Health

KTVU's Heather Holmes sits down with Dr. Keedra McNeill, pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente East Bay to talk about the health benefits of breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week.

On the 2-year anniversary of the ruling that ended federal abortion rights and the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, protestors organized by the Women's March gathered outside the high court. A group of about 40 people demanded lawmakers take steps to preserve reproductive healthcare, decrying the Dobbs decision. The ruling left states to decide whether to restrict the procedure or not, leaving a patchwork across the nation. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, more than two dozen have near total bans or restrict the procedure earlier than Roe v. Wade did. For more on the state of abortion in America, KTVU's Greg Lee is joined by Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law and global health policy at Georgetown University.

Bedtime can be frustrating for both parents and kids, with some children unable to go to sleep and stay asleep. A recent national poll found that a lot of kids cannot fall asleep due to worries or anxiety before bedtime, with 1 in 4 parents describing getting their child to bed as "difficult". KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the potential causes of bedtime anxiety and how to help ease them with Dr. Malika Closson, Consulting Clinical Psychiatrist with Freespira.

KTVU's Heather Holmes speaks with Dr. Frank Anderson, psychiatrist and trauma specialist about the impact prolonged use of social media has on teenagers' mental health.

A new UCLA study found that more people that previously counted die each year in California from long-term wildfire smoke exposure. The research, published in the journal Science Advances, found that inhaling fine particulate matter from wildfires contributed to as many as 55,700 deaths between 2008-2018. KTVU's Heather Holmes and Alex Savidge discuss the findings with UCLA professor of environmental health sciences and senior author of the study, Michael Jerrett.

Beyond the celebrations, Pride Month is also a time to raise awareness about mental health issues in the LGBTQ community. KTVU's Alex Savidge and Heather Holmes speak with Joy Alafia, Executive Director of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists for more on the progress being made to expand mental health practices in the LGBTQ+ community.

Volunteers hit the beaches in several states to take water samples and test the health of ocean waters, and now the 2023 results are in. KTVU's Heather Holmes discusses the findings with Mara Dias, Senior Manager of the Surfrider Foundation's Clean Water Initiative.

New data indicates COVID cases are on the rise in California, driven by a series of new strains of the virus known as "flirt" subvariants. As we head towards summer, those more transmissible subvariants have now overtaken the previous winter strain. KTVU's Alex Savidge speaks with Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, infectious disease expert at UCSF about effective our current COVID vaccines are against the new strains.

Asian Americans have become the first racial ethnic group in the U.S. for whom cancer is the leading cause of death, but they are also the least likely group to be screened. Lung cancer, is of particular concern. Studies show lung cancer rates among non-smoking Asian American men and women are on the rise, increasing 2% each year. KTVU's Greg Lee discusses the ongoing health issue and potential solutions with Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center Thoracic Surgeon Dr. Jeff Velotta.

KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Dr. Alicia English, Licensed Clinical Psychologist with the Center for Elders' Independence for more on the unique mental health challenges adults over 60 face and the best strategies to support anyone in your life who may be struggling with mental health issues.

Today a group of doctors, public health experts and community organizations joined together to call on San Francisco city leaders to do more to address the drug overdose crisis. They held a news conference outside of the medical examiner's office to highlight the more than 3000 people who've died from overdoses in the city since the beginning of 2020. KTVU's Alex Savidge discusses some of the data-driven strategies the group is suggesting the city implement with Laura Thomas, Director of Harm Reduction Policy at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

It's one of the leading causes of death in the United States and during this American Stroke Month, organizations like the American Stroke Association want to raise awareness about the warning signs and the increased risks you face once you've already had a stroke. KTVU's Heather Holmes is joined by Deb Shaw, President and Founder of Champion the Challenges and three-time stroke survivor and her husband Bob Shaw to talk about what strokes can look and feel like for someone experiencing or witnessing one.

Asian Health Services is a community organization with clinics across Oakland. Since the start of the pandemic, the organization has seen two and a half times as many patients coming in for mental health visits. This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month the group is also spotlighting the unique mental health challenges facing the AAPI community. KTVU's Alex Savidge is joined by Thu Quach, Mon Wong and Tera Eng to discuss the services they offer.