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 Keeping children healthy can be a big job!
Most parents are aware of the basics: offering healthful foods, making sure your child gets enough sleep and exercise, looking out for their safety and visiting the pediatrician to track your child's health and development.
Obesity in Children and Teens
NEW: view our new slideshow with much more information on how to define obesity in children, additional facts, possible causes and what we might do to combat Childhood Obesity.
 The percentage of overweight children and adolescents is growing at an alarming rate - currently 1 out of 3 children are considered overweight or obese. Obesity, which is determined by the percentage of body fat, can have serious negative effects on a child's physical health, emotional state and socially. Since children grow at different rates, it is sometimes difficult to determine if your child is within a healthy range. Ask your child's doctor if you are unsure.
If we don't solve this problem, one third of our children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. And others will be affected by other health risks like high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease or asthma.
The changes in our lifestyles over the past 30 years or so have brought about these risks - much larger portion sizes, increase intake of fat & sugar, reliance on prepared foods and a reduction in the amount of our daily physical activity. But the good news is that we can make new lifestyle changes to help our children lead healthier lives. To get started, check out the Let's Move! website.
Addressing a problem with overweight or obese children requires a "whole-family" approach. For more information and tips on how to maintain healthy weight in your family, please visit these web sites below:
More Information On Obesity In Children |
Let's Move! - Michele Obama's campaign to fight against childhood obesity. |
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Immunizations
Fully immunizing your child according to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics can help protect your child from many common infections. These infections can lead to serious and even life threatening complications. Although the vaccines may have mild side effects and more rarely, serious complications, in general, it is safer to immunize your children than allow them to get any of the infections that they prevent.
| KidsHealth.org |
 For lots more information on Children's Health, visit KidsHealth.org - an award-winning site with doctor approved information about children and their health from before birth through adolescence.
KidsHealth offers specialized sites for Parents, Kids and Teens with thousands of in-depth features, articles, animations, games, and resources — all developed by experts in the health of children and teens.
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Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are information sheets produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that explain to vaccine recipients, their parents, or their legal representatives both the benefits and risks of a vaccine. Federal law requires that VISs be handed out whenever (before each dose) certain vaccinations are given.
All providers of vaccines, both public and private sector, must give out Vaccine Information Sheets. It is a requirement of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 that Vaccine Information Sheets be used. Their purpose is to inform parents and people getting vaccinated themselves about the benefits and risks of vaccines. For more information on vaccinations, ask your doctor for individual vaccine information sheets, or download them from our links below. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention produces a schedule which lists the
ages (birth through 6 years old and 7 through 18 years old) for when each vaccine should be given. If your child or teen has missed any shots, check with your doctor about getting back on track.
More Information On Vaccines |
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