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As pediatricians, we champion the need to address social determinants of health, such as poverty and food insecurity, in an effort to achieve health equity. We emphasize screening for toxic stress. In our conversations about equity, we include data about racial and ethnic disparities. Because of our commitment to work for the health and well-being of all children, pediatricians are uniquely positioned to consider and address the needs and concerns of the at-risk communities for whom we care.

Ra’ad and Hutham Lalqaraghuli are no longer sure which America they’re a part of. Is it the hateful country they confronted a few weeks before the presidential election, when someone left a note at their door that said, “Terrorist Leave no one wants you here”? Or is it the generous country of welcoming strangers who heard about their ordeal and showered them with gifts and cards with positive messages? The victory of President-elect Donald J. Trump has intensified their whiplash. After a...

Inpatient treatment programs for heroin and opioid dependence can be so difficult to get into in some parts of the country that drug users who want to quit are voluntarily asking judges to lock them up — just to guarantee they'll get help. In Massachusetts, that's happening via a 46-year-old law that was designed for family members to commit their loved ones to a locked facility when they are deemed "a danger to themselves or others" because of drug or alcohol abuse. But as more people...

As the mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani was a proponent of a controversial policing philosophy known as "broken windows." It calls for police to go after small crimes, in hopes of preventing bigger problems. At first, it appeared as if violent crime dropped in the neighborhoods where "broken windows" policing was in force. The statistics, however, told a different story. But the idea remains popular, despite evidence it likely had only modest effects. [For more of this story go to ...

Note: I know I shared A LOT yesterday about how frightened I am by a Trump presidency and the social progress and civil liberties I'm afraid for. I still feel all that. But last night a friend who voted for Trump put an image on Facebook of a Trump and Clinton supporter holding hands and basically saying, 'Can we still be friends?' I don't want to become hateful because I'm afraid of a hateful president. My Trump supporting friend is a good mother, a kind co-worker and one of the funniest...

Treating fatigue and depression in patients with heart failure may ultimately lead to fewer hospital stays, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC). Researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock investigated the complex relationship between fatigue, depression and gender in patients with heart failure and the effect on hospitalization. “Our research provides a good picture of the relationships of fatigue and...

In the summer of 2015, Greg, Rasheed, and a few of their peers started fighting back against racism on Twitter. They found people who used the n-word and gently admonished them, reminding them that they were harassing and hurting real people. Which is ironic, since neither Greg nor Rasheed were real people themselves. They were bots. They were the creations of Kevin Munger , a politics student at New York University. By programming a variety of Twitter bots to respond to racist abuse against...

This post originally appeared at Truthout . “Always remember the ‘social determinants of health’” is a buzz phrase that I have repeatedly heard throughout my time in medical school. But I’ve rarely heard physicians really ask difficult questions about what leads our patients to become ill. Throughout the medical education process, we rarely discuss the powerful systemic structures that lead to poverty, inequality, environmental degradation and suffering. The medical school system does not...

Computer technology known as machine learning can assess a person’s spoken or written words and accurately identify whether that person is suicidal, mentally ill but not suicidal, or neither. The new computer tool is up to 93 percent accurate in correctly classifying a suicidal person and 85 percent accurate in identifying a person who is suicidal, has a mental illness but is not suicidal, or neither. These results provide strong evidence for using advanced technology as a decision-support...

A difficult childhood may be associated with a risk of poor blood pressure regulation, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2016. Fluctuations in blood pressure readings ( blood pressure variability) have been associated in some studies to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and complications from hypertension. Researchers at the Augusta University Medical College of Georgia investigated the impact of "adverse childhood experiences" –...

Growing up in Columbia, Maryland, Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng was a self-described troublemaker in grade school. He even got sent to the principal’s office once for in-class misbehavior. But none of his teachers ever called his parents about his school misconduct. In fact, throughout his K-12 schooling, Cherng can’t recall once when a school staffer reached out to his parents. Meanwhile, even though it was customary in high school for the counselor to personally congratulate parents of students...

Childhood victims of bullying have nearly double the risk of being overweight at 18 years of age compared to non-bullied children, according to a new study by researchers at King’s College London. “Bullying is commonly associated with mental health problems, but there is little research examining the physical health of bullied children,” said Dr. Andrea Danese at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London. “Our study shows that bullied...