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Children Who Miss Early Vaccines More Likely to Not Get the MMR Shot by Age 2: Study
Children who miss early vaccinations are far more likely to miss the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine by age 2, a new study found. The findings come as the U.S. recently surpassed 2,000 measles cases for the first time in more than 30 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
CDC data shows that MMR vaccination declined over the last several years, but the authors say that factors linked to delayed or missed vaccination since the COVID-19 pandemic have not been well studied.
For the new study, published Friday in the journal JAMA Network Open, the team looked data from Truevata, an electronic health records database that includes several U.S. health care systems. Participants included more than 321,000 children who received routine care within the first two months, first year and second year of life between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 30, 2025.
Melatonin Scripts May Be Rising for Young Kids
Melatonin prescribing for young children appears to have been on the rise globally in recent years, despite a dearth of efficacy data for kids with typical development, a systematic review suggested. Incidence and prevalence of melatonin prescribing in children age 6 years and under increased over time in five of the eight observational studies that assessed it, with some reporting a 500% increase, reported Chelsea Kracht, PhD, of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, and colleagues.
Observational studies also showed increases in extended melatonin use and melatonin-related overdoses, especially over the last decade. There was evidence for improved sleep onset in young children with neurological conditions — such as autism spectrum disorder — with few adverse events, the researchers noted in JAMA Network Open.
However, data on long-term outcomes for other behaviors and health measures were lacking, and efficacy data were not available for kids with typical development.
Private Equity Acquired More Than 500 Autism Centers Over the Past Decade, New Study Shows
Private equity firms have acquired more than 500 autism therapy centers across the U.S. over the past decade, with nearly 80% of those acquisitions occurring over a four-year span, according to a new study from researchers at the Brown University Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research.
Study author Yashaswini Singh, a health economist at Brown’s School of Public Health, said the work highlights how financial firms are rapidly moving into a sensitive area of health care without much public scrutiny or data on where this is happening or why.
“The big takeaway is that there is yet another segment of health care that has emerged as potentially profitable to private equity investors and it is very distinct from where we have traditionally known investors to go, so the potential for harm can be a lot more serious,” Singh said.
New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Put Health Warning Labels on Ultra-Processed Foods
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act aims to make front-of-pack warning labels mandatory on ultra-processed foods and products high in saturated fat, sugar or salt.
Plant-based meat products in the US could be forced to carry health warnings on their packaging labels under a new bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives.
Democrats Don Beyer and Scott Peters have joined forces with Republican Representative Mike Lawler to introduce the Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act, which aims to lower diet-related chronic diseases in children by imposing marketing and packaging restrictions.
Among the key focuses of the proposed bipartisan bill are ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The legislation seeks to convene an expert panel to define these products, prohibit them from being advertised to children, and require them to carry front-of-pack warning labels.
Hochul Will Back New Safeguards to Protect Children Online
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday said she would back new privacy standards for young New Yorkers online, including safeguards that would automatically bar strangers from viewing, tagging or messaging minors on gaming and social media platforms. The proposed restrictions, which would be among the most stringent in the nation, come after numerous reports of children facing enticement and exploitation from adults on platforms like Roblox and Discord.
The measures will be a part of Ms. Hochul’s State of the State address on Jan. 13, during which she will unveil her agenda for the year. The proposed legislation would require parental approval to override the limits on strangers interacting with minors. It would also impose new restrictions on minors connecting with artificial intelligence chatbots after tragedies like the suicide of a Florida teenager who fell in love with a chatbot.
“I will not rest until I know our students are safe, healthy and happy,” said Ms. Hochul, who frequently highlights the fact that she is the first governor of New York who is also a mother. She spoke at an event near Buffalo held at Hamburg High School, her alma mater.
“We still have lurking in the shadows of the internet these predators, these scammers, these criminals — and they’re now using chat features on our kids’ favorite games,” she said, adding, “We have to act, and we have to demand better safeguards.”
