A new report from the Make American Health Again (MAHA) Commission — spearheaded by the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — is offering recommendations on how to reverse the rise in chronic childhood diseases.
The MAHA Commission’s latest “Make Our Children Healthy Again” road map offers more than 120 initiatives that aim to tackle what Kennedy has called the “childhood chronic disease epidemic.”
Here are five goals outlined in the report.
Reevaluate Vaccines
Vaccines have long been a major focal point for Kennedy, both before and during his tenure as health secretary. The new MAHA report recommends a new “vaccine framework,” including an overhaul of the current childhood vaccine schedule and an investigation into vaccine injuries.
Under Kennedy, the federal government has already taken action on both items.
Despite grave concerns from the medical establishment, earlier this year Kennedy put forward new federal policy that narrowed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations to adults 65 and older and those with certain preexisting medical conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) no longer recommends the vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women. In a video statement in May with other health officials, Kennedy called the move “common sense,” pointing to a lack of evidence that healthy children need the shot, and the fact that most other countries have stopped recommending it for kids. He didn’t offer a reason for no longer recommending it to pregnant women.
Pediatricians, though, are particularly concerned about the risk to children younger than 2, who are at serious risk of severe complications from COVID-19.
As for vaccine injuries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA have long been monitoring “adverse events,” using public systems that capture reports of potential side effects that may happen after someone receives a vaccine. CDC experts underscore that serious adverse events are “rarely caused by [a] vaccine” itself.
In May, the CDC and FDA expanded public access to the databases that collect these reports.
Redefine Ultra-Processed Food
Citing reports that U.S. kids now get more than 60 percent of their daily calories from highly processed foods, a known driver of chronic diseases, the report calls for updated federal dietary guidelines and the creation of a new definition for ultra-processed foods.
It also promises to work closely with restaurants and schools in a growing number of states to promote awareness around healthy food options for children and restrict junk food purchases through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The report makes no reference to recent major funding cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, which some researchers and the AAP have warned will lead to higher rates of food insecurity and could worsen health outcomes for children.
Pull Back From Pesticides and Fluoride in Drinking Water
One of the report’s stated goals is to “empower parents to make informed choices by increasing transparency and access to reliable health and nutrition information,” particularly concerning fluoride and pesticides exposure — both topics that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has prioritized in policy update moves this year.
The report recommends a reevaluation of the scientific research on fluoride in drinking water, and updates to CDC recommendations based on the findings. HHS has already taken actions to revoke approval of ingestible fluoride supplements for kids.
Fluoride has been added to the country’s water supply for decades because of its dental health benefits; it prevents tooth decay in adults and children. Fluoridated drinking water is supported by professional medical organizations including the AAP and American Dental Association.
Some U.S. communities have recently opted to remove the mineral from public water systems, despite expert consensus about fluoride’s health benefits. Athanasios Zavras, DDS, DMedSc, a dentist, professor, and the chair of public health and community service at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, previously told Everyday Health that “research shows that when the levels of fluoride are optimal, there are no known risks” to most individuals. There is, however, some emerging evidence linking prenatal fluoride exposure to lower IQs in children, although more studies are needed.
While the commission’s May report had singled out pesticides as a driver of childhood illness, the new report avoids calling for a crackdown on pesticides and other farming chemicals. Instead it suggests a need for public awareness around the federal pesticide review processes and procedures.
Specifically, it calls for government agencies to research the health effects of pesticide exposure over time, with a goal of implementing new approaches for farming methods that would “reduce the total amount of pesticides needed.”
Rein In ‘Overmedication’ of Kids
The commission describes “overmedicalization” as a “concerning trend of overprescribing medications to children, often driven by conflicts of interest in medical research.” The new strategy calls for a working group to evaluate trends in pediatric mental health diagnosis and medication prescription.
Specifically citing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (a category of antidepressants), mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and stimulant medications for ADHD, the report says that doctors prescribe them too readily, resulting in “unnecessary treatments and long-term health risks” in children. The MAHA commission promises to conduct research on such trends and update some older generic drug labels to “better reflect the latest science.”
Acknowledging the mental health crisis among children and adolescents in the United States, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) said in a statement that the report “leaves a considerable amount of latitude in how each of the recommendations will be implemented” and called for the direct involvement of psychiatric researchers in the process.
Improve Fertility
The MAHA report recommends steps for “improving health and fertility,” including a lifestyle-change-focused education campaign and grants for the purpose of addressing “root causes of infertility.” The report also calls for the creation of an “infertility training center” aimed at Title X — federally funded family planning and preventive health services clinics — with the goal of educating staff on how to identify and treat infertility and how to make appropriate medical referrals.
Estimates suggest that fertility issues impact around 15 percent of couples, and naturally become more common once women reach their mid-thirties.
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