Over 140,000 children in the United States have experienced the loss of a parent or a grandparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly published research. Researchers looked at fertility data, death rates, and information on household composition. They estimate that between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, more than 140,000 children lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or a grandparent who lived with them. “The lives of these children are permanently changed by the deaths of their mothers, fathers, or grandparents who provided their homes, needs, and care,” researchers wrote in their study (pdf), which was published in Pediatrics. Most of the children who lost a parent or grandparent were Hispanic or black. About 35 percent were white. “Children facing orphanhood as a result of COVID is a hidden, global pandemic that has sadly not spared the United States,” Susan Hillis, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researcher …