In 2009, 10.1 million children and youth in the United States had been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their life. Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization among those younger than 15 years of age and one the leading causes of school absenteeism. As discussed in an earlier blog post, the current number and rate of Kentucky children experiencing inpatient hospitalizations due to asthma are lower than a decade ago. Source: American Lung [...]

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling on the Affordable Care Act puts the decision of making Medicaid available to parents and childless adults up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level in the hands of each state. This means Governor Beshear has as tough decision ahead of him. We want to make sure he knows that advocates for kids believe covering parents through Medicaid is the right thing to do for families in the Commonwealth. [...]

In addition to the 2012 Summer Olympics, the world has another reason to celebrate this week – World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7). Breastfeeding provides the best and most natural nutrition for infants and is associated with many positive outcomes for both baby and mother. In fact, breastfed babies have fewer ear and respiratory infections, are at less risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and score higher on cognitive development tests than non-breastfed babies. Women who [...]

This week, you can join the Smoke-Free Kentucky Coalition on their tour across the state! They will be speaking to the media, Smoke-Free Kentucky supporters, and reaching out to legislators urging them to join 23 other states in passing a comprehensive, statewide smoke-free law that covers all indoor workplaces, including bars and restaurants. We know that Kentuckians, businesses and organizations across the state support a Smoke-Free Kentucky. Now, we need you to show your support [...]