MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — We all know parenting can be stressful but the U.S. surgeon general said it goes beyond that. 

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued an advisory on parental stress, calling attention to an “urgent public health issue.” Murthy said. “advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action.” 

Dr. Murthy said there are many factors affecting parents today. Beyond the traditional challenges, he mentions “there are new stressors that previous generations didn’t have to consider. These include the complexity of managing social media, parents’ concerns about the youth mental health crisis, and an epidemic of loneliness that disproportionately affects young people and parents, just to name a few.”

Meghan Tompkins of Golden Valley is a mom to three — ages 5, 3 and 11 months. 

“My husband and I were just talking about it the other day, actually… deciding if we want to have another kid or not. We’re almost at this point, even with a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old and just their kind of basic activities… there’s kind of an expectation to put your kids in all these things and try everything and you want them to. But then we also feel like we’re kind of capped out almost,” Tompkins said.

According to the surgeon general’s advisory, 41% of parents say most days they are so stressed they cannot function. 

“I try to talk to my mom about it and tell her that it’s different, that it is more stressful and the stresses are different, and she doesn’t really understand it,” said Emma Skala of Minneapolis.  

Skala’s kids are ages 7 and 4. Skala homeschools her boys, citing school shootings as one of the main reasons behind her decision. 

According to the report, school shootings or the possibility of one are a significant source of stress for nearly 75% of parents. 

“I can’t fathom putting a small child through an active shooter drill. I just, it breaks my heart every time I hear about it. I cry every time I hear about any kind of school shooting that happens. That’s I think one of the main things is the safety of our children,” Skala. 

The advisory also mentions nearly 70% of parents say parenting is now more difficult than it was 20 years ago, with children’s use of technology and social media as the top two cited reasons.

“I let my 3.5-year-old scroll YouTube and I’m nervous about that. Should I really be letting him do that? How much control do I have on that? And you know that we need to limit screen time, and yet that’s an easy go-to when I’m trying to make dinner… I’m trying to do my part-time job from home,” said Kristi Thao, who also has a 3-month-old baby. 

Thao also mentioned how social media and access to so much advice can put more pressure on parents. 

“Then we try all these different things but it’s like, then there’s so many options. I think having too many options can also make things more stressful. There’s too many choices,” Thao said. 

The advisory acknowledges an “intensifying culture of comparison—often propagated by influencers and online trends—with unrealistic expectations around the milestones, parenting strategies, achievements and status symbols that kids and parents must pursue. Chasing these unreasonable expectations has left many families feeling exhausted, burned out, and perpetually behind.”

Lena K. Gardner became a mom three months before the pandemic. 

“In my personal journey, I am a single mom by choice,” Gardner said. “And I thought I could do that because I have a big support network but COVID took that all away.” 

The advisory states, “This high level of stress among parents preceded the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic notably contributed to additional stressors on parents and caregivers.”

During the pandemic, Gardner isolated with her daughter. At the same time, her daughter would only sleep for 1.5 hours at a time before waking up. 

“I became so sleep-deprived, I started having hallucinations. I called my therapist and I was like, ‘That’s it. Motherhood has broken me.’ And she said, ‘No it hasn’t. This is the first sign of extreme sleep deprivation.’ And she’s like, ‘You need help,'” Gardner recalled. 

Once her daughter was in daycare, Gardner said she had to navigate daycare closures or exclusions during the pandemic. 

“It still happens. Your kid gets COVID. They’re excluded for how many days and you’re left to bear the brunt of it,” said Gardner, whose parents have both passed away. 

The report said social isolation and lack of social support can lead to heightened stress. On top of that, parents, on average, are working more than before. 

“Most people are required to be at their jobs from something like 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. But schooling is from like 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it just doesn’t make logistical sense,” Gardner said. 

She went on to say, “There are a lot of solutions and it baffles me why we’re not doing them more.” 

Dr. Murthy mentioned the need for a cultural shift that recognizes the importance of raising children. 

At the same time, he also pointed to the need for policy changes. Among his recommendations include promoting and expanding funding for programs such as Head Start and the Healthy Start program, establishing a national paid family and medical leave program, and ensuring parents and caregivers have access to affordable and high-quality mental health care. 

The full advisory can be found, here. 

ELY, Minn. — A wildfire in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has grown to 27 acres, causing the closure of more areas and portages. 

According to the U.S. Forest Service, there was a small amount of rain overnight, and fire activity is minimal. Firefighters are working to suppress and contain the blaze. 

The fire was first detected last Tuesday morning on an island within Wood Lake, north of County Road 18. The fire at the time was about three acres in size. 

Starting this Tuesday, the Forest Service will close more lakes, portages, and campsites to visitors, including Wind Lake.  

“We understand that this will impact visitors, cooperators, and communities near the restricted area. This emergency closure is necessary for the safety of our visitors, our wilderness rangers and our firefighters,” states a press release from the Forest Service. 

The closures will most likely be in place until the fire is declared out. 

Northern Minnesota has been experiencing drought conditions. The Forest Service said fuel conditions continue to be dry in the area, and new fire starts are possible. 

You can find the most recent list of closures by clicking here. 

MINNEAPOLIS — In Minnesota, opioid-related deaths continue to rise, with more than 1,000 fatalities in 2022. That’s up from 421 people in 2017, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. 

Thus M Health Fairview and the Minneapolis Health Department’s Opioid Response Team spent a couple of years figuring out how to best expand access to addiction treatment medications for communities hit hard by the opioid crisis.

In June 2023, the agencies successfully launched First Step, a pilot program within the M Health Fairview emergency department. 

Communities served by M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center – West Bank are disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis, experiencing some of the worst racial disparities in overdose deaths nationwide, according to the hospital system.

Emergency physician Dr. Dziwe Ntaba leads the First Step program on the East and West Bank campuses.

“What we see in the emergency department are some of the downstream consequences of untreated addiction,” Ntaba said. “The City of Minneapolis Health Department has been a great partner with us in funding support and connecting us with community groups.”

Now the hospital is sharing the results of the $389,000 pilot, telling KARE 11 that more than 500 people have benefited from it so far.

“We see a fair number of people who have been resuscitated from overdose,” Ntaba said. “But we see a far greater number of people who are struggling with addiction, and they’re either coming here because they want treatment specifically or they’re coming here because of … a traumatic injury as a consequence of their addiction.”

Doctors have been able to get around 75% of those patients started on therapeutic medication meant to stabilize the brain structures dependent on opioids.

“The medication that we’re talking about is called buprenorphine, or Suboxone is a common name, brand name,” Ntaba explained. “We’ve had the benefit of working with some consultants from the National Bridge Team which have really developed the best protocols around the country in starting patients right away at a therapeutic dose on demand in the emergency department.”

Narcan is also used to help patients come to if they’ve overdosed, whereas buprenorphine is for long-term recovery.

In the front lobby, there is an InstyMeds machine allowing patients and nonpatients to ring a pharmacist and request what’s called Compassionate Care.

“They then put in a 10-digit code, and then the medication is dispensed like a vending machine,” said RN Topher McMenemy, who supervises patient care. “We’re able to give patients that medication free of charge.”

There’s also a recovery clinic down the hall, and M Health Fairview reports more than two-thirds of patients have connected with a substance use navigator since the program started. The navigator assists with prescription access and referrals.

“Being able to provide medication to patients at the point that they’re ready to make that change for themselves is really impactful,” McMenemy said.

Ntaba says the program aims to reduce the stigma around addiction. He says the plan is to eventually expand First Step to all M Health Fairview hospitals, and says there is enough medication to keep the program going. M Health Fairview reports it’s the only Minnesota hospital system participating in this initiative. There are 300 hospital systems trying out similar programming nationwide.

“We are committed to helping those suffering from substance misuse,” Minneapolis Health Department Deputy Commissioner Heidi Ritchie said in a press release announcing program outcomes. “With medications like Suboxone, we can help people move into recovery, but urgency is key.”