The Importance Of Child Health

One of the most important things that parents need to concentrate on is their children’s health. Many studies have proven that childhood health is the foundation of adult health. Healthy children turn out to be healthy adults as they grow.

Due to the importance placed on child health, it is imperative that children get regular check-ups with a children’s doctor in Mt Gravatt or close to where your family lives, in order to assess the development of your child. These regular visits to the doctor are important to diagnose and prevent any developmental or other issues that a child could have. In addition to regular check-ups, you should seek immediate assistance from a professional in child health in Mt Gravatt or anywhere else, if your child shows any of the following symptoms:

• Significant increase or decrease in weight.
• Sleep issues.
• Changes in behavior.
• High fever
• Breathing problems.
• Rash or other skin conditions.

As parents what can you do to improve your child’s health?

Stop smoking – Many children suffer from serious respiratory illnesses, asthma, ear infections, and even sudden infant death syndrome from inhaling second-hand smoke. As adults, it is our responsibility to ensure that children have a clean environment, and if you are a regular smoker, then you need to stop immediately, not only for your own child’s safety but for all children.

Healthy diet – Vegetables and fruit are full of nutrients that boost the immune system, which in turn helps keep children safe from numerous diseases. Adding more vegetables and fruits to their meals is a great way to keep them healthy, not only now but as they grow into adulthood as well. Providing healthy snacks and saving processed snack foods for special occasions.

Exercise – Exercise keeps children healthy, just as it does adults. The best way to encourage children to exercise is to do it with them as a family. Activities such as biking, hiking, and playing sports is a great way to keep them healthy and teach them good habits that they’ll take into adulthood.

Sleep – Depending on a child’s age, they need between 10-16 hours of sleep per day to keep them healthy. Therefore it is a good idea to set a regular,  early bedtime for children so they remain healthy and active

Reading bedtime stories - gives them one-to-one time and relaxes them towards sleep. It can help them develop the confidence to share stories and helps reading and writing.

Clean hands – Encourage children to always keep their hands clean through regular washing, especially after going out in public areas, as this is one of the major ways in which they can contract infectious diseases.

Healthy habits – Allowing children to help out with the household chores can help develop responsibility as well as many healthy habits and teaches them important lessons which they will carry on into adulthood.

If they’re sick, keep them home – Although it is quite a challenge when a child gets sick, especially with everyone’s busy lifestyles these days, it is important to let children rest well when they are sick, and not allow them to go out into public where they could spread the infection to other children.

Oral health – Cavities are a problem that many children face, and it can be very painful and unpleasant for them. To avoid cavities and other oral infections, children should be taught to brush their teeth twice daily for two minutes each time.

Listen to them – Children go through stress as much as any adult, and they too sometimes feel the need to vent. Listen to your children when they are speaking to you, and give them the opportunity to express their feelings and emotions freely.

Vaccinate – Vaccinations and immunisation are very important when protecting children from potentially harmful diseases that could cause disability or even death. There are several vaccines that are recommended all for children in Upper Mt Gravatt, such as:

• Hepatitis B
• Chickenpox
• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
• Polio
• Pneumococcal
• Rotavirus
• Influenza
• Tetanus
• Whooping cough (pertussis)
• Diphtheria
• Meningococcal

You can get more information regarding what vaccination should be given to a child at different ages from any clinic providing services in child health in Mt. Gravatt or anywhere closer to you.

There are many issues that children face that adversely affect their health, such as:

• Obesity.
• Unhealthy diet.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Excessive screen time.
• Bullying.
• Substance use.
• Domestic violence.

As adults, we need to nurture and protect our own children, as well as other children in our lives, such as family members or even students. Encouraging them to openly talk about their feelings, emotions, and problems is a great way of keeping a track of what is going on in their lives, especially things such as bullying or peer pressure. Children’s doctors in Mt Gravatt and around the world, recommend a lot of family time’ with children, giving them the opportunity to speak out and be open, especially as they start growing into adolescents.