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Part of raising a teenager is figuring when and how to let go of the reins so adolescents learn to make smart choices on their own. But when it comes to healthcare, today’s generation of so-called helicopter parents may be hovering so much that they prevent their teens from getting the most out of visits to the doctor, a new U.S. poll suggests. (Rapaport, 12/17)

The mother of a Maple Valley 9-year-old with a rare muscle disorder is lobbying the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for what she says would be a “Christmas miracle” — approval of the first drug to treat the progressive and fatal disease. Tonya Carlone, 44, has testified before an FDA advisory panel, written letters and emails to media outlets and launched an online petition now signed by more than 5,000 people — all in hopes of helping her son, Gavin, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. (Aleccia, 12/16)

Perched on an exam table at the doctor’s office watching the clinician type details about their medical problems into their file, what patient hasn’t wondered exactly what the doctor is writing? As many as 50 million patients may have a chance to find out in the next few years, following the announcement this week of $10 million in new grants to expand the OpenNotes project, which works with medical providers to expand patient access to clinician notes. (Andrews, 12/18)