Archive for public health
Keeping kids emotionally healthy during COVID-19
Children and teens have suffered immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changing school and family routines, isolation at home, illness or loss of a family member, stressed parents, and fear of the virus itself have hit kids hard. And sadly, the pandemic continues with the rise of new COVID-19 variants. Pediatric practices can play a role ... Read More
Low-carb or low-fat? Study pinpoints better diet
Despite the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, health experts have pushed low-fat diets for the past 50 years, citing saturated fat as the main health risk. As a result, grocery shelves are stocked with low-fat and fat-free foods, many of which are high in processed carbs. Drs. David Ludwig and Cara Ebbeling, who co-direct the New ... Read More
If another pandemic hits, our online ‘footprints’ may help the experts
When the new coronavirus hit early last year, little was known about it. As people started coming to the emergency room, doctors scrambled to understand COVID-19 and its trajectory of symptoms. Testing was limited, and only over a period of months did the full fury of the new virus make itself known. Community after community ... Read More
Looking for a coronavirus vaccine near you? VaccineFinder may have answers
Soon, any American eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to search VaccineFinder, an easy-to-use website hosted and run by Boston Children’s Hospital with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The site went live last week in Alaska, Tennessee, Indiana and Iowa, and will be extended to other states as vaccine distribution ramps ... Read More
New health care data-sharing rule, coming in 2022, has its roots at Boston Children’s Hospital
Are you sick of health care systems not communicating with each other? Do you wish you could access more of your medical information — or your patients’ information — online? Do you ever wonder whether a health pattern you see is part of a larger trend? Two key developments have advanced the vision of seamless, ... Read More
Poverty predicts worse cancer outcomes, even in children receiving top-tier care
A pair of recent studies suggests that even among patients receiving advanced cancer care, poverty is a predictor of worse outcomes. The disturbing findings raise many questions that follow-up studies are now exploring. Key takeaways Poverty was associated with 3.7-fold higher mortality among children receiving targeted immunotherapy for high-risk neuroblastoma. Household poverty was associated with ... Read More
Rising global temperatures tied to rising antibiotic resistance
A new data analysis suggests that two rising public health threats — climate change and antibiotic resistance — are related. The study, spanning 2000 to 2016, doesn’t establish cause and effect. But its findings, in the journal Eurosurveillance, suggest that rising global temperatures could be helping to fuel increases in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Key takeaway Countries ... Read More
Affordable Care Act eases health care costs for families with children, study finds
On November 10, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on a case challenging the Affordable Care Act. With the ACA’s future in question, a study from Boston Children’s Hospital provides a reminder that the law has substantially reduced health care expenses for many families with children — particularly low- and middle-income families. Key takeaway ... Read More
Rapid rise in COVID-19 in children: Key takeaways from the AAP report on COVID-19 and kids
You may have seen the news this week that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) released a new report about a rise in COVID-19 diagnoses in children. The headlines are scary — but are they accurate? We discussed the report with Boston Children’s infectious disease specialist Dr. Richard Malley to understand the ... Read More
Internet searches provide real-time estimate of Lyme disease risk
Lyme disease season is well underway. How much of a risk do we face for this tick-borne illness? A new method dubbed Lymelight, developed by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Google, can accurately estimate Lyme disease risk in real time, down to the county level. Historically, estimates of Lyme disease have been based on ... Read More