People are suffering now, in Rhode Island as across the nation, according to Gregory Wellenius, director of the Brown University Center for Environmental Health and Technology, associate professor of epidemiology at Brown's School of Public Health, and a contributing author to the landmark Fourth National Climate Assessment, which warns that “human health and safety … in communities across the U.S. are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.”
In this helpful article by Huffpost, pediatricians from across the country provide guidelines for parents on what to ask other parents before their child's playdate.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association advocate for stricter restrictions on sugary drinks, including stiffer taxing and advertising restrictions, in an attempt to reduce the prevalence of obesity and other chronic diseases in children and young adults.
The Providence Business News reports that over a third of children in R.I are overweight or obese, as per a Rhode Island Kids count report released recently.
An NIH-funded study discusses how an inexpensive daily nutrition supplement made of dried skimmed milk, soybean and peanut extract, can improve the growth of a fetus, by providing essential vitamins and minerals to pregnant women in low resource settings. The supplement was distributed to women in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, India and Pakistan and findings indicated that those taking the supplement were less likely to have a stunted or small infant at birth.
The New York Times reports that the amount of fat and inflammation in the livers of overweight children can be significantly reduced by limiting sugary food and drinks such as soft drinks and fruit juices, from their diet. Fatty liver disease can lead to an increased risk of heart disease, Type II diabetes and other negative health outcomes.
APHA’s Center for Public Health Policy reports difficulties in parents accessing information about environmental health services for kids, such as information about lead testing and asthma home visiting programs.
The lead poisoning research and prevention efforts of Patrick M.Vivier, Hassenfeld Institute’s director and executive committee member, are recognized.
