Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy

October 13, 2021

Study shows link between neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and foster care entry

Vanderbilt research has revealed the close relationship between neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and the number of infants entering foster care.

By Jill Clendening
March 15, 2021

Preterm births in Tennessee decreased during pandemic

Statewide stay-at-home orders put in place as Tennessee fought to control the spread of coronavirus last March were associated with a 14% lower rate of preterm birth, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Pediatrics.

By Craig Boerner
January 21, 2021

Poll finds Tennessee parents concerned about education, children’s mental health as COVID-19 presses on

The latest Vanderbilt Child Health Poll release found that many Tennessee parents are worried about the mental health of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and over 80% of parents had concerns about their children attending school remotely. The Poll also revealed that schooling practices and mental health concerns have varied widely among Tennessee families of different racial and economic groups.

By Jake Lowary
January 12, 2021

Study shows drastic increases in opioid-affected births

The rate of mothers who had an opioid-related diagnosis when delivering their baby increased by 131% from 2010-2017, as the incidence of babies diagnosed with drug withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), increased by 82% nationally during that same time period.

By Craig Boerner
December 21, 2020

Tennessee’s uninsured children have doubled since 2019 and 2 in 5 live with food insecurity, poll finds

In fall 2020, 9% of Tennessee children were uninsured, more than twice the level at the same time in 2019, according to a new poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy. Just 4% of children were uninsured in fall 2019, the poll found.

By Jake Lowary
December 8, 2020

Poll shows fewer than 6 in 10 Tennessee parents report wearing masks all the time, nearly half won’t vaccinate their children for COVID-19

Many Tennessee parents are not wearing masks consistently to control community spread of COVID-19, despite recommendations from public health officials, according to new a poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy.

By Jake Lowary
November 12, 2020

Model helps predict which infants may go on to develop NAS

A new Vanderbilt-designed prediction model may make it easier to determine which infants will go on to develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal syndrome in newborns that occurs after exposure to opioids during pregnancy.
By Nancy Humphrey
August 14, 2020

Study finds patients’ access to opioid treatment cumbersome

Women are having a difficult time getting into treatment for opioid addictions, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published today in JAMA Open.
By Craig Boerner
August 6, 2020

Patrick receives award for children’s health research

Stephen Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy, has been awarded the fifth annual Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children’s Health Research.
By Christina Echegaray
July 24, 2020

Health, well-being and food security of families deteriorating under COVID-19 stress

The ongoing disruptive changes from efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are having a substantial negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of parents and their children across the country, according to a new national survey published today in Pediatrics.
By Holly Fletcher
July 16, 2020

Nearly one-third of Tennessee parents are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, new poll finds

One-third of Tennessee parents with children ages 6-17 are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, a new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found.
By Jake Lowary
April 22, 2020

Safeguarding opioids a concern as children may have more access with families at home due to COVID-19

A new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that few Tennessee parents take steps to safeguard opioids at home, an important concern when children are spending more time indoors due to COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
By Jake Lowary
February 14, 2020

Study finds most Tennessee infants exposed to hepatitis C at birth are not later tested to see if they acquired the virus

A recent study by researchers at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that in Tennessee, most infants exposed to hepatitis C virus at the time of birth are not tested later to see if they acquired the virus.
By Jessica Pasley
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