For many, back-to-school means a new backpack, folders, books, and clothes. But it’s also a time to make sure your child has what he or she needs most to be successful - good health. Immunizations have helped children stay healthy for more than 50 years. They are...

School nurses play an important role in schools. The responsibilities of school nurses have grown over the past century. Although the focus of keeping students healthy and in school is the same, the health needs and complexity of many students have changed. Today’s...

Moving to a new neighborhood or starting at a new school can be a difficult transition for any child. For the nearly 2 million children of service members, it is important to ensure that parents maintain healthy connections with their children and reinforce...

Parents are children’s first role models. Parents can teach their children not only by what they say, but also by what they do. READ BY EXAMPLE Read with your children, encourage them to read books on their own, and let them see you reading your own books. The joy of...

Maintaining a healthy diet is an important aspect to include in everyone’s daily routine. For children, this may be a challenge. School, extracurricular activities, and lack of time can often interfere with healthy eating habits. Since kids spend nearly 40 hours a...

Calls to U.S. poison control centers for young children exposed to liquid nicotine peaked in 2015 and then began to decline, according to new research in the May 2018 Pediatrics. Authors of the study, “E-Cigarette and Liquid Nicotine Exposures Among Young Children,”...

The study “Reading Aloud, Play, and Social-Emotional Development,” in the April 2018 issue of Pediatrics, studied how pediatric programs that promote positive parenting activities such as reading out loud and pretend play affect children’s social and emotional...

Leonardo Trasande, M.D., M.P.P., FAAP Rapidly accumulating scientific evidence suggests that certain chemicals added during the processing of foods and those that may come into contact with food as part of packaging or processing may contribute to disease and...

Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week by Joanna Storey, MD August 1 through 7 is World Breastfeeding Week this year, an opportunity for communities around the world to celebrate and promote breastfeeding and its benefits for moms and babies. Breast milk truly is...

Nicole Hughes was no slacker when it came to water safety. Her two older daughters had private swimming lessons as soon as they turned three. She made her youngest child, three-year-old Levi, wear a life jacket everywhere since he didn’t quite seem ready for classes....

Traveling with children can be a delight and a challenge. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has the following tips for safe and stress-free family air travel. Please use the tips in any print or broadcast story, with appropriate attribution of source. General...

Food poisoning can really throw you for a loop. After eating germ-infected food, a person can develop sudden and severe symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Medical treatment is usually not needed, but home care is important. If your child develops food poisoning,...

What Is Salmonella? Salmonella is a kind of bacteria, with many different types. The type responsible for most infections in humans is carried by chickens, cows, pigs, and reptiles (such as turtles, lizards, and iguanas). Another, rarer form — called Salmonella...

While cooking is fun, being safe is the most important ingredient of any successful dish.  Here are a few Kitchen Safety Rules for Kids to get you started.  1. Always ask an adult’s permission before cooking in the kitchen This may seem obvious at first, but as your...

Every fall, teachers struggle to re-teach the skills kids mastered the year before, and at the top of that list is reading skills. If you’re a parent with a school-age child, you’re no doubt well aware of the summer “learning gap” issue. Three months off of school may...

by Dr. Darren Scoggin Summer is right around the corner! Time to dust off the beach bags, get some sunscreen, and get outdoors! This post is designed to discuss some tips to help you prepare for a fun-filled, safe summer. 1. Watch out for the sun! We all know that UV...