Talking with facts in a world of headlines and quick news
Nurse practitioner Donna Hallas, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN underscores how critical simple, but factual, conversations can be with parents when it comes to pediatric care.
In today's world, it is no secret parents must navigate countless headlines, misinformation, and disinformation that are scattered across the internet. With health care overall and pediatric health care in the national headlines, parents may see pieces of information related to their child's health in various forms such as reports about certain foods, vaccine information, or disinformation.
Naturally, parents will react with their children in mind to various forms of information, which can often lead to questions for the pediatric health care provider. Whether it is a quick reaction or overreaction, it can be difficult to navigate so much information in the world of social media, for example.
Our editorial advisor board member Donna Hallas, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN, joined us to discuss how important explaining facts to parents is, from sources such as the CDC or FDA to parents directly, so they have the most up-to-date information available, backed by their child's primary care provider.
In the video above, Hallas—clinical professor, program director of Pediatrics NP at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing in New York, New York—used the recent news of the FDA's ban on red dye No. 3 as an example.
On January 15, 2025, the FDA banned the artificial food color in foods and ingested drugs (to be implemented January 15, 2025, and January 18, 2028, respectively) after a pair of studies demonstrated cancer in laboratory male rats that were exposed to high levels of FD&C red no. 3.1
Upon reading this news, parents may be quick to search for foods in the house with this ingredient, initially thinking it could cause cancer in humans. In the ban announcement, the FDA pointed out that the way the dye causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans, and claims that the "use of red no. 3 in food and ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information," wrote the agency.1
In this example, this is where the provider can come in with a better understanding of specific news items, or, go over the data and facts with the parents directly, at the same time. It is this formula, Hallas said, that can give parents an accurate way to dissect information, all while having a health care provider offer guidance.
"We have to look at the facts," said Hallas. "What is a reputable source, such as the CDC saying? What is the FDA saying? Not what somebody is saying on some obscure website or some social media site, which is frightening. So when the parents ask us, 'What do you think?' our response should be, 'Let's look at the evidence.'"
This approach can also be applied to various aspects of health care, including vaccines. In a previous interview with Contemporary Pediatrics, Robert Frenck, MD, professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases and director of vaccine research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, noted that a clear message with parents regarding their efficacy and safety for vaccine-preventable diseases helps. He also noted that parents are coming to providers for a reason.2
"The most important thing you can do is to have a very strong message, [such as], 'I highly recommend you vaccinate your family,'" said Frenck. "If you go in with that presumptive approach that vaccines are the normative choice, a lot of research has shown that 80% to 85% of parents will say 'okay'.”
Hallas also echoes that message, saying it's important to remind parents of the alternative risks associated with not taking routine vaccines.
"'What is the harm of not taking the vaccine?' The harm is death in some instances, and we can't know which child is going to suffer such a horrible adverse outcome... but we talk about risk-benefit with parents," said Hallas. "We say, 'Are you willing to risk your child getting very ill, being in the hospital on life support equipment, or do you want to have your child get the vaccine? It's not to say 100% that child won't get the flu [for example], that is not realistic, it'll be a much milder case as it is with other things."
Overall, these conversations with parents, whether they are vaccine-hesitant or not sure what to make of a headline or piece of information, are crucial when it inevitably impacts the health of the child.
"We have to remember as health care providers that people are coming to us because they trust us," said Frenck. He encouraged empathy and patience when addressing vaccine hesitancy, adding, “It may be that today you're not ready to say yes yet, and that's okay. Rather than make people feel guilty, say, 'Okay, I can see you're not ready today. Go home, think about it. Let’s talk about it next time'.”1
References:
1. Fitch, J. FDA bans red no. 3 in food and ingested drugs. Contemporary Pediatrics. January 15, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/fda-bans-red-no-3-in-food-and-ingested-drugs
2. Fitch, J. Discussing pediatric vaccination with vaccine-hesitant parents. January 20, 2025. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/discussing-pediatric-vaccination-with-vaccine-hesitant-parents
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