Just three days after their daughter, Lyra, was born, Amber Cole and her husband realized that something was wrong. Lyra had lost an abnormal amount of weight and couldn’t gain it back; and frighteningly, whenever they lifted her legs to change her diaper she would scream in pain. “Every time we changed her, her scream…
Social media’s enduring popularity makes it an optimal resource for awareness building and education. In the past decade, the number of Americans using social media has nearly doubled, and today approximately seven in 10 Americans spend time on a social platform. Social media is prevalent across different groups and all income levels and has continued to…
Latoshia Rouse is the mother of triplets who were born prematurely, at 26 weeks gestation. She is also someone who knows too well that health care systems can both support and fail families. From struggling to find prenatal care to experiencing a dangerous postpartum hemorrhage, Rouse’s story reveals extensive holes in the health care system—holes…
“There is no population met with more scorn or derision than a mother with opioid use disorder [OUD] who has a young child,” says Eileen Costello, MD, FAAP, Chief of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. Opioid-related deaths among women of reproductive age have rapidly increased in recent years, as have OUD among pregnant women…
According to a recent federal report, at least five of the top ten leading causes of death are associated with early childhood trauma. Reducing exposure to trauma during childhood, then, is a vital upstream strategy for improving lifelong health outcomes for children across the country. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can…
As we dive in to 2020, we’re sharing an update on policies and public programs that impact children’s health outcomes. We’ve included, important legislation to watch in the coming months, and a summary of vital public programs and funding included in FY2020 appropriations. By knowing what’s happened and what’s coming down the pike, children’s health…
Parents are children’s first and most important teachers. However, depending on daily stressors and their own life and childhood experiences, parents may need support from professionals in strengthening the parent-child bond and promoting their children’s social and emotional development. This is where positive, trusting, strength-based relationships among parents and healthcare providers can be helpful. …
Improving infant safe sleep and breastfeeding requires a national commitment from individuals across systems and sectors: public health, hospitals, daycare and early education, home visiting, and advocacy organizations, to name just a few. By bringing together cross-sector partners focused on the common goal of supporting safe sleep and breastfeeding, initiatives can develop comprehensive strategies—strategies that…
Full name and title: Sandra Widland, MPH, Associate Project Director Years with NICHQ: 2.5 years How has your background/experiences led you to join a national children’s health organization? My initial passion for public health sprung from my love for sports. I played tennis in college and spent most of my free time being outside and…
Developmental screenings identify children at risk of having or developing developmental delays, with the goal of improving outcomes through early intervention and referral to supportive services. An effective developmental screening process includes conducting screenings from trained care providers; ensuring that families are referred to supportive services and interventions, such as evidence-based home visiting; maintaining a process for…