The physicians and editors of KidsHealth sifted through scores of health issues impacting kids and families and chose 10 important trends to watch in 2007.
The issues we chose represent a wide range of concerns: from HIV infections involving millions of children worldwide to the technology that enables kids and teens to connect with one another. Some issues, like the growing impact of obesity, threaten dire consequences for decades to come. Others, like the newly available HPV immunization, have the potential to save the lives of many.
Of course, these are not the only important issues affecting children's health ― far from it. No doubt, you're closely watching other issues not on the list. And we invite you to tell us about them by using the link on this page. The more attention brought to the health of children, the better for all.
1. Health Care 2.0: The Electronic Age of Health Care
From e-prescribing to disease blogs, advances in technology are fast transforming the quality of health care and the way families access it.
Electronic medical records (EMRs) hold the promise of improving health care by increasing the efficiency of everything from accessing a patient's medical history to tracking medical errors. Meanwhile, Internet innovations and a rapid expansion of health-related websites have made more medical information accessible to parents and families. As consumer-directed health plans put more decisions about medical care in families' hands, parents increasingly turn to the Internet for advice, support, and information. In one recent survey, more than half of adults said that what they found on the Internet had an impact on how they care for themselves or someone else.
What to Watch:
Advances in technology are producing new ways to deliver health information for consumers and doctors. These changes could give parents more freedom, flexibility, and responsibility when it comes to meeting family medical needs. However, it will be more important than ever for doctors to work with their patients to ensure that the information derived from the burgeoning array of media sources is relevant and appropriate for their kids. No matter what, consumer-driven health care is here to stay ― and more changes are in the offing.
For Teens:
Talking to Your Doctor
Figuring Out Health News
For Parents:
How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor
Your Child's Checkups
Making Sense of Medical News
2. Obesity: Beyond the Home Front
With nearly a third of American kids and teens overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, it's clear that the battle to control the obesity epidemic must be fought — and won — well beyond the home front.
Schools, restaurants, retailers, food makers, and government agencies joined the fight against childhood obesity in 2006. Schools introduced a host of new wellness policies to improve physical activity, nutrition education, and the food served at school. Some schools worked to remove fast-food outlets, soda machines, and food advertising from campus. The nation's three largest soft drink companies announced they'd replace sodas in schools with healthier alternatives. Meanwhile, there were movements in New York and Chicago to outlaw trans fats in restaurants and list nutrition information on menus.
What to Watch:
As programs to combat obesity begin to proliferate, attention has turned toward monitoring them to find out what's working. Ideally, that will result in support and expansion of programs that prove effective for all populations. Now that obesity is recognized as an epidemic and its threat to global health is more fully understood, the battle against it is likely to penetrate every corner of kids' lives ― from their school cafeterias and classrooms to the commercials they see and the snacks they get on sports fields.
For Kids:
What "Being Overweight" Means
What's the Right Weight for Me?
Nutrition & Fitness Center
For Teens:
How Can I Lose Weight Safely?
What's the Right Weight for My Height?
Nutrition & Fitness Center
For Parents:
Overweight and Obesity
Your Child's Weight
Nutrition & Fitness Center
3. New Safeguards for Kids
An array of new vaccines has the potential to save millions of lives. Now the question is: Will all kids who need them get them?
In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine for females between the ages of 9 and 26 to prevent human papillomavirus (or HPV) infection, which causes most cervical cancers and genital warts. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made new recommendations for kids to be immunized against rotavirus and hepatitis A, and expanded recommendations for influenza, meningitis, and whooping cough. There is little doubt that these new immunizations will save many lives. But just as certainly, they will provoke additional resistance among parents who shun vaccinations based on religious beliefs or scientifically unfounded safety concerns.
What to Watch:
With the new vaccines and recommendations, it will become more challenging than ever for parents to stay up-to-date about which immunizations are appropriate for each child's health needs. And the expanding array of shots and the rising costs associated with them could make paying for immunizations more of an issue: Health plans may force parents to pay for some or all vaccines, and some doctors may not offer all the vaccines due to problems with reimbursement. Left unchecked, such a trend could create a divide in society between kids who have full protection and those who don't.
For Kids:
A Kid's Guide to Shots
Word! Vaccine
For Teens:
Vaccine Against Genital Warts and Cancer
Immunizations
For Parents:
Immunization Chart
Frequently Asked Questions About Immunizations
Can Getting Immunizations Affect My Unborn Baby?
4. AIDS: A Push for Prevention
With the AIDS epidemic in its 25th year, there is a growing understanding of just how far-reaching the disease has become ― and of the need to prevent HIV infection and to screen kids for it early on.
Much progress has been made in understanding and treating HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but the epidemic is still spreading worldwide. Within the next 25 years, AIDS is likely to join heart disease and stroke as the top 3 causes of death worldwide, with an estimated 120 million people dying of the disease in that period, according to a recent study. In the United States, half of all new HIV infections occur in those ages 13 to 24. And as many as a quarter of those living with HIV and AIDS don't know they're infected. To address that and help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2006 recommended that all teens and adults ― from ages 13 to 64 ― get tested for HIV as part of routine medical care. Meanwhile, physician groups are stepping up to do more testing and provide more education about the risks of sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
What to Watch:
The number of HIV/AIDS cases has grown from a relative few 25 years ago to many millions ― and that number is likely to continue to rise until an effective immunization is developed and disseminated. Huge swaths of humanity are being devastated and whole nations hollowed out. Education and other preventive methods, as well as better and more affordable treatments, can slow the spread and reduce the number of new cases. But the AIDS crisis is far from over.
For Kids:
HIV and AIDS
For Teens:
HIV and AIDS
How Do People Get AIDS?
About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
For Parents:
HIV and AIDS
STDs
5. Giving Babies a Healthier Start
Doctors are learning more about what's essential for healthy pregnancies and the importance of conveying that to even very young women.
Doctors are focusing more on girls' health well before the child-bearing years to make sure that when the time arrives, they’ll have the best chance for a healthy pregnancy. In May, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended that girls start seeing an OB/GYN around age 13 to discuss menstruation, sexuality issues, and sexually transmitted diseases, and to head off any weight, mental health, or eating problems that may affect child-bearing health down the road. Meanwhile, researchers are learning that the factors affecting a newborn's health reach back at least two generations. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidelines for preconception care, stressing that tending to women's physical and emotional health before conception can lessen the likelihood of high-risk pregnancies, premature births (the leading cause of infant death), and birth defects. And moms-to-be are now urged to start maternity care before the fetus is most vulnerable.
What to Watch:
Women of child-bearing age are likely to get more counseling from doctors on the mental and physical health measures that will build a foundation of good health when they're ready to have kids. Parents of teen girls may get counseling earlier to make sure that their daughters get healthy starts, with good nutrition and preventive gynecological care. This new wave of prenatal care promises to foster a generation of healthier newborns with fewer medical needs throughout their lives. And that could help reduce the emotional and financial toll these preemies take on scores of families ― and the entire health care system.
For Teens:
Having a Healthy Pregnancy
Vaccine Against Genital Warts and Cancer
For Parents:
Your Daughter's First Gynecological Exam
When Your Teen Is Having a Baby
6. Drawing the Line Online
Kids and teens face an abundance of opportunities to connect with one another and explore the world through the Internet, cell phones, social networking sites, instant messaging, and email. And adults are carefully watching the benefits and the risks that go along with that.
Teens are firmly entrenched in the electronic world: 20% say their favorite way of staying in touch with friends is by instant messaging (IM) or email; 75% have an online profile on a social networking site such as Myspace or Xanga, and roughly one third of teens said in a recent survey they have friends they've never met in person and only talk to online. Parents are grappling with how to make sure their kids get the benefits that come from exploring these new frontiers without exposing them to risks like Internet predators, pornography, cyberbullying, unsafe disclosure of personal information, and too much screen time.
What to Watch:
As online opportunities for kids proliferate, so do the resources for parents to keep kids safe. Industry, health care groups, and federal agencies are stepping up their campaigns to monitor and guard kids' electronic activities. Parents who are comfortable with technology have a growing arsenal of tools available to monitor kids online ― from tracking their keystrokes to reading their email ― and will need to balance how much privacy to give their children with the supervision kids need to stay safe. Many parents will confront a growing technological divide between themselves and kids who, from a very young age, are more technologically savvy than any generation before.
For Kids:
Safe Cyberspace Surfing
For Teens:
Internet Safety: Safe Surfing Tips for Teens
For Parents:
Internet Safety
Healthy Habits for the TV, Video Games, and the Internet
7. Tapping Into Stem Cell Potential
Scientists hope that stem cells, which hold the promise of repairing damaged or defective cells in the body, might cure and treat illnesses that affect millions of kids, including Crohn's disease, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injuries. While U.S. research continues to focus on the political, religious, and ethical aspects of stem cell research, scientists in all corners of the globe are exploring just how much potential stem cells hold.
Stem cells are unique because they can develop into lots of different types of cells in different parts of the body, and continue to produce new cells. Because of that, there’s hope that stem cells could, for instance, make insulin-producing cells for diabetes patients. But political debate has swirled around stem cell research, mostly around the issue of using stem cells from leftover embryos created for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics, which would have otherwise been discarded. Some feel that deriving stem cells this way is a destruction of life. Others are concerned that stem cell research will lead to human cloning. In 2006, President Bush vetoed a bill that would have allowed research on stem cells taken from IVF clinics. Even so, legislators continue to push to expand the boundaries for stem cell research, hoping that it will offer a variety of new cures, treatments, and hope for millions of families.
What to Watch:
As research around the globe continues, scientists and doctors will learn more about possible roles for stem cells in treating human diseases. The recent shift in the U.S. political climate may yield more latitude for conducting stem cell research here. Will this promising new approach really bring the breakthroughs that families affected by many chronic, devastating diseases hope? Initial results are promising, but only time will tell.
For Teens:
Figuring Out Health News
For Parents:
Making Sense of Medical News
Banking Your Newborn's Cord Blood
8. Keeping Healthy Foods Safe
Growing recognition of the impact of potential environmental hazards on human health has created heightened concern and confusion about the safety of nutritious foods ― like fresh produce and fish ― that we're encouraged to eat.
As many families strive to eat more nutritiously by including lots of fish and produce in their diet, concern has grown about the safety of these foods. Produce now accounts for 6% of the outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, up sharply from previous years, according to the CDC. And outbreaks of food-borne illness due to E. coli contamination in spinach and salmonella contamination in tomatoes sent a strong reminder to consumers in 2006 about the importance of taking food safety precautions. Other messages about nutrition and food safety are not as clear. Though seafood has long been promoted as a good source of protein that's beneficial to heart and brain health, there's increasing concern about chemicals in seafood and the risks to younger children and unborn babies. In June 2006, Consumer Reports advised pregnant women to avoid eating tuna because its mercury content could potentially harm a developing fetus. The advisory challenged the FDA's position that it's safe for pregnant women to eat small amounts of tuna.
What to Watch:
With many experts predicting more produce contamination cases, government officials will need to reexamine whether regulators have the resources and strategy to handle an increasingly complex job. Some have called for a single agency devoted to food safety to replace the patchwork of more than a dozen agencies that now handle the job. Ultimately, however, because the journey from farm to table often spans the globe, it will fall to parents to take more responsibility for ensuring the healthfulness and safety of the food they put on the table. Currently, that's not an easy task.
For Kids:
Being Safe in the Kitchen
Why Do I Need to Wash My Hands?
For Teens:
Food Safety
Hand Washing
For Parents:
Food Safety for Your Family
Produce Precautions
Why Is Hand Washing So Important?
9. Coping With Health Care Costs
As the ranks of the uninsured continue to swell, parents and families are going to feel the impact when they both seek and pay for health care.
No health insurance and gaps in health plan coverage have had a ripple effect throughout the U.S. health care system. Because of inadequate coverage, many families are going without preventive health care entirely or delaying care until it becomes an emergency. The result? People showing up for care when they're sicker and require more costly medical services. The lack of insurance is causing more people to seek care at emergency departments, which are required by federal law to care for all who show up regardless of ability to pay. Because hospitals and other health care providers are providing more care that they're not getting paid for, they're under more financial pressure and have to make hard choices about limiting the care they provide. Unfortunately, that's meant cutting many vital health care services for kids, like pediatric units in hospitals and mental health care services.
What to Watch:
As financial pressure continues to mount on the health care system, it will be felt not just by poor families but also by the private employers who pay for health care coverage. Corporations are likely to force the issue into the spotlight for lawmakers and demand solutions. In the meantime, many families with health insurance likely will see increased premiums or diminished benefits. They may even find that as cutbacks continue, they can't always find care when they need it.
For Teens:
Dealing With an Emergency
For Parents:
Financial Management During Crisis
Is it a Medical Emergency?
Going to the Emergency Room
10. Staying Connected During the Teen Years
Researchers are revisiting the age-old stereotype of the rebellious teen years. As more is understood about what makes teens tick, light is being shed on how parents can stay connected to them during this part of the journey to adulthood.
Consider the timeless stereotype of rebellious teens: They hit adolescence, start pulling away from parents, and often reach for independence and a sense of identity by confronting all sorts of risky business, from smoking to reckless driving to adventures with the opposite sex. But recent research delved deeper into teenage development to discern the role parents play in helping teens stay safe, healthy, and connected. The results yielded some surprises: one study showed that teens evaluate risk even more carefully than adults; another, from the CDC, showed that fewer high school students engage in risky behaviors, like driving without a seatbelt and using alcohol, than in the past. And in a KidsHealth® KidsPoll of 9- to 13-year-olds, 43% of kids said that they do want parents to be more involved in their lives.
What to Watch:
The increased understanding of how kids develop and behave during the teen years also puts a spotlight on how parents can give kids the space they need to develop while staying connected to them during adolescence. And if parents and teens stay more connected, kids may make better decisions when confronted with the tough stuff of growing up ― from peer pressure, to opportunities to try drugs and alcohol, to decisions about sex.
For Kids:
Getting Along With Parents
Alcohol
Smoking Stinks
For Teens:
Why Do I Fight With My Parents So Much?
Talking to Your Parents – or Other Adults
Drugs and Alcohol
Sexual Health
For Parents:
Connecting With Your Preteen
A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Teen Years
Kids and Alcohol
Kids and Smoking
KidsPoll: Parents and Preteens — Staying Connected
Reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MD
Date reviewed: December 2006
