Side Effects Public Media recently received questions from audience members through our texting group, the Midwest Checkup, about how the changes wrought by the pandemic may affect child development and talked to experts to provide some answers.

The pandemic has affected the mental health of Iowa's children, and some are still concerned that two years after the creation of the children's mental health system, services are still falling short.

Hospitals have a lot of tests to find a problem, such as X-rays, MRIs and CT scans. But studies show that Black and Hispanic patients are less likely to get this imaging in an emergency, and that might lead to other health issues.

The annual Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Indiana 35th in the nation when it comes to children's health.

Indiana lags the national benchmark for the age at which children should be screened for developmental delays. Researchers at Indiana University are pointing to the success of the state's "Early Evaluation Hubs" as evidence that such an approach can have impact.