In this episode, Jamie and Melissa Anne revisit MAHA's claim that American children are dangerously overmedicalized. While acknowledging real problems like antibiotic overuse and chronic illness, we argue that the MAHA report manipulates data and misses the bigger picture. We debunk misleading claims about ear tube surgeries, ADHD treatment, and psychiatric medication use in children and adolescents, and call out how evidence is selectively used to fit an ideological narrative.

Ultimately, Jamie and Melissa Anne emphasize that improving children’s health requires more than cutting prescriptions or regulating drug ads. It all comes back to social determinants of health like addressing housing, food access, insurance barriers, and other inequities. We also highlight what’s missing from MAHA’s plan: any mention of the leading causes of child death in the U.S., like firearms and motor vehicle accidents. This episode urges listeners to look beyond oversimplified solutions and engage in real, evidence-based dialogue about what children need to thrive.

Remember to take a look at our companion Substack notes on this updated episode. Nursingthenation.substack.com