Here is a quick look at some headlines from this week impacting the lives of kids 0-5 and their families. The purpose of these stories is simply to inform, and they do not necessarily reflect First 5 Kern's areas of support or efforts towards these issues.

Follow First 5 Kern on social media for more kid-centric information.

Now for the headlines........
BE WARY OF BATTERIES

Forbes has given parents another caution against tech gifts for your kids, highlighting the dangers of button batteries for small children . They point to the roughly 3,500 kids visiting emergency rooms each year for button battery mishaps - many of which cause serious complications or even death. As electronics grow smaller, button batteries are becoming more widely used as a power source.

Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a report touting the benefits of "old-fashioned play" over electronics.
DEPRESSION SCREENING DURING PREGNANCY?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement urging that women be screened by their doctors for depression during and after pregnancy. The rationale? Depression is "one of the most common and costly pregnancy-related complications in the United States," and they estimate that 15-20% of American mothers deal with the illness at some point during pregnancy or during the first year after giving birth.
BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF 2018

'Tis the season... for Best of 2018 lists to come out . The Denver Public Library has released a comprehensive list of the Best & Brightest Children's Books of 2018, broken down by age group and reading level.

Check out the list, and remember to Talk, Read, Sing with your baby every day! And if you plan on visiting your local Kern County Library branch for any of these titles during the holiday season, make sure you check out their holiday hours .
MOM'S BRAIN MIMICS HER BABY'S
Have you ever been told having a baby will keep you young? Turns out there may be some science behind that. This interesting study on moms' brains during play time shows that the parent's brain activity closely mimics that of the baby's, which in turn helps keep the child's attention and appears to aid in their learning.
FIRST 5 SACRAMENTO IMPACTING DROP IN CHILD DEATH RATE

Black children die at a disproportionate rate in Sacramento county. But that rate has dropped 45% in recent years and First 5 Sacramento has been credited with being a catalyst for the improvement. Check out the Sacramento Bee article and video here .
COVERED CALIFORNIA EXTENSION

Covered California has extended it's deadline to register until Dec. 21 (Friday). Over 70,000 Californians have signed up for coverage in the last two weeks, prompting the extension. In a typical year, over 30% of those registered for coverage through Covered California are children.
‌
...about First 5 Kern
First 5 Kern was established in 1998 when California voters passed Proposition 10, which levied a 50-cent tax on tobacco products. Revenues generated from the tobacco tax are used to fund local programs in the areas of health and wellness, early childcare and education, and parent education and support services that promote early childhood development for children ages zero to five.

For more information on First 5 Kern and the agencies we support, please visit www.First5Kern.org   and follow us on social media.