School Year Health Guide Essential school health tips for parents from local pediatricians
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A s children return to classrooms this fall, parents can help ensure they thrive by prioritizing sleep, nutrition, vaccinations, asthma management and anxiety relief measures. Pediatric experts with Bethany Children’s Health Center share their top back-to-school health tips for parents.
Start with the basics Summer is often a time when rules surrounding nutrition and sleep are more relaxed, and pediatrician Dr. Michael Coffey, medical director of general pediatrics at Bethany Children’s Health Center, recommends setting kids up for success by ensuring children get plenty of sleep each night. “A student in elementary or middle school is likely to need between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each night, and your high schooler should try to get a solid nine hours of sleep each night, with eight hours being the minimum,” said Dr. Coffey. Dr. Coffey also recommends emphasizing the importance of eating three meals a day and ensuring kids eat breakfast in particular. “This meal is crucial to give your child’s brain and body the fuel they need to perform their best at school,” said Dr. Coffey. Parents should also check on their child’s immunization status. According to pediatrician Dr. Molly Khoury of Bethany Children’s Health Center’s Pediatric Clinic, children are due for updated vaccines that protect against several serious illnesses at ages 4 and 11. “Many parents don’t realize while we have effective vaccines to prevent infections from illnesses such as tetanus and pertussis (a nasty bug that causes whooping cough), we unfortunately don’t have good treatments if your child does become infected with these,” explained Dr. Khoury. “I understand these sound like infections from days long ago; however, we have started to see them more frequently.” Managing asthma Dr. Khoury also recommends seasonal flu shots, especially for children with a history of asthma or any chronic lung disease. Additionally for children with asthma, make an appointment with your child’s primary care provider to review asthma management and develop an asthma action plan to have on file with their school.
50 Healthy Families Guide
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