Medical System Hasn’t Completely Figured Out How To Treat Transgender Children
There are disagreements among doctors about what pediatric transgender care looks like and when it should start. “There’s not consensus around the world on how to do this,” said Dr. Jack Drescher, a Columbia University professor who’s helped develop industry protocols on transgender treatment. Other outlets also look at the possible link between childhood infections and mental care and between trauma and chronic pain.
Capital Public Radio:
A New Wave Of Kids Is Coming Out As Transgender — And Doctors Are Trying To Keep Up
The American Academy of Pediatrics put out its first policy statement on transgender care this fall, recommending physicians and parents support a child’s gender choice and provide “comprehensive gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate health care.” Adolescent gender clinics are helping to fill the gap; there are roughly 40 in the United States, including a handful in California. (Caiola, 12/5)
NPR:
Infections May Raise The Risk Of Mental Illness In Children
Researchers have traced a connection between some infections and mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. New research from Denmark bolsters that connection. The study, published Thursday in JAMA Psychiatry, shows that a wide variety of infections, even common ones like bronchitis, are linked to a higher risk of many mental illnesses in children and adolescents. (Chatterjee, 12/5)
KCUR:
Doctors Look To Childhood Trauma For Roots Of Puzzling Chronic Pain
About one in five adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain, and in a lot of cases, there’s no clear reason why or treatment that works. As the dangers of opioids are becoming clearer, many doctors are looking at other ways to address pain, including addressing childhood trauma. ... At a lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center, liquids stir in flasks, centrifuges whirl, and associate professor of anatomy and cell biology Julie Christianson leads researchers working to understand the links between stress and pain in mice. Christianson explains that pain generally works in two stages. First we have an injury and feel pain, then – just as importantly - our brains dial the pain back down. (Smith, 12/6)