Mother and Child

Many Americans consume too many calories and too much fat, especially saturated fat,trans fat, and sugar. These eating patterns are one cause of America's high rates of obesity and heart disease. As a parent or caregiver, you can help your child dev...

Many Americans consume too many calories and too m...

The morning alarm sounds, and your sleepy-eyed teen rolls over, hits the snooze button, and dozes off to revisit the Sandman. By the time the alarm sounds again, your child is only minutes away from catching the school bus. He gets dressed, brushes h...

The morning alarm sounds, and your sleepy-eyed tee...

As a parent, you are interested in your child's health. Your role is to provide healthy food in appropriate portions, and your child's role is to decide how much to eat. That is why it is important to understand how to provide healthy choices for you...

As a parent, you are interested in your child's he...

Young children need a variety of foods to get the energy they need to grow up healthy. Read on for information from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on creative ways to serve up breakfast and lunch and tips for picky eaters. If you have spec...

Young children need a variety of foods to get the ...

Many parents worry whether their children are getting “enough” to eat. Here are some guidelines to help you make sure your child gets enough, but not too much. Your child does not need the same serving size as an adult. Offer him small portions...

Many parents worry whether their children are gett...

AAP Daily Juice Recommendations Age Recommendation Younger than 6 months Do not give fruit juice to infants younger than 6 months since it offers no nutritional benefit at this age. 1 to 6 years Limit juice to 4 to 6 ounces per day...

AAP Daily Juice Recommendations Age Recomme...

A food allergy happens when the body reacts against harmless proteins found in foods. The reaction usually happens shortly after a food is eaten. Food allergy reactions can vary from mild to severe. Because many symptoms and illnesses could be wrong...

A food allergy happens when the body reacts agains...

Organic foods are grown without artificial pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. Organic meat, eggs, and dairy products are obtained from animals that are fed natural feed and not given hormones or antibiotics. Natural foods are free of synthe...

Organic foods are grown without artificial pestici...

How Much Fiber Do Children Need? There are different fiber recommendations for children based on energy needs, age, or weight. Eat 5. A simple way to make sure your children are getting enough fiber is by making healthful food choices. If your c...

How Much Fiber Do Children Need? There are differ...

Get organised The same principle used in aircraft emergencies really helps here: put your own oxygen mask on before attempting to help others. In other words, before you talk to your children about your illness, do you really understand it – a...

Get organised The same principle used in aircraft...

Keep Vaccinations Up-to-Date Prior to school starting make sure your children are up-to-date on their vaccinations and health physicals. Check to see if your child needs a health physical this year for school. Checkups are valuable because they allo...

Keep Vaccinations Up-to-Date Prior to school star...

Why is it hard for parents to identify mental illness in children? It's typically up to the adults in a child's life to identify whether the child has a mental health concern. Unfortunately, many parents don't know the signs and symptoms of mental i...

Why is it hard for parents to identify mental illn...

The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, but research suggests that a combination of factors, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma and environmental stress, may be involved. Heredity (genetics): Mental illness tends to run...

The exact cause of most mental illnesses is not kn...

Children's symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include: Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol Inability to cope with daily problems a...

Children's symptoms vary depending on the type of ...

Children can suffer from the following mental illnesses: Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders respond to certain things or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety (nervousness), such as a rapid heartbe...

Children can suffer from the following mental illn...

If you've ever been sick to your stomach while riding in a car, train, airplane, or boat, you know exactly what motion sickness feels like. It's no fun. To understand motion sickness, it helps to understand a few parts of your body and how they affe...

If you've ever been sick to your stomach while rid...

As all parents of toddlers quickly learn, teaching them healthy eating habits is an ongoing lesson. Between the challenges of tackling fussy eating and their discovery of independent thought (and the word 'no'!), making sure that they eat well can be...

As all parents of toddlers quickly learn, teaching...

When to contact your doctor You need to see a doctor if your child has a fever and: Your child is very young (six months or younger). Your child seems very sick. You also need to see a doctor if your child: Has an earache. Has difficulty swallowi...

When to contact your doctor You need to see a doc...

Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services say that children and adolescents age 6 and older need at least an hour a day of physical activity. Most of the hour should be either moderate or vigorous aerobic activity. In addition, chil...

Guidelines from the Department of Health and Human...

This week I'd like to share some tips for teachers of students with diabetes. The American Diabetes Association offers the following advice. Remember that every child with diabetes is different. Each child with diabetes may have different symptoms o...

This week I'd like to share some tips for teachers...

According to the National Diabetes Education program, diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in school-aged children and affects about 200,000 young people in the United States alone. The American Diabetes Association states that one in ...

According to the National Diabetes Education progr...