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Infants and Doctors: Black newborns are more likely to survive childbirth when cared for by Black doctors, according to a new study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and as reported by The Hill. According to the findings, when Black doctors cared for Black babies, the mortality rate was cut between 39% and 58% than when they were cared for by White doctors. The mortality rate for White babies, on the other hand, was largely unaffected by race of the doctor, reports CNN. The study found no statistical improvement on maternal mortality rates based on the race of the doctor, however, reports USA Today. The co-authors of the study pointed to the legacy of structural racism and the cumulative health impacts of racism as the underlying cause of the heightened risk for Black babies. To combat the crisis, doulas across the United States are banding together to provide emotional, physical and educational support to Black mothers throughout pregnancy, labor and birth –– and the impact on birth outcomes has been incredible, reports Glamour. Research shows that mothers who work with doulas are four times less likely to have an underweight baby and two times less likely to experience complications. Celebrities are joining in their efforts to amplify the Black maternal mortality crisis and Glamour profiles six, including Beyoncé and Serena Williams, who have spoken on the issue.
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Gaps and Quality Pre-K: Preschools are navigating how to educate young children during the pandemic, as participation nationwide has dropped by half and an estimated 50% of preschools in the country are currently at risk of permanent closures. This is especially concerning in major cities like Los Angeles, Cleveland and Chicago where concerted efforts have been made to expand access to preschool for low-income children, and experts worry that learning gaps between low-income and affluent kids will only grow larger without preschool, reports The 74 Million. Two Head Start centers in San Antonio, TX that provide high-quality learning with a "whole child approach" are transitioning their early education programs to remote learning and utilizing parent engagement strategies, reports New America. To remain consistent with their philosophy which prioritizes high quality experiences, the schools gave families tablets and hotspots but also provided training and materials for parents, who they see as their best and most important asset. Some people are skeptical of the need for preschool during this time, however, as evidenced by a letter submitted to The Wall Street Journal that argues that brilliant kids were made in America via “learning by playing” and during an era when school began for kids in first grade.
Back to School: The school year has begun for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), with hundreds of thousands of children logging in at 9 a.m. this Thursday morning, reports The Los Angeles Times. The school year kick-off was not without controversy, however, as dozens of parents rallied outside the headquarters for United Teachers Los Angeles calling for the union to support the reopening of campuses, reports The Los Angeles Daily News. The demonstration was organized by California Policy Center’s Parent Union, a pro-charter school group. In an attempt to create a path to safely reopen campuses, LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced on Sunday the district’s intent to launch an ambitions coronavirus testing and contact tracing program for all students, staff and their families, reports The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and EdSource. No date has been set for the program's launch however, and the school year will remain virtual for the time being.
Related article: KCRW: One family’s struggle to bring their three LAUSD students online
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Breastfeeding Online: August is National Breastfeeding Month, and several publications have taken the opportunity to showcase how moms are handling breastfeeding during the pandemic. The New York Times followed the story of nonprofit Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, which works to increase knowledge about the importance of breastfeeding in the Black community. Most of the group’s resources have shifted online, which has forced some mom’s with limited access to participate in public spaces like a library computer lab. Vogue tells the story of Kate, who had a support system in place to make her breastfeeding journey seamless, but when the pandemic hit, everything fell apart. “I left the hospital in tears,” she said, describing how the staff was busy with COVID-19 patients and unable to help her baby latch. For those mothers who can afford it, some lactation consultants are still willing to do in-person consultations, reports Refinery 29. Still not all mothers can breastfeed, or decide to wean early, and they should not be made to feel like failures, reminds Rachel Tepper Paley for The Washington Post. While the World Health Organization and others often tout that “breast is best,” moms that bottle feed can feel left unsupported, explains Elizabeth Skoski in her piece, “There aren’t enough resources for formula-feeding parents. Here’s why that needs to change.”
Trickle Down Effect: Parental depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to rise dramatically, which will in turn impact their children, reports Medical Xpress. The repercussions of parental mental health on kids are only just beginning to be understood, but past research suggests that children exposed to parental mental health problems are more likely to experience mental health issues themselves; have an increased risk of learning or behavioral problems; and experience reduced economic mobility down the line. Because of this, it’s critical that doctors develop an approach to treating parental mental health. Barriers, which have been made higher during the pandemic, can prevent parents from getting treatment, however. This underscores the need for a national perinatal and family mental health strategy, according to the authors of the article. A new report from Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Impact on Development Early Childhood Household Survey Project underscores the argument after finding that caregivers' distress is already cascading down to children in ways that have both short- and long-term impacts, reports USA Today. The project has conducted weekly surveys since April and after assessing the sequential data, found that parental distress one week led to heightened emotional distress in children the next. They also found that 68% of parents with young children reported increased amounts of stress during the pandemic.
ACEs and Health: Research shows that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can harm the developing brain, change the way the brain responds to stress and damage the immune system, reports KCRW’s Dr. Michael Wilkes on "Second Opinion." In his two part episode, Wilkes explains how trauma-informed care can improve outcomes for those impacted by ACEs by utilizing an integrated team-approach and creating safe physical and emotional environments that are reflective rather than reactive. To help physicians properly diagnose and treat patients, California initiated a statewide ACEs screening effort in January, where doctors are incentivized to administer a questionnaire to assess the number and type of ACEs a patient may have experienced. The screenings have been met with concern by health researchers and child welfare experts, however, reports California Health Report. While few doubt the impact ACEs have, critics of the screenings claim that it may re-traumatize patients and/or lead to more interventions from the child welfare system. Dr. Nadine Burke Harris –– who has led the initiative as California’s Surgeon General –– acknowledges the criticisms but says a better alternative has not been offered. Anecdotally, doctors in the article shared that patients have been receptive to the screenings and have used it as an opportunity to open up about their experiences and challenges.
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Few Qualify for Paid Leave: While the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFRCA) is supposed to allow working parents whose child’s school or child care is closed and/or transitioned online 12 of extended family leave, there are so many caveats that many families are not able to take advantage of the benefit, reports USA Today. For example, businesses with less than 50 employees, private sector companies with more than 500 employees, health care workers and emergency workers, do not qualify. For employees who do qualify, they must be employed by the company for at least 30 days and must provide the name of the child and school that is closed to their employer, as well a statement saying no one else is available to care for the child. Finally, if an employee has already taken leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, that number will be subtracted from the 12 weeks under FFCRA, as reported by CNBC. Under these stipulations, the majority of California parents do not qualify for the benefit, as reported by CBS Sacramento. To make matters more muddled, a recent federal judge in Manhattan struck down the requirement that employers must provide leave, and questions remain about the ruling’s scope and it is uncertain whether it applies nationally, as reported by Bloomberg.
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Through Their Eyes: Continuing their work highlighting early childhood development in the region, our friends at Southern California Public Radio KPCC/LAist have released a poignant photo project looking into the lives of families with young children during this extraordinary time. Take some time to absorb this fantastic storytelling project, and spread the word!
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ICYMI: In Case You Missed It, More Great Reads
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