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Keep Your Kid Healthy this School Year!

September 2, 2010 by Dr. Mike Leave a Comment

As summer break ends, my office starts to get busy. Putting all those kids back together in school and in a confined place is a perfect way to transmit infection. Here are some recommendations to limit your child’s visits to the doctor this school year.

Basic Healthcare Tips

First, I want to start with some basic, obvious healthcare tips. A good nights’ sleep paired with a healthy diet is imperative to good health and peak performance in school. If your child’s diet lacks diversity, add a basic multivitamin. Encourage your children to wash their hands before eating at school. Good hand washing is the easiest and most effective way to control the spread of infection. In addition, remind your kids not to share food and drinks; someone can be contagious even if they don’t feel ill.

Gym Showers and Locker Room

Gym showers and locker room floors are breeding grounds for tinea pedis, the fungus that causes athletes foot. Make sure your little athlete wears shower shoes in the locker room and thoroughly dries his/her feet after showering to help prevent this irritating problem.

Lice, Oh My!

Another health tip is to not share hats, combs, or brushes. Lice do not jump or fly, they crawl. So it is close contact, like sleeping in the same bed or sharing the aforementioned objects, that transmits the bugs. Lice can be difficult and frustrating to treat. The over-the-counter remedies are safe and effective, but sometimes a prescription medication needs to be used. Be careful not to mistake dandruff flakes for nits (a louse’s egg casing). If uncertain, come in to see the doctor for evaluation.

Vaccinate

Vaccinate your children. This year, the flu shot protects against H1N1 as well as seasonal flu, so two different vaccines are not necessary. Also, there is presently a pertussis (whooping cough) epidemic. Make sure your child is up to date on this vaccine. Current recommendations are to receive a booster before kindergarten entrance and then at 11 years.

Explain the Importance of Health Prevention to your Kids

Obviously, there is not one fail-safe way to keep your children healthy during the school year. But, by discussing and explaining health prevention with them, your children become active members of their health team. This can empower them to make strides toward staying healthy. Just remember, only nine months until June.

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Filed Under: Living Healthy

About Dr. Mike

Dr. Mike has been practicing general pediatrics in a suburb of Los Angeles for over 10 years. He is married and has a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. He enjoys golf, football and family time. His higher education has all been through the University of California system - Bachelor of Science with honors from UCLA, his MD degree from University of California at Irvine and his pediatric training at UCLA. He is the featured pediatrician in the DVD Newborn Care 101, What Parents Need To Know.

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