Enter your search term here

Parents & Caregivers

October, 2008

Wondering how to handle the mounds of Halloween candy your kids are bound to bring home this month? Check out these sweet candy-management tips, plus other helpful hints for a healthy fall.

General Health

A Safe and Spooktacular Halloween
From the candy to the costumes, Halloween is a fun-filled time. But it can pose dangers to young revelers. For a trick-free treat, follow these simple safety tips

Halloween Candy Hints
For health-conscious parents, Halloween can be tricky. Do you set limits? Do you let kids decide how much to eat? There isn't just one right answer.

News - Health Officials Urge Flu Shots for All Kids Who Need Them - Not enough kids are getting the much-needed flu immunization, which can help keep them out of the doctor's office or, worse, the hospital, say health officials.

Elementary Schoolers

For Kids: Playing With Fire?
Fire is hot stuff. Find out how to stay safe in this article for kids.

Fifth Disease
Especially common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15, fifth disease is a viral illness that produces a distinctive red rash on the face, body, arms, and legs.

Is It a Cold or the Flu?
Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever - could it be the flu that's been going around? Or is it just a common cold? Find out here!

Teens

For Teens: Texting on the Move
You've heard the warnings about texting and driving - but ER docs are also warning against texting and walking. Read our tips for safe texting.

Helping Your Teen With Homework
Parents can play a crucial role in helping teens succeed in school by lending a little help, support, and guidance, and by knowing what problems demand their involvement and which ones require them to hang back.

10 Kids' Health Issues to Watch: Battling the Superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, made frequent headlines as the so-called "superbug" and put the spotlight on the growing threat posed by drug-resistant bacteria.

For Teens: Stomachaches
Lots of different problems can cause similar kinds of stomach pain - not all of them related to the digestive system. This article provides clues on what could be going on.

Fitness and Nutrition

My Son's BMI Report Card From School Says He Is Overweight - What Do I Do?
Childhood obesity is on the rise and in response many schools are adding BMI to the annual health screening of their students. What does it mean?

Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's really not a disease, but an overuse injury.

Breakfast Basics
Even if you eat a healthy morning meal every day, it can be tough to get kids fueled up. But it's important to try. Here's how to make the morning meal more appealing.

Emotions and Behavior

Cough and Cold Medicine Abuse
For decades, teens have been raiding the medicine cabinet for a quick, cheap, and legal high from over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. Only now, there are more kinds to choose from and kids are going online to find them.

Helping Your Child Through a Divorce
By minimizing the stress a divorce creates, being patient as everyone adjusts to the new situation, and responding openly and honestly to your kids' concerns, you can help them through this difficult time.

Helping Kids Deal with Bullies
Unfortunately, bullying is a common part of childhood. But parents can help kids cope with it on a day-to-day basis and lessen its lasting impact.

Diabetes

News - Untreated Diabetes During Pregnancy May Raise Kids' Risk for Obesity Later
A new study shows that pregnant women with untreated gestational diabetes greatly increase their children's chances of become obese.

3-Day Food Diary
Parents can use this printable sheet to track what kids with diabetes eat over a 3-day period.

Diabetes: When to Call the Doctor
Caring for a child with diabetes includes knowing when to get medical help. Learn more in this article.

Allergies and Asthma

Can the Weather Affect My Child's Asthma?
While the effect of weather on asthma symptoms isn't fully understood, some kids' symptoms get worse at specific times of year or during a severe storm or sudden weather change.

Q&A: How Do Doctors Test for Allergies?
The doctor suspects that my son has allergies, and recommended that we get him tested. What kind of tests should we expect?

Environmental Control Measures
Families of kids with allergies should use environmental control measures that reduce exposure to allergy triggers. Some require few changes in the home, while others can be costly or fairly time-consuming.

Preschoolers

Motivating Preschoolers to Be Active
A preschooler's desire to move, move, move makes this a great time to cultivate fitness habits that can last a lifetime.

Sleep and Preschoolers
Preschoolers sleep about 10 to 12 hours during each 24-hour period, and it's important to help them develop good habits for getting to sleep.

News - Preschoolers' Severe Tantrums May Signal a Problem
As toddlers start becoming preschoolers, temper tantrums should begin to let up. If they don't and the outbursts become constant, drawn-out, or downright aggressive, an underlying emotional, behavioral, or psychological problem might be to blame, says a new study.

Babies and Toddlers

News - FDA Officially Nixes Cough and Cold Meds for Babies and Toddlers
The FDA issued a statement about the safety and effectiveness of cough and cold medicines for young kids, affirming that these OTC remedies should never be used for children under 2 - they're not safe and do not work for babies and toddlers.

Jaundice in Healthy Newborns
A common condition in newborns, jaundice refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood.

Milk Allergy in Infants
Almost all infants experience irritability and sleeplessness at times. But if your bottle-fed baby seems excessively fussy much of the time, it could be due to an allergy to cow's milk.

See You Next Month!

We hope you enjoyed this month's Growing Great Girls newsletter. Please forward it on to your friends and family who are raising healthy and strong girls.

Important Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

Content last updated October 26, 2008

top