10/16/2024
Last Straw: A Pediatricians Perspective
I've been voicing my frustrations for years about the way our medical and pediatric systems have failed to address the needs of children correctly. The ongoing misdiagnosis and mishandling of ASD, ADHD, and the blatant ignorance of underlying medical issues in these children defy the very principles of my medical training.
The CDC's recent decision to lower childhood developmental milestones is alarming. Not only has our CDC, the medical system, the AAP, and the current administration failed to raise an outcry or focus public attention on this crisis, but it is evident that many of you might be hearing about it for the first time. It's shocking how such an important issue has remained under the radar—almost as if they don’t want parents and the public to know.
As a pediatrician, I find this unacceptable. It confirms the decades-long decline in our approach to children’s health and clearly demonstrates that the CDC, our healthcare system, and the administration have essentially written off your children. How else could one interpret this negligence unless they are completely out of touch or, worse, indifferent?
Why This Election Matters:
While there are numerous issues worth debating—policies, world affairs, and political decisions—this election is, for parents, grandparents, and families, about one critical issue: the future of healthcare for our children. This election will decide whether we have an administration, and specifically a Secretary of Health and Human Services (Kennedy), who will address this medical disaster, or if we’ll continue under a system that not only ignores the problem but acknowledges it while failing to act. The recent New England Journal of Medicine article points out that under "universal healthcare," every person in the country will be affected. Special needs families, already seeing service reductions, will suffer further, and Medicare and Social Security may be compromised. Many of you have likely already noticed cutbacks in medical services.
A Call to Action:
Put aside other political distractions. Vote for the future of your children’s health. The choice is simple—do we prioritize healthcare reform and our children’s future, or do we accept continued negligence?
Final Note:
Those currently in power are dismantling our healthcare system. The focus has shifted from medical care—what doctors are trained for—to addressing social needs through the medical system. This approach, which should be the role of social support systems, is contributing to the doctor shortage. Many physicians entered the field to focus on healthcare, not a social agenda. This shift is, unfortunately, used to justify reductions in healthcare coverage, citing a lack of funds.
Vote for change, and vote for your children's future.
