Healthy Children

By getting involved, you can help create better school nutrition guidelines.Will your child make the right school lunch choices if they're offered? More and more, schools are offering healthier choices for your child's lunch. Educating your child on the right choices is also your responsibility. Mark R. Corkins, MD, discusses the latest guidelines your school is facing and how important nutrient density is to your child's choices.

Is your child missing out on nutritional foods because he's a picky eater?If your child is a picky eater, he or she could be missing out on proper nutrition. Your toddler's favorite food one day may end up being thrown on the floor the next. It's important not to become exasperated with this kind of behavior. Rather, try to make healthy food choices available to your youngster, and acknowledge that his appetite or food preferences today may be quite different than yesterday’s or tomorrow’s. Mark R. Corkins, MD, discusses your picky eaters, how to get them to try new foods, and to help them make the right food choices in the future.

If your family spends any time around water, drowning is always a danger.Drowning is a leading cause of death among children, including infants and toddlers. Toddlers between one and four years of age most commonly drown in swimming pools. Foresight is the best prevention for safety around water. Fences, alarms, and supervision are very important to help keep your child safe. Swimming lessons for you and your child offers another great safety measure. And, make sure you know your water. Oceans, lakes and large open water sources offer the greatest dangers.  Deborah Mulligan, MD, shares great advice on what you can do to keep your children safe in the water.

"Milk-sharing" is the term used to describe the process of donating or selling breast milk to other families. But, is it safe?Mothers who can't produce breast milk sometimes look to others for their child's early meals. Using breast milk to feed your newborn has been proven to be healthier than using formula. Some people will turn to the Internet to buy milk that they can't produce. But, certain breast milk could be doing more harm than good for your baby's health, according to a new study. Of 101 samples purchased anonymously, nearly three-quarters of the samples contained bacteria that could make a baby sick. Kristi Watterberg, MD, discusses the trend of sharing breast milk, including the potential dangers of buying it online.

The timing of discharging a newborn from the hospital should be a mutual decision between the parents and the physician caring for the infant.The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that the health and well-being of new moms and their babies should take precedence over financial considerations. The AAP policy has established the minimum criteria for early discharge of a mother and her baby. These guidelines include term delivery, appropriate growth, and normal physical examination, and state that it is unlikely that all of these criteria can be met in less than 48 hours. Prior to making the decision about when to go home, you and your doctor need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages carefully. Dr. Kristi Watterberg discusses the considerations surrounding being discharged from the hospital after you've given birth, as well as what you need to know about your newborn's health and well-being before either of you leave the hospital.

ACL injuries can impact kids and teens, just as much as (or more than) professional athletes.Ligaments are tough, non-stretchable fibers that hold bones together. The ACL is the ligament that connects the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) inside the knee joint. Your ACL, along with the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and menisci (cartilage), helps keep the knee stable and also helps protect the knee from shifting, rotating, and hyper-extending during running, jumping, or landing. ACL tears can occur from forceful contact to the front or outer part of the knee or from the knee twisting or hyper-extending. An ACL tear is usually associated with sudden knee pain and a sense of the knee giving way. ACL injuries can impact kids and teens, just as much as (or more than) professional athletes. In fact, girls are far more susceptible to these injuries than boys. What are some ways parents and coaches can help prevent these injuries in youth? Cynthia LaBella, MD, discusses ACL injuries, their symptoms and treatment options.

It's important to teach your child to never ignore a head injury, no matter how minor.Unfortunately, every sport carries some level of risk. In addition to football, sport-related concussions are common in other youth and high school sports like soccer, lacrosse, basketball, hockey, and cheerleading. Not all concussions can be prevented, but some may be avoided. It's important to teach your child to never ignore a head injury, no matter how minor. Cynthia LaBella, MD, explains the symptoms of concussion and the risk for long-term complications.

Head lice are often a fact of life for school‑aged children.While inconvenient, head lice cause no medical harm and can be effectively treated. Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. Because head lice are usually transmitted by head‑to‑head contact, parents should carefully check a child’s head before and after attending a sleepover or camp where children share sleeping quarters. Dr. Cindy Devore discusses head lice, its treatments and symptoms.

Infant Immunization Week reminds us how important your child's vaccinations are.National Infant Immunization Week celebrates the successes of immunization programs around the country and highlights the importance of vaccines. What's the biggest thing to know about immunizations? They are safe, and they work. In fact, serious side effects are no more common than those from other types of medications. Mark Sawyer, MD, is discusses the importance of following the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) when it comes to your child's immunizations. Remember, vaccines prevent diseases and save lives.

Summer is often a time for family travel. Vaccinations are necessary to ensure a healthy trip for both kids and adults.If you're planning to travel with your family this summer, you should make sure your children are up to date with their vaccinations. Getting sick while on vacation can really put a damper on the fun. Vaccinations are safe and can help your child stay healthy all summer long. Mark Sawyer, MD, a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and a Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist at the UCSD School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, shares great information about the importance of getting your children vaccinated before an illness puts a damper on your family's summer plans.