More American mothers are breastfeeding their babies, the CDC recently reported. Yet the percentage of African-American women breastfeeding, while rising, lags behind that of other racial and ethnic groups. And Georgia and the Southeast have among the poorest breastfeeding rates, say Emory University researchers. In this video, Emory experts Maeve Howett and Laura Gaydos talk…
State public health officials are worried that Georgia will soon lose up to $1.5 million in CDC funds for treating sexually transmitted diseases. “This will be devastating to Georgia,’’ said Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Department of Public Health, as she discussed the possible funding reduction at the agency’s board meeting last week. The…
Last month, a report indicated that while Georgia has a low number of dentists per capita, a large majority of them still have room in their practices to accept new patients. The Georgia Dental Association, which commissioned the report, said the data show the state does not have a shortage of dentists. But in a new…
As a junior in high school, Erica says, “I was the All-American girl.’’ She had solid grades, came from a good family, and played varsity girls’ sports at her Gwinnett County school. That’s when she met the guy. “He was cute. He was really sweet,’’ she says now, 10 years later. “He really wooed me.’’…
Last year, Burke Medical Center faced some tough math in trying to keep its childbirth services going. The 40-bed hospital in Waynesboro, in rural east Georgia, was losing more than $1 million per year on its obstetrical services. Given the high overhead, a hospital must deliver 500 babies or more a year to break even…
Dr. Bob Wiskind has practiced general pediatrics in Atlanta for more than 20 years. He was a longtime board member of Kids Health First, a pediatric IPA, and currently serves as president of the Georgia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. For thousands of years male infants have been circumcised for religious reasons. (The…
At an Atlanta panel discussion Tuesday previewing children’s health issues for the upcoming General Assembly session, one item stood out. State Sen. Fran Millar (R-Atlanta) was officially on the panel to highlight ‘‘School Flexibility,’’ but he summed up what he sees as the urgency of passing a Medicaid hospital provider fee during the legislative session….
Kirrena Gallagher was a pregnant teenager who, in her own words, had “no prior experience’’ with the responsibilities of motherhood. Gallagher was connected to a home visit program in Clarke County that taught her parenting skills and how to help her child develop so he could be ready for school. Today, her son Malachi is…
A new “open enrollment’’ period is coming to Georgia. But this one is for kids only. Starting in January, Georgia parents will once again have the opportunity to sign their children up for a “child-only’’ health insurance policy. These policies are bought by parents who have an employer policy that doesn’t offer dependent coverage. And…
Children with cancer and their families typically have a different type of holiday season. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, though, provided a group of these kids with a delightful trip to the North Pole. How did they get there? You might be surprised. Here’s a video of their journey and visit with Santa, courtesy of Children’s…