A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spells out the harmful impacts on children from climate change.  The effect on children includes physical and mental health.  Also education, home and future income will be impacted.  Pediatricians are already seeing some of this in their offices and in communities with severe weather and climate change.  See EPA report here:  https://www.epa.gov/cira/climate-change-and-childrens-health-and-well-being-united-states-report

Guaranteed recess for children in Washington State now required beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, K-5- one of the strongest in the country.  “Having equitable recess in all elementary schools gives children across our state, regardless of their family or community circumstances, daily opportunities to move their bodies, get outdoors, engage in child-directed play, and return to classrooms less stressed and more ready to learn,” said Dr. Pooja Tandon, pediatrician, and researcher at Seattle Children’s Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Washington.  There are many important features including:  all Washington State elementary school students must receive a minimum of 30 minutes of recess on days longer than five hours, recess is defined as supervised and student-directed, should be held outside whenever possible and use of computers, tablets, or phones should be avoided. The law also directs the Washington State School Directors Association to create a model policy which encourages physical activity breaks for middle and high school, encourages schools to hold recess before lunch in elementary school, and prohibits the use of physical activity as punishment and discourages withholding recess for disciplinary or academic reasons. Read more at Seattle’s Child – https://www.seattleschild.com/washington-recess-law

The pandemic years were especially tough on teenage mental health.  Teenagers might be curious what it is like to get professional help for mental health for the first time. Shameika Dixon, MD, FAAP, shares some simple steps for finding a therapist and how talk therapy works in this short video.

Confused about when your child can get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster? It is important to keep your child up to date.  These vaccines equips their immune system to recognize and resist the disease. This protects them and everyone around them from serious illness and hospitalization. Find out more in this HealthyChildren.org article.