#child wellness
Text
All right guys, we need to talk. Time for a LONG RANT (TM) about an important topic.
INTRODUCTION
Over the last few years, you may have noticed that Republicans and conservatives have made a lot of noise about protecting children. Some of it came as part of the QAnon conspiracy theory about pedophilia and child sacrifice and some of it came as part of culture war issues like the existence of LGTBQ-etc people.
But one thing that's kind of gone under the radar is all the ways that these same people who claim to be protecting child welfare with every fiber of their being have actually made things far more dangerous for children. Let's run through the list.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Honestly, the most important thing that's been done for child welfare in the history of humankind is the massive decrease in child mortality that's been achieved in the past century. Seriously, until the mid 20th century, it was perfectly normal for about half of all children to die before the age of 5. We've come so far on this that now it's a rare tragedy when this occurs.
Part of this mortality was due to malnutrition, we've overcome Malthus (see the Malthusianism Wikipedia article if you're interested), but a huge amount of it is the power of modern medicine to deal with diseases that used to ravage children. Measles, Mumps, Smallpox, Influenza, and a huge amount of other diseases used to sweep through the population regularly either killing children or weakening them for another disease or condition to do the job.
Vaccines have been a huge part of this progress and are a major reason why viral illnesses no longer ravage the population on a regular basis (antibiotics have been similarly effective for bacterial illnesses) and yet there remains a disturbingly large and well-funded movement to advocate against vaccines and particularly childhood vaccinations, largely based on fraudulent claims that have been debunked more than a decade ago.
While it is true that this vaccine skepticism has strains across the ideological spectrum, it is only in the Republican Party where the idea has been given power by elected and appointed officials. No Democratic Surgeon General, for example, has recommended against the (exceedingly safe!) Covid or Measles vaccines, but that's exactly what the Surgeon General of Florida, Joseph Lapado, has done.
This is, of course, far from an isolated incident. A quick search will find dozens, even hundreds, of cases of GOP elected and appointed officials inveighing against vaccines, pushing to remove vaccine requirements, pushing to limit funding to vaccination programs, and generally echoing the most extreme and unproven claims against one of the most powerful public health tools for the protection of children that has ever been developed.
GUN VIOLENCE
Time to talk about guns. For a long time, this was a secondary issue, automobiles were the largest leading cause of death for children pretty much since we dealt with diseases (see the last section). However, over the last several decades, we've worked hard to implement all kinds of safety features that have dramatically brought down the number of children killed in car crashes. Guns, on the other hand…
Well, gun deaths among children have almost doubled in the last decade and, for the first time ever, they are now the leading cause of death for those under the age of 18 (otherwise known as children).
This increase seems to be largely driven by assaults rather than suicides or accidental deaths (though both of those have increased as well). Now, I'm not going to claim that there's a silver bullet for dealing with gun violence, but there are policies that are well supported by research and shown to reduce gun violence. It's also the case that, considered overall, states that lean more toward Democratic policies have significantly lower (and increasingly lower) levels of gun violence than states that lean toward Republican policies.
All the specifics aside, it speaks to priorities. If gun deaths are now the number one killer of children, anyone interested in protecting children would want to do something about that. My accusation of Republican/conservative officials is not that they don't want to implement my preferred policies to address this issue, it's that they consistently refuse to implement any policies that, even theoretically, would be aimed at addressing this issue.
CHILD LABOR
In the early 1900s, child labor was common and widespread, with children often working 12 hour shifts or more with very little in the way of safety and oversight. Over the course of the first four decades of the 20th century, numerous laws were passed to make it illegal to employ children in dangerous jobs or for long hours that would interfere with their education.
Now, despite an uptick in child labor violations and numerous stories of children killed while illegally working dangerous jobs, Republican governors and legislatures in states as disparate as Wisconsin, Iowa, Arkansas, Ohio, and Missouri have been pushing for and passing laws that weaken the protections in place for child workers as young as 14 and sometimes even younger.
RACISM
Racism isn't generally seen as a child issue because it's assumed to affect all ages about equally, but we have to take into account the demographics of this country before assuming that. In fact, children (those under 18) are actually the most racially diverse group in the United States with older groups being much more homogeneously white. In fact, because of this racial difference, racism has a far greater effect on the average child than it does on the average adult.
And, to be clear, there are numerous ways that ongoing racism is actively affecting the health and well-being of children in this country today. Republicans, though, overwhelmingly believe that enough has been done to combat racism and that nothing more should be done to address it.
ACTUAL CHILD ABUSE
Okay, QAnon definitely took this issue and ran off into the woods to do unspeakable things to it, but child abuse is definitely a real issue that impacts children. Unlike the QAnon caricature, though, child abuse tends not to be something carried out by shadowy strangers hidden from public view, but is overwhelmingly (over 90%) committed by someone the child knows personally.
The problem is, by spreading the idea that child abuse is a stranger-danger type of problem, this idea directly impacts efforts to protect children from abuse by draining resources from evidence-based policies and pushing them into nonsense.
Now, you may say "hey, that's QAnon, not Republicans" and, sure, but many elected Republicans are supporters of the QAnon conspiracy (among others) and even those who don't openly profess support are either silent or press for policies based on the conspiratorial worldview. In 2020, 97 open QAnon followers ran in political primaries with 22 Republicans and 2 Independents among them making it to the general election, numerous representatives and party officials have taken part in QAnon organized events, and even Donald Trump, the de facto head of the party and its likely presidential nominee, has repeatedly expressed support for it. It's also notable the only prominent Republicans who have spoken out against QAnon have either been out of office or have quickly either retired or been defeated for re-election.
So, yes, the source of the issue is QAnon, but QAnon is part of the Republican Party now.
LGBTQ-ETC YOUTH
One of the main dangers that Republicans and conservatives like to say they're protecting children from is LGBTQ-ect people, but this also ignores the fact that many children are or will turn out to be LGBTQ-etc themselves. The statistics are pretty clear that suicide rates among this group are twice as high or even higher than the general population but the research is also clear that LGBTQ-etc youth with supportive families and communities have suicide rates that are almost completely back in line with the general public.
There's also no evidence to support the idea that LGBTQ-etc people abuse children at any higher rates than any other group, so targeting them not only fails to deliver any particular gains in child protection, it also alienates LGBTQ-etc youth and drives them to suicide.
POLICIES VS OUTCOMES
So far I've only talked about specific policies, but what do the outcomes look like? There's numerous ways you can measure child well-being, but I figured I'd go with deaths. Specifically, I was able to find good data for both infant mortality and child (1-14) mortality. I then compared this with Ballotpedia's information about party control of state governments over the last 10 years (this link brings you to Colorado, but you can change the state name in the URL to get any state).
Crunch this data and what you find is that Republican control of state government is bad for infant mortality but is REALLY bad for child mortality. There are some outliers, but the pattern is pretty clear that, the longer Republicans had control in a state government and the more control they had, the worse the outcomes are.
Infant mortality is almost 25% higher and the mortality rate of children aged 1-14 is OVER 80% HIGHER in states fully controlled by Republicans than in states fully controlled by Democrats. These patterns also generally hold for the level of partial control as well.
A WORD TO REPUBLICANS/CONSERVATIVES
If you're a registered Republican, if you vote Republican, or if you consider yourself a conservative, you may look at some of this and think "that's not what I believe". And, yes, that's fair, this doesn't perfectly represent the views of every Republican or conservative everywhere.
What it does represent, however, is the view of a large number of people in the party and movement with power. Power that they're using to enact these very policies which, as I think I've shown, endanger children.
You may not identify with these, but your party and movement do.
CONCLUSION
Republicans and conservatives talk a really big game about protecting children but, when you look at what they're actually doing, their policies are one of the biggest threats to children. I don't need a longer conclusion than that.
As usual, if you disagree or have anything to add, please cite your sources appropriately. I think I've done a decent job of that, so I'll just ask that you do the same.
#politics#us politics#republicans#child welfare#child wellness#long rant (tm)#child endangerment#child abuse#lbgtq#racism#qanon#child labor#gun violence#vaccines
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run three mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, healthcare and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
#iraqi children foundation#manchester#photography#media#nature photography#nature#uk#iraq#london#iraqi#iraqi children#child welfare#child wellness#child well being#ICF
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
Teaching kids about emotions is essential for their holistic development. Equipping them with the language and skills to navigate their feelings fosters resilience and empowers healthier relationships.
#yourmentalhealthpal#childcare#childwellbeing#child wellness#child development#emotinal health#mental health awareness#mental health care#mental health#mental wellness#ymhp#motivation#get motivated
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Parents get sooooooo mad when anyone even remotely implies that if we know it negatively impacts adults then it’s probably quite detrimental to the health and development of a young mind to stick an iPad in front of a child any time they show signs of Behaviors. “Are you calling me a bad parent?” Yeah. I am.
#‘if you don’t have kids then you don’t get to have parenting opinions!!’#well—as a former child of parents—
46K notes
·
View notes
Text
As a parent, you know the importance of keeping your children healthy. Did you know that home healthcare services in Baltimore, Maryland can be a valuable partner in ensuring your child’s well-being? Here at BALTIMORE FAMILY Home Health Services LLC PEDIATRIC/RSA, we offer a variety of services, including vaccination programs to protect your little ones from a range of preventable illnesses.
0 notes
Text
B12 Deficiency in Children: What to Know
B12 Deficiency in Children: What to Know
Introduction:
Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in the development and growth of children, supporting brain function, red blood cell production, and overall health. However, when children do not receive an adequate supply of this essential nutrient, it can have detrimental effects on their well-being. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of vitamin B12 for children’s health, common symptoms of…
View On WordPress
#B12 deficiency#balanced diet#brain development#breastfeeding#child development#child health awareness#child healthcare#child wellness#child wellness initiatives#childhood development#childhood nutrition#childhood wellness#Children&039;s Health#cognitive development#dairy products#delayed growth#Dietary Guidelines#dietary intake#dietary recommendations#dietary restrictions#dietary supplements#Early intervention#eggs#family nutrition#fatigue#fish#food allergies#food sources#fortified cereals#fortified foods
0 notes
Text
Elevate your child's well-being with the best chiropractor for kids in Colorado Springs! Radix Chiropractic, LLC specializes in pediatric chiropractic care and focuses on gentle adjustments tailored to your child's needs. Uncover the secret to a healthier and happier childhood by exploring their expert services now. Read now.
0 notes
Text
Cystic fibrosis, a complex genetic disorder affecting the respiratory and digestive systems, demands comprehensive care. Prioritizing emotional well-being alongside medical interventions in this condition is pivotal in supporting children with this condition.
0 notes
Text
people with siblings: how do you feel about them?
#[.txt]#just. a bit curious#e: I see... thank you for the answers so far; it's interesting to hear as someone who's an only child#i suppose i should have phrased this as: if you have them - how do you feel about your siblings?#i am aware most answers can be boiled down to being complicated; even so it has been nice to hear from everyone of different circumstances#i hope that your day is well.
26K notes
·
View notes
Text
Spoiler alert: the parents in this story make some decisions that complicate an already dire situation. But you can't think clearly when poverty, substance abuse, the threat of jail, and general desperation are clouding your mind.
Oh, sure, they could just put little Elayna up for adoption. That's a favorite solution of the pro-life crowd; everyone who has a baby and doesn't want it can give it to someone who does. But our foster care system is already overwhelmed with hard-to-place kids like her. And my Tennessee Tumblrinas already know that TDCS is a joke. We've had foster kids sleeping in TDCS office buildings because there's no other place to put them, and living in decrepit foster facilities run by staff who won't or can't take care of large numbers of medically, mentally, and emotionally deprived kids.
Furthermore, I can't stop thinking about how all this is setting up Elayna and her siblings from repeating their parents' narrative. Elayna's not even one year old and she's got a whammy of an ACE score.
#tennessee#abortion#abortion access#social services#child welfare#child wellness#tw domestic violence#tw substance abuse#ACE score
0 notes
Text
“Peace begins with a smile” and in Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run three mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, healthcare and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
#Iraqi Children Foundation#iraq#iraqi#london#baghdad#liverpool#scotland#uk#manchester#usa#war child#child welfare#child wellness#child well being#ICF
1 note
·
View note
Text
The power of a smile can light up the world
It's amazing that in Baghdad, children are embracing the power of a smile, thanks to the work of the Iraqi Children Foundation.
Through the efforts of people in the USA, the UK and across the Middle East, these smiles are being achieved through unified acts of compassion.
It's incredible what can be accomplished when you combine education, security, nutrition and healthcare into vulnerable children's lives.
#manchester#iraq#iraqi#london#uk#baghdad#liverpool#scotland#hussein al-alak#usa#iraqi children foundation#washington dc#washington state#washington#pennsylvania#oregon#colorado#child welfare#child wellness#child well being#mental health#mental health support#mental wellness
0 notes
Text
Child Obesity & Parental Negligence: How To Help Your Child Stay Healthy - H&S Education & Parenting
The Role Of Parents In Preventing Child Obesity
Childhood obesity is a growing problem around the world, and it can have serious health consequences for children. While genetics and other factors can contribute to obesity, parental negligence is often a major factor. As a parent, it’s important to take an active role in promoting your child’s health and preventing obesity. In this article, we’ll…
View On WordPress
#child obesity#child wellness#Childhood Development#childhood health#children#education#education & parenting#good parents#H&S#H&S Magazine#H&S Magazine Kenya#healthcare professional#healthy eating habits#healthy habits#healthy role models#healthy snacks#Magazine Kenya#Meal Planning#Outdoor Play#Parent-Child Relationship#parental challenges#parental negligence#parental problems#parenting#parents#parents magazine#physical activity#registered dietitian#screen time#the right way to parenting
0 notes
Text
seriously have been thinking about this all night long. call me autistic but the fact that 90% of workplaces the point is not to get your work done and then be done doing it but to instead perform an elaborate social dance in which you find something to do even when you're done doing everything you need to do in order to show your fellow workers that you, too, are Working . because you are at Work . disgusting why cant we all agree that if there is no work immediately to be done. we just dont do anything
#i personally like to not be doing things constantly at all times. it stresses me out#i know there are ppl who thrive on cosntant activity#but me i like to chill out.#and the problem then becomes that i only ACTIVELY remember to do work and Find More Work To Do when im stressed#at the thought that others might want to see me working#if im ever relaxed i just dont look for stuff to do#catch 22 of modern work culture which permeates even ostensibly noncapitalist structures like public libraries#for instance: will it really kill anybody if the books get shelved by me now after a very busy day?#or shelved tomorrow morning by. well probably me since i'll be the one at the desk#not in the slightest#but it was work that wasnt being immediately done by me. therefore it was incorrect behavior#that i failed to identify because my instinct is to relax when not immediately presented with a Situation#this got me labeled as 'having no initiative' by my dad from a very early age#and even as an adult i still feel like im a child with no initiative
55K notes
·
View notes
Text
Pediatric home health care is essential in various scenarios to provide specialized medical assistance and support for children in the comfort of their homes. If you would like to gain a more in-depth understanding of such scenarios, FATASHHEALTHCARE OF TEXAS LLC, a premier provider of pediatric nursing services in Kempner, Texas, has you covered!
0 notes
Text
Harmful microorganisms are all around us. Despite their microscopic size, they can cause serious harm to the health of people. Germs and viruses can cause illnesses and diseases. On a larger scale, they can result in pandemics and epidemics. This is why it is best to take protective measures against them as much as possible. At home, observing proper housekeeping practices is an excellent start.
0 notes
Last Seen Blogs
