What does work is making small changes in our lives that carry a punch for a long-term health impact. Small change, Big Results is a philosophy I’ve been advocating for a while now. It works because it gives you a realistic place to start, builds a solid foundation to grow from, and helps build momentum. I’ve put together a list of the top twelve areas people tend to focus on when they think about getting more healthy and fit.

Thousands of new moms face the emotional and physical challenges of breadwinning and breastfeeding. For some women, returning to work marks the end of the honeymoon period with a newborn, when a mom’s new role collides with demands at work — all of which may leave her feeling overwhelmed, says Justyna Lagman, a Naperville, Ill., certified lactation consultant. Having support from family, employer and other moms can mean the difference between nursing your child and throwing in the pump.

In celebration of the P&K 10th birthday, I consulted some of the top pediatricians in the country to get their take on the top changes in child health over the last decade and get a sense of where we may be heading. Some of these changes may surprise you, so hold on to your seat! 

School-age children say being sick makes them feel bored, annoyed, gross and even sad, according to the recent MedImmune Parent-Child Influenza Survey conducted by Harris Interactive. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates 38 million school days are missed each year by kids sick with the flu -- that's a lot of unhappy children.

Parents can help kids avoid missing school because of the flu by making sure they get a flu vaccination every year as soon as vaccine is available.

 

Having “the talk” with our kids is never easy. Just getting through saying the various anatomic names can be daunting for even the most savvy of parents. It used to be that we would talk about the basics, reproduction, and add sexuality, birth control and life issues like babies later on as our kids got older. This news of 17 pregnant Gloucester teens rocks that philosophy to the core! We need a new approach – one that takes into account the reality of what today’s teens are truly doing sexually.

Summer is the perfect time for healthy lifestyle habits. The days are longer and brighter, allowing families to spend more active time together outdoors. And at no time during the year is the variety of fruits and vegetables more abundant. Whether you’re looking for ways to hone the healthy habits you’ve already established, or find ways to create new ones, read on…

Do your children ever travel alone? “Of course not,” you say. What about school trips in middle school or high school? What about overnight camp and day trips or overnights they may take? Any time your kids do something without you, they are travelling alone. Once kids are old enough to have these opportunities, they are old enough to not only understand important safety rules about travelling without you, but understand how to care for themselves and their health a bit. In fact, if they can’t accomplish either of those tasks, perhaps they are not quite ready to be on their own.

Dust mites and other allergen-producing organisms may be uninvited guests in your child’s bedroom. If your child has allergies or asthma, there are things you can do to make his bedroom as clean and allergen-free as possible.