the U.S.? Too Many Children Could Say Yes" (Opinion, Oct. 7), which says, "The U.S. is an underdeveloped nation in caring for its children. It has 13 million children with no health insurance. It ranks 19th among nations in preventing infant mortality and 29th in preventing low-birth-weight births. Immunization rates are declining." Two days later, The Times carried the article, "MDs Debate Megabuck Medicine; Wealth: A 1989 survey said doctor's net income rose 12.5%, almost triple the rate of inflation.

Children who are brought to a hospital's emergency department after a blow to the head are often rushed into a CT scanner so physicians can rule out dangerous bleeding in the brain. But when emergency doctors wait to see if a child's dizziness, nausea, headache or disorientation subside, they can reduce the use of potentially risky CT scans without raising the risk they will miss a problem requiring immediate surgery, says a new study . The research, published in the journal Pediatrics , comes against the backdrop of two trends: the rising rate of concussion-related ER visits by younger kids , and the exploding use of CT, or computed tomography , scans, despite growing concerns about the high dose of radiation and heightened cancer risk they pose.

The health of America's children has deteriorated since the late 1970s and during the Reagan years, leaving millions of youngsters "in a state of crisis," a study said today. The study, by the National Assn. of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, said that after years of progress, the nation's 64 million children are compromised today by "new morbidities"--child abuse, poor dietary habits, a high rate of accidental deaths, mental problems, chronic illnesses and AIDS.

State officials on Tuesday urged parents to sign up their children for health insurance during an ongoing enrollment period established by a new state law that requires private insurers to offer children's coverage under all their policies. The law, which took effect Jan. 1, allows parents to apply for the coverage during an open enrollment period that runs until March 1, or in the month after their children's birthdays. "The law is only effective if parents take advantage of it ?

Underscoring historic recent gains in global health, the number of children younger than 5 who die this year will fall to 7.7 million, down from 11.9 million two decades ago, according to new estimates by population health experts. But as much of the world makes strides in reducing child mortality, the U.S. is increasingly lagging and ranks 42nd globally, behind much of Europe as well as the United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Chile. Twenty years ago, the U.S. ranked 29th in the child mortality rate, according to data analyzed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

High doses of lead have for some time been linked to chronic kidney damage. But a recent study out of Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that even small levels of lead exposure may be damaging to children's kidneys. The report, published January in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at the records of 769 healthy youth ages 12 to 20 with average blood lead levels of 1.5 micrograms per deciliter (well below the 10 microgram "threshold" of concern per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Children who are brought to a hospital's emergency department after a blow to the head are often rushed into a CT scanner so physicians can rule out dangerous bleeding in the brain. But when emergency doctors wait to see if a child's dizziness, nausea, headache or disorientation subside, they can reduce the use of potentially risky CT scans without raising the risk they will miss a problem requiring immediate surgery, says a new study . The research, published in the journal Pediatrics , comes against the backdrop of two trends: the rising rate of concussion-related ER visits by younger kids , and the exploding use of CT, or computed tomography , scans, despite growing concerns about the high dose of radiation and heightened cancer risk they pose.

Michael Moriarty presented a dramatic, if not logical, argument against censorship of television violence (interview, Opinion, March 6). In the same edition, Cal State researchers reported that "children who watch 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' can be dangerous to other children's health." He presents an emotionally charged argument defending television violence. He says those in the government who want to censor violence have "sick attitudes" and are "liberal fascists." Moriarty asks if we want a government that treats the nation as if we were children.

Eberstadt's report of the diminished chances for survival of children born "out of wedlock" compared to those born to married parents came as no surprise to me. It may be surprising, however, to contemplate one of the underlying reasons. He indicates that neither poverty nor race nor education seems to be the greatest factor in infant mortality, but rather the marital state of the mother. Children of illegitimate parents are born at a lower birth weight and their mothers have not sought and received much prenatal care.

Industry representatives have been urging for years that we water down our smog laws to create new jobs for our unemployed. Now, however, it appears from the Urban Institute study (Times, Dec. 21) that most of our new jobs are not for our unemployed, but for other people's unemployed. Our service industries, it seems, are growing so fast that 1.5 million new workers will be needed before the end of the decade, half of them foreign, and half of the foreign ones illegal. I suppose it could be argued that jobs for resident citizens are so important that we should suffer yet more pollution for them, in effect subsidizing their jobs with our own, and our children's health.

Some of the world's most glaring health problems affecting impoverished girls and women are also some of the easiest to address. The fact that we consistently fail to do so is puzzling. Take female genital schistosomiasis. This infection, caused by a parasitic worm, affects at least 200 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, and in as many as 50 million African women, schistosomiasis produces ghastly and acutely painful ulcers of the uterus, cervix and lower genital tract. Women who suffer from the disease are stigmatized, and they are often socially isolated and depressed.

Underscoring historic recent gains in global health, the number of children younger than 5 who die this year will fall to 7.7 million, down from 11.9 million two decades ago, according to new estimates by population health experts. But as much of the world makes strides in reducing child mortality, the U.S. is increasingly lagging and ranks 42nd globally, behind much of Europe as well as the United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Chile. Twenty years ago, the U.S. ranked 29th in the child mortality rate, according to data analyzed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Dr. John M. Peters, a pioneering USC epidemiologist who played a crucial role in demonstrating the short- and long-term effects of air pollutants on the health of children, died of pancreatic cancer May 6 at his home in San Marino. He was 75. Peters was the driving force in creating the Children's Health Study, which has followed nearly 1,800 Southern California children since 1993 to determine how their health was affected by varying levels of air pollution. Among other findings, the study showed that short-term exposure to pollutants increases asthma and absences from school, that children living and studying near freeways suffer the worst effects from air pollution and that long-term exposure stunts the growth of the lungs, leading to breathing impairments and other problems in adulthood.

High doses of lead have for some time been linked to chronic kidney damage. But a recent study out of Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that even small levels of lead exposure may be damaging to children's kidneys. The report, published January in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looked at the records of 769 healthy youth ages 12 to 20 with average blood lead levels of 1.5 micrograms per deciliter (well below the 10 microgram "threshold" of concern per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

A year ago Wednesday, Barack Obama embarked on his historic presidency, facing immense challenges but riding a tide of hope for success. Here's a look at what he has accomplished so far, and what he has left to do: Actions completed Children's healthcare: In February, Obama signed legislation to expand publicly funded insurance for children. The bill aimed to provide government-subsidized insurance to 4 million mostly low-income children, reducing the number of uninsured youth by half, and was funded primarily by an increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.

More than an entire day -- that's how long children sit in front of the television in an average week, according to new findings released Monday by Nielsen. The amount of television usage by children reached an eight-year high, with kids ages 2 to 5 watching the screen for more than 32 hours a week on average and those ages 6 to 11 watching more than 28 hours. The analysis, based on the fourth quarter of 2008, measured children's consumption of live and recorded TV, as well as VCR and game console usage.

I have a suggestion to alleviate the plight of the many children who, because their parents work until 5 to 6 p.m., have to go home from school to an empty house--a situation that poses a hazard to the children's health, welfare and safety. A solution? Establish after-school care centers at their own schools. The affected children can do their homework or otherwise study or play until their parents pick them up. The cost of this activity can be borne by the proceeds allotted for school use from the California lottery funds.

Giving Bill Lewis as many column inches as you did ("Use Public Schools for Learning, Not for Social Welfare Programs," April 21) allows him to expose the depths of the lack of understanding that permeates the majority of board members of the Orange Unified School District. Public education is the only means for acculturation and general economic improvement, in which school-based clinics are but one factor in improving the lives of our future generations. Mr. Lewis speaks of a healthy but hopeless future.

The expansion and reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program was signed into law by President Obama on Wednesday. The program, which will cover 11 million children (up from the previous 7 million) by 2013, offers very low-cost insurance for children up to 18 whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.

President Obama signed legislation Wednesday to expand publicly funded health insurance for children, marking a historic shift in Washington's political landscape and providing the White House its biggest victory since Obama took office. Less than two years ago, former President George W. Bush blocked similar bills by congressional Democrats, labeling the proposed expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program as a step toward government-run healthcare.