Good to Know

Massachusetts is 2020’s best state for working dads.

In a recent study by WalletHub, the Bay State topped the list as the No. 1 state for men who play a dual role of parent and provider. The ranking took into account average length of work day, child care costs and men’s health. Minnesota and Connecticut rounded out the top three.

Nearly 26% of parents say they are hesitant to have their chil dren get a flu shot, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics .

Parents’ reluctance stems not from concerns about safety but from doubts about the effective ness of the influenza vaccine. By contrast, just 6% of parents question the effectiveness of routine childhood vaccines, such as those for measles, mumps and whooping cough.

Google’s smart assistant can now help families with kids taking classes online from home.

If you say “Hey Google, create a Family Bell,” you’ll be able to create bells throughout the day for things like lunch time, homework time, nap time, a reminder when a virtual class starts or when school starts and ends. The Assistant can be personalized to include the names of your kids for the tone, which has a unique sound, unlike a reminder. Nest Hub devices can also play background noises, like the sounds of people shuf fling through lockers.

BY MIKE SNIDER

The newest Fisher-Price toys let kids play along with their parents who, as part of the coronavirus pandemic, are working from home and doing other stay-at-home activities.

These new play sets let kids play like they also are working from home, exercising in the house, and spending more time in the kitchen – just like their parents.

Babies and toddlers can play along with adults with these toys "that turn every day grownup activities into, well, toys," says Chuck Scothon, senior vice president of Fisher-Price and Mattel's global head of infant and preschool, in a blog post announcing them. "This collection features a number of actions that kids are seeing the adults in their lives do now more than ever."

The new Fisher-Price toys include:

• My Home Office Set ($24.99, available for pre-order) comes with a toy laptop with changeable fabric apps for the screen, toy smartphone, headset and coffee cup.

• The Cutest Chef Gift Set ($14.99, available now) has a chef's apron bib, chewable oven mitt, tongs with a spinning meatball and a recipe card.

• Baby Biceps Gift Set

($14.99, available now) includes a headband, play dumbbell and kettlebell, plus a pretend protein shake drink cup.

• Tiny Tourist Gift Set ($14.99, available now) to make staycations feel like a game. The set includes a toy camera with a clicking lens and rattling beads, sunscreen bottle, a mirror and a chewable teething “passport." This was released earlier in the year.

Fisher-Price toy designers used popular social media hashtags – #food, #fitness and #staycations – as inspiration for the new products which are meant to tickle adults as well as kids, Scothon says. "We’ve always been focused on making playtime more fun by infusing surprising and playful elements into our toys," he said. "In the infant and preschool categories especially, we have deliberately focused on introducing toys that get parents and caregivers laughing too."

Other Fisher-Price and Mattel toys announced during the pandemic included action figures and figurines of doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, grocery workers and delivery drivers. The company also released new Matchbox vehicles including delivery vans and a garbage truck, plus play sets including a police cruiser with a police officer and medical personnel.

CDC: Acute flaccid myelitis, COVID-19 pandemic may to detect, refer and rapidly disease that causes paralysis require clinicians to perform evaluations by phone or telemedicine. However, he evaluate patients with AFM." "While we recognize that parents are concerned about in kids, to peak this year urges doctors not to delay hospitalization when they suspect AFM. the risks of COVID-19 when making a visit to the ER, the greater risks of permanent BY ADRIANNA RODRIGUEZ disease resemble polio, the CDC CDC director Dr. Robert Dr. Robert Glatter, emergency paralysis and mechanical said all AFM patients tested Redfield. “CDC and public physician at Lenox Hill Hospital ventilation resulting from AFM

The Centers for Disease negative for the poliovirus. health partners have in New York City, said there should take precedence," he Control and Prevention The agency also reported strengthened early disease has been a sharp decrease said. anticipates 2020 will be another 35% of patients weren’t detection systems, a vital step in emergency room visits not Common early symptoms of peak year for cases of acute hospitalized until two or more toward rapid treatment and related to COVID-19. AFM include difficulty walking, flaccid myelitis, or AFM, the days after limb weakness in rehabilitation for children with He predicts the pandemic's neck or back pain, fever and mysterious polio-like illness 2018, delaying care that could AFM.” impact on the health care limb pain. There is currently no that causes paralysis in be vital to patient treatment. Dr. Thomas Clark, deputy system and access to medical specific test, proven treatment children. “Recognition and early director of the CDC’s division care will "most likely have an or prevention method for AFM.

The agency attributes diagnosis are critical,” said of viral diseases, says the adverse effect on our ability this increase in cases to enteroviruses, particularly EVD68, according to the CDC Vital Signs report released over the summer. It’s the most common virus identified among patients with AFM. For wherever life takes you.

Researchers had pinpointed enteroviruses in the past, suggesting the devastating Ups and downs, twists and turns, good times and challenging times. disease could be caused by this strain of respiratory virus. We'll be by your side through it all. Learn more at GetReliant.com. Results of a fall study were published by the University of California, San Francisco in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine in October 2019.

The CDC said the disease has peaked every two years between August and November in the United States since 2014, when the CDC first began AFM o�E�t1��I surveillance. Fewer than 1 in 1 million Part of OptumCare ® children are affected by AFM, but cases have grown over the years.

While other countries have reported cases, including Canada, France, Britain and Norway, the size and pattern of the U.S. outbreaks have been more pronounced. More than 550 Americans have been struck this decade. The oldest was 32. More than 90% were children, most around 4, 5 or 6 years old.

AFM cases are still exceedingly rare, but the results are devastating. It can paralyze a child’s arms and legs. Some need ventilators to breathe. It can also cause muscle weakness, slurred speech and difficulty moving eyes and swallowing.

Many families say their children have regained at least some movement in affected limbs, but stories of complete recovery are unusual.

While symptoms of the