A healthy eating behavior may help kids in their physical and psychological development by providing all the nutrients kids need to grow. Benefits such as energy and bone and muscle building can be obtained through a healthy balanced diet. Unlike...
According to the Nemours Foundation, one out of three children in the United States is considered overweight or obese. The health consequences that result from being overweight are serious and can impact a child for the rest of her life....
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled since 1980. Children age 6 to 11 have seen a 13 percent increase in obesity, while obese adolescents, 12 to 19 years old have increased by more...
Children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of bad nutrition because their bodies are growing and developing rapidly. A poor diet can lead to serious short- and long-term health problems, which may persist into your child's adult...
For a variety of reasons, children develop mental, behavioral and emotional problems that can be extraordinarily disruptive and destructive to the child, family and community. Children may argue, fight and sulk; habitually violate rules at home or...
The three most common types of intestinal worm in the United States are pinworms, tapeworms and roundworms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Together, they make up a group of parasites called helminths. While none of the...
The human body naturally is home to some microorganisms, including bacteria. These life forms coexist with the surrounding human tissue and typically do not cause health problems. Instead, they can be beneficial for the body. Probiotic supplements...
A problem with lunches in U.S. schools is their poor nutritional quality. Most schools provide processed foods which are high in fat, salt and sugar. This is already having a major adverse impact on children's health. Unhealthy school lunches can...
Family planning is making a decision to have a certain number of children, and avoiding pregnancy when it is undesirable. It also includes purposely spacing children by a certain number of months or years. It can include abstinence, fertility...
The number of obese children nearly doubled since the early 1980s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity amongst children is a growing concern, with 16 to 33 percent of children and adolescents in the overweight...
Children's health may not begin with kids' eating habits, but with those of their parents. That is the finding of researchers into obesity. According to the U.S. surgeon general, having an overweight or obese parent raises an overweight teenagers'...
Childhood is undoubtedly a critical period. During this time, your child will undergo rapid mental and physical development. Therefore, ensuring that your child gets the proper nutrition acquires critical importance. Children who eat too much, or...
Drug use among adolescents is a serious health, societal and economic problem facing America today. Drug use can alter the brain, resulting in compulsive drug abuse and chronic addiction. Drug addiction is associated with many health problems,...
For the past 20 years the number of obese children and teens has continued to rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. This may have you wondering what the proper weight is for your child. Although there is a wide...
"I haven't done exercise since my sophomore year," states one gadget-happy high school senior when queried about computer habits. Asking children questions about sports can lead to elucidating conversations about the current roles of physical...
Attention deficit disorder, ADD, is a common childhood health problem, though it is not a normal part of being a child. ADD, also known as ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is on the rise in the United States. The Centers for...
According to Mental Health America, as many as 1 in 5 children has a diagnosable mental health condition, but these children often do not receive treatment because it can be difficult for parents and other adults to recognize the symptoms. Parents...
Actions speak louder than words. Your child tells you far more through her behavior than she can ever manage in words. No matter how infuriating her actions, she always has a reason for them, as PBS Parents points out. Learn to interpret her...
A cough is the body's reaction to infection, irritants in the air and allergies. Antibiotics will not cure viral infections or help heal a cough faster. Most coughs caused by infection last one to two weeks, then go away on their own. While...
Fish oil is a supplement that contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are the most commonly used non-vitamin and non-mineral supplements in the United States, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine notes. Although fish oil is...
Children can contact cigarette smoke in many ways and suffer grave consequences. Some youths begin tobacco use in middle school or high school, or inhale secondhand smoke at home. Babies in the womb can be exposed to tobacco toxins if their...
The food guide pyramid, a collaborative effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services, was reformulated based on updated research findings and presented to the public in 2005.
A child's success in many areas, including school, can be affected by having a healthy school lunch. Benefits to eating healthy should not be taken for granted by parents or school administrators when considering what children are eating for...
Urinary tract infections are caused by certain types of bactera. The Lab Tests Online website reports that although your urine does not contain microorganisms such as bacteria, it can provide an excellent environment for bacteria to grow if it is...
Obesity is a severe health problem in the United States. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the prevalence of children who are obese has doubled. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) estimated 23.4 million...
Healthy children have a better foundation in life for long-term health, but the incidence of childhood obesity is on the rise. Some 12.5 million children were overweight or obese as of 2004, and the numbers keep going up, according to the...
Americans get 1 billion colds a year, according to the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Unfortunately, babies are not immune. When a baby has a cold, he can be cranky and irritable because of the bothersome symptoms....
Dark circles under the eyes can affect men, women and children -- including little girls. According to Dr. Barton Schmitt -- director of general consultative services at Children's Hospital of Denver, dark circles in children are usually not a...
When a baby is born, she is such a small, new and, seemingly, perfect little bundle. As she grows and develops, she becomes accustomed to using her eyes and ears and begins to make a connection with you. To develop the ability to speak, she has to...