Tiny Battery Safety
These tiny batteries are everywhere — and they can look tasty to little ones, so handle with caution.
Back-to-School Health Tips
After a long summer break, it’s finally time to help your children transition back to school and start focusing on classes, sports, and after school activities. But before you get into the swing of things, it’s important to consider these tips for a healthy and safe school year.
Get Vaccinated
According to the Center for Disease Control, state laws establish vaccination requirements for school children. Some schools will not allow students to enroll without verification of these vaccinations. We also recommend the flu vaccine for all school-age children.
Teach Good Hygiene Habits
With so many kids around, there’s bound to be a ton of germs floating around the school. To help your children avoid bringing germs home and getting sick, teach them to wash their hands after using the restroom, before eating, and after coughing or sneezing. Consider providing your child with on-the-go hand sanitizer to use when they don’t have access to soap and water.
Learn Backpack Safety
To prevent shoulder, back, and neck pain, choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. If possible, pack light. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a student’s backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight.
Manage Stress
Getting ready to go back to school is stressful for parents and their children. Unfortunately, too much stress can lead to serious health problems, including depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. Look for red flags such as difficulty sleeping, headaches, and changes in behavior. Find out the root of the problem by communicating with your child.
Have a Healthy Sleep Schedule
Kids and teenagers need significantly more sleep than adults to keep up with their rapid mental and physical development. It’s recommended that preschoolers get a solid 10 to 13 hours of sleep a night. School-aged children ranging from 6 to 13 should get 9 to 11 hours of sleep. Whereas teenagers should get 8 to 10.
Contact Lakeview Family Medicine
For more advice about back-to-school tips, contact the doctors at Lakeview Family Medicine. We continue to research the latest and best methods to solve all kinds of health problems.
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