What's Happening

Health

America's Prenatal Gap

What’s going on: For many pregnant women, early doctor’s visits can be informative and even life-changing. But there’s a growing problem: those visits are becoming increasingly rare. A new March of Dimes report says one in four women in the US don’t receive prenatal care in their first trimester, part of a four-year slide. Doctors say some women don’t get seen until 37 to 39 weeks — more the pack-the-hospital-bag stage than the meet-your-doctor stage. The reason? It often comes down to geography. Over a third of US counties qualify as maternity care deserts with no OB-GYN, midwife, or birthing center. Add delayed Medicaid approval (which covers more than 40% of US births), unstable housing, and insurance confusion, and early care becomes something women have to outmaneuver, not just schedule.

What it means: The US already earned a D+ on preterm births. If access continues to slip, experts say more women will face preventable complications — and more babies may be born early or not survive their first year. Advocates point to one big barrier: Medicaid reimbursement still doesn’t cover the true cost of care, and some providers choose not to accept new patients without other health coverage. Certain states are working to bring down preterm births by offering programs like Tennessee’s prenatal smoking-cessation support and Illinois’ case managers for women facing health care instability. Experts say those models could be repeated elsewhere, alongside real investment in maternity care deserts, provider incentives, and community efforts to help patients feel safe.

Related: This New Calculator Looks Decades Ahead at Your Heart Health (NBC News)

Parenting

Kids Used To Ride Bikes — Now They Endlessly Scroll

What’s going on: When it comes to camp, kids usually either love it (like when it looks like the set of The Parent Trap) or hate it (like when the word “boot” is involved). And we can guess which category a digital detox camp would fall into. Still, fed-up parents are turning to these camps, along with screen-time coaches, to curb their children’s obsession with tech, The Washington Post reports. A Pew Research Center analysis found that during the first half of this year, one in five posts on Reddit’s parenting forum mentioned tech — no surprise in a world where a quarter of US kids 12 and under have a smartphone, and most have access to some kind of device. Many parents set limits, but those rules don’t always stick. As one screen-time coach puts it, “It’s fend for yourself out there.” Great.

What it means: Parents can’t do it all, and that’s OK. Kids can be sneaky, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. But experts say all hope isn’t lost. One school resource officer urges parents to delay smartphones as long as possible and to keep up constant conversations about the world. Another expert suggests that parents closely monitor kids’ algorithms and avoid anonymous chat forums. The most difficult piece of advice? Lead by example, and put the phone down more often. And yes, lawmakers and companies could help too, with regulations or better guardrails. After all, it really does take a village.

Related: Dear Teens: We’d Rather You Flip the Bird Than Flip the Camera (Cosmopolitan)

Science

Venting Makes You Hotter (in the Bad Way)

What's going on: At theSkimm, we’re both pro-science and pro-calling-your-bestie-to-rant. So we’re not sure we can get fully on board with this study. It found… insidious drumroll please… that venting doesn’t work. At least not in the scenarios when we’re most likely to do it. The research suggests that if something bad or annoying happens, the sacred ritual of immediately phoning a friend (or, worse, leaving her a seven-minute voice memo) won’t calm you down. And it might actually make things worse, increasing feelings of anger. The experts concluded this after analyzing 154 anger studies that included 10,000 people. Study co-author Brad J. Bushman, PhD, told SELF: “When people are angry, their arousal level increases. Venting just makes it go higher.”

What it means: Venting feels natural and often cathartic. And it beats its cousin, rumination — no matter how many songs Lily Allen writes about it. Yes, talking about your feelings can be healthy, but timing matters. Bushman recommends calming down first — meditate, stretch, or watch your favorite TV show. Whatever lowers your heart rate (so, maybe skip The Bear). Then, you can talk about what’s bothering you with your trusted loved ones or therapist. You’ll not only feel better, but it might also allow space for more critical thinking, reflection, and problem-solving. Will we still call our moms after our next work logjam? Probably. But maybe we'll queue up Gilmore Girls first.

Related: When Is It Time To Step Back From That Difficult Relationship? (NPR Life Kit)