School Age
Mark McGwire Steps Up to the Plate for Kids
Almost 7 million school-age children (in the United States alone) go to bed dry and wake up wet. Most of them feel like they are alone. They often feel guilty, inadequate, and ashamed. And their paren…
Osteoporosis is a Pediatric Disease!
As I watched a hunched, elderly woman shuffle down the street, I was reminded that osteoporosis is a pediatric problem. It is during childhood that calcium intake determines not only whether children …
They Can Die With the First Try
October is Child Health Month, and in 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics' focused on educating parents and children about huffing - the dangerous practice of inhaling fumes (aerosols, glues, pai…
Preteens Start Smoking to Control Weight
A poignant report out of Harvard Medical School appeared in the October 1999 issue of Pediatrics. Girls and boys as young as 9 years old take up smoking in an attempt to lose weight. (more…)…
Get Out of Bed Free Card — A fun way to keep kids in bed!
The October 1999 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reports success with giving preschool and school-age children a free pass to get out of bed once each night. Originator, cl…
Physical and Emotional Impact of Schoolyard Bullies
"You big bully!" We all remember it from childhood. Ranging from teasing and name-calling to physical attacks, bullying happens in nearly every school around the globe. (more…)…
Beltless on the Bus!
This morning I watched a school bus full of children stop suddenly. Because it was a school bus, the kids were not wearing seat belts. Should this be changed? The National Transportation Safety Board …
Do Bike Helmets Work?
When children topple off a bike, helmets can save their brains -- cutting the risk of head injury by 80%. But some helmeted children still get brain damage. Why? One study has found that those who wea…
Peanut Ban In Schools
I received a note this week from parents who were upset about a peanut ban at their North Carolina school -- all because someone's child has an allergy. But peanut bans in schools make sense if even o…
Could Childhood Obesity be a Genetic Disorder? Yes!
The July issue of Pediatrics reports convincing evidence (from an investigation of twins growing up in different environments) that up to 80% of the variation in body fat between children is genetic a…
Fast Facts about Rotaviruses
Rotaviruses are the leading cause of both routine vomiting and diarrheal illnesses and of severe, life-threatening diarrhea in every country in the world. Click here to read more about rotaviruses. (m…
Fast Facts about Huffing
"Huffing," or inhaling volatile substances, is becoming increasingly popular among children, especially among 12- to 14-year-olds (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1998;152(8):781--786).…
Helping Kids Eat Smart
Encourage your children's teachers to teach the class at least a little about good nutrition at the beginning of each year. If eating well is confirmed by this outside authority and is tied in with su…
Healthy Eating, Part IV – Motivators for school age children and adolescents
During school years, the phenomenon of peer pressure begins to become a very powerful force. Children see what's packed in each other's lunches. And, yes, it's not unusual for your darling to trade th…
Fast Facts about Sun and our Eyes
One of the great wonders of the human body is the ability of damaged cells to be repaired or replaced. Red blood cells, for instance, live for about 120 days. Each day, about 1% of your red blood cell…
Fast Facts about the Chickenpox Vaccine
Chicken pox is caused by the Varicella-zoster virus. It is usually a mild infection, and not life-threatening. Although children with this virus may be miserable for several days, and miss a week of s…
Fast Facts about Precocious Puberty
Precocious puberty is defined as the onset of true puberty before 8 years of age in girls or 9 years of age in boys. (Boepple, et al. Endocrinology, Surgery, and Technology, Vol 1, 1996) (more……
Fast Facts about Bed Wetting
Contrary to popular opinion, bed wetting is a very common problem. It affects somewhere between five and six million children. (more…)…