Lyme Disease Rising; Drug Coupons Blocked; Opioid Babies

Who Put Mom In A Box?

How To Raise A Human  The first story in our new series asks a crucial question: Can we make parenting easier? Michaeleen Doucleff travels to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and finds out that a first step is to rethink the idea that moms are largely responsible for raising the children. Read her story here.     We're also asking you to share your parenting stories, too. Tell us: What's the parenting advice you wish you'd had? Read these stories for inspiration.   Kenneth H Thomas/Science Source/Getty Images   How To Protect Yourself Against Lyme Disease Lyme disease is on the rise again. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the prevalence of Lyme disease infections is about 10 times higher than the 30,000 or so cases reported annually in recent years. Many cases go unnoticed or just don’t make into the government’s surveillance system. What can you to do lower the odds that you’ll be infected with the tick-borne disease? Don’t count on bug repellant to protect you, though it may help. Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot tiny tick nymphs that spread most of the illness. Long sleeves and long pants are also good ideas. The most effective strategy is a thorough tick check of your body after you've been in tick-infested areas. Start low and work your way up. "The ticks do tend to climb upward — like they climb up your legs," entomologist Barbara Thorne tells NPR’s Allison Aubrey.   DNY59/Getty Images   Why Can't Medicare Patients Use Drug Coupons? How come people with private health insurance are allowed to use drugmakers' discount coupons to get better deals on prescriptions but Medicare patients aren't?  Michelle Andrews, a reporter with our partner Kaiser Health News, looked for the answer. It turns out that it’s because of a federal anti-kickback law. It's illegal for drug manufacturers to offer any type of payment that might persuade a patient to purchase something that federal health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid might pay for.   Amanda Williammee and her daughter Taycee. Now a happy preschooler, the little girl was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome — a condition that includes opioid withdrawal symptoms like tremors, irritability and high-pitched crying. Sarah Jane Tribble/KHN   For Babies Of The Opioid Crisis, Best Care May Be Mom's Recovery A baby is born in withdrawal from opioids every 15 minutes in the U.S.  That staggering statistic raises concerns among doctors, social workers and, of course, among the mothers of these children. What is the effect of the exposure to opioids in womb? Research is just beginning to point toward the answers, Kaiser Health News’ Sarah Jane Tribble reports. The early results suggest there are reasons to be optimistic. Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002