According to the Food Insecurity and Hunger in the U.S. report, released in February 2016 by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and Children’s Health Watch, food insecurity among immigrants, refugees, and asylees living in the United States is greater than for U.S. born children. It also describes research to support that the longer these families are in the U.S., though their food security may increase, their health declines with increased risk for obesity and diet-related diseases.

Poisoning is the leading cause of injury or death in the United States. Fortunately, there are 55 poison control centers in the United States that provide free expert information and treatment advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Specially trained nurses, pharmacists, and physicians staff poison control centers and provide multilingual translation services in 161 languages. Last year, Poison Control provided assistance to nearly 3 million callers.

News coverage from Louisville, Kentucky highlights a World Health Organization report that found that 41 million children worldwide are overweight or obese. In Louisville, 18 percent of children entering kindergarten are overweight or obese. This is only slightly higher than the national numbers:

The city of Flint, Michigan is home to nearly 100,000 residents. Throughout the past several months, these residents have been living a nightmare scenario: the water flowing out of their taps is not safe to drink.

All children develop and learn at a different rate, but some children may need more play, practice or teaching of certain skills in order to master them. Developmental monitoring and screening can provide parents, caregivers and physicians reassurance that a child’s development is on track, or might signal that a child may need additional support.

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, second only to tobacco. Radon occurs naturally from the breakdown of uranium. It is estimated that radon is responsible for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year.