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These Baby Names Are Banned In Several States
Is long Covid a concern for kids?
The Weekly Parent
February 13, 2024
TOP OF MIND
New report says millions of kids will have long Covid
Last week, an alarming article was published in the journal Pediatrics. In the article, a team of researchers suggested long Covid may impact nearly 6 million children.
That's concerning given the potentially debilitating nature of the condition. Long covid can be extremely hard to diagnose, thanks to a smorgasbord of symptoms, ranging from brain fog and dizziness, all the way to diarrhea and heart palpitations.
Not to mention the fact that doctors don't really know how to treat the illness and symptoms can last for years.
However, some people believe the 6 million estimate is a bit dramatic.
The important bits
So how did this team of researchers land on 6 million kids having long Covid? Well, they assumed that 20% of Covid-19 cases occur in children and between 10 to 20% of those cases lead to long Covid.
According to data provided by KFF, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. at the end of January 2024 was approximately 105 million. If 20% of those cases occurred in children and 20% of those children developed long Covid, then about 4.2 million children in the U.S. should be affected. That’s reasonably close to the number cited by the authors.
But no one knows how they determined that 10-20% of children who have Covid-19 will develop long Covid. There's not a lot of evidence to back that number up. For example, the CDC published data suggesting only 1.3% of children have been impacted by long Covid.
If that's the case, the number of children affected by the illness would drop down to around 500,000.
Most doctors also don't seem too concerned about it. Dr. Stephen Freedman, a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, said parents should not be too worried about their kids developing long Covid.
I don’t get asked a lot, if at all, about ‘Is my child now at risk of developing long Covid?’ after we diagnose them with an acute infection. And I think that’s appropriate.'
What's it all mean?
We don't understand the full impacts of long Covid yet, which makes sense because we've only been living with the illness for around four years. This is not something that should keep you up at night, but it is something to be mindful of. If your child is complaining about symptoms that don't really seem to connect with anything else, it might be worth having them examined.
You can click here to view a full list of symptoms to watch out for.
DID YOU HEAR
Banned baby names
Hoping to name your kid Santa Claus? We have some bad news for you. Apparently, there are a few names that are actually banned in the United States, including Santa Claus, Jesus Christ and Adolf Hitler. And some states don't allow numerals or symbols. But that's nothing compared to the long list of banned baby names New Zealand just put out. Names included on the list? Prince, Major and Pope.
Millennial parents share their controversial rules
The term "millennial" refers to anyone born between 1981 and 1996, which puts even the youngest millennials just two years shy of 30. This means a lot of millennials are having children, and a lot of them are practicing "gentle parenting." These 23 millennial parents were brave enough to share some of their more controversial rules. Some highlights include always answering their kids' "but why?" questions, no solo timeouts, and letting them sleep in their room until they no longer want to.
Hot parents = wealthier kids?
There's a new study going around claiming that children with attractive parents are likely to earn more money than kids who have normies for parents. The study proposes it has found a direct link between good looks of parents and enhanced income across generations. You can read all about it here. Looks like Stacy's mom really did have it going on.
More boys are developing eating disorders
For decades, most of the research surrounding eating disorders has been focused on treating and diagnosing the illness in girls. But now, researchers have noticed more and more young boys are developing eating disorders. The disease impacts boys a little differently than girls though, which means there are different symptoms and behaviors to watch out for. You can find a list of signs here.
40-minute skincare routines... for 10-year-olds? 😟
Kids are basically growing up in a mirror these days. They see themselves all the time, whether it be on FaceTime, Instagram photos, TikToks, etc. And they are comparing themselves to others at an even earlier age. Plus, nearly every influencer they watch has their own skincare brand. All this has led to tweens dropping $200+ on elaborate skincare routines. This article shows just how concerning the trend has become.
The best baby monitor
The experts have spoken, and this baby monitor was crowned the best on the market.
BITES WITH KIYAH
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. It also happens to be my birthday. People think that it must be so much fun, but it's not as sweet as you think. After all, we want our birthday to be that one special day that's all about us! Who wants to share their special day with everyone else? Not me! I mean, I'm supposed to give OTHER PEOPLE chocolate on MY birthday? Pfft.
But that's life, and you know what? There's enough chocolate to go around. In fact, there's enough chocolate to have it with every single meal, including breakfast! Check out my very special all day chocolate menu below.
Click here to view full size.
Kiyah is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition. Follow her on Instagram.
ALL ABOUT V-DAY
ALL ABOUT V-DAY
Valentine's Day is tomorrow, so hopefully you're already prepared, but if you're not... we have you covered!
If you still need to make cards for your child's class party, this mom developed a clever hack that was basically free to make. She created these super cute (and simple) cards out of a popcorn box. Find out how she did it here.
Don't care about arts & crafts? You just want gifts? Cool. Cool. We have those too.
If you're looking for something unique to share with your partner, this fill-in-the-blank book provides prompts such as, "I love the sound of your ___ when you ____" to help build a deeper connection. Also, it's just nice to hear sweet things sometimes.
It's also nice to eat sweet things. This gorgeous Ferrero Rocher Valentine's Day box is currently on sale for just $22, but honestly, we'd be willing to spend $100 on it.
PARENTING WIN/FAIL
This week, loyal reader Timothy O. discovers his kids are actually listening to him...
My wife and I are always telling our kids 'practice makes progress. You just have to keep trying.' When they try and fail: 'I’m proud of you for trying. Practice makes progress.' When they try and succeed: 'I’m proud of you for trying! Practice makes progress.' Nine times out of 10, they just roll their eyes at us and we often wonder whether this information is sinking in. This weekend our school had a fundraiser, one of those events with really low stakes carnival games where everyone, ultimately, gets a little prize at the end. My six-year-old was playing a little fishing game with a friend and his friend was not having any luck hooking a plastic fish. 'It’s OK', my son said to his friend, 'Practice makes progress. Just keep trying.' I guess the things we say do get inside their heads!
They're always listening! What a great message to pass down to your kid. Thanks for sharing, Timothy!
If you have a parenting win/fail you'd like to share, email us at hello@theweeklyparent.com and your story will be featured in a future edition!
HERE’S A QUESTION
How much do you spend on groceries every month? |
Last week, we asked what your dream Valentine's Day gift would be, and there was a tie for first place between "fancy date night on the town" and "flowers, chocolate, card and movie!"
RECALLS
CHILDREN’S BATHROBES
Over 16,000 hooded flannel bathrobes are being recalled because they violate federal flammability regulations for children's sleepwear, posing a risk of severe burn injuries. The robes were put out by Lolanta and were sold on Amazon. The company is offering customers a full refund.
(DON'T) SAY CHEESE
A nationwide recall of cheese-related products contaminated with listeria is being expanded. Several products and stores are being impacted by this, with the latest expansion hitting taco and salad kits sold at Albertsons, Costco, Walmart and WinCo.
Other products being pulled from shelves include sour cream, yogurt and much more. Honestly, there's a lot.
You can check out a full list of products being impacted here.