All Search Results
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Report cards for your child's weight?
It’s all over news headlines: childhood obesity. It now seems to be an issue that just won’t go away, despite all of the programs and campaigns to help encourage kids and families to become healthier. It’s just so hard with countless fast-food chains, ever-evolving technology that gives kids one more reason not to move from the couch, and school systems that have been resistant to change. However, the school system has been attacked hard, and slowly, schools are now making a greater effort to become healthier. Some schools have even taken it to the next level with what are called, “BMI report cards”.
What on earth are BMI report cards?
Let’s first start by defining BMI. Body mass index, or BMI, is the ratio of a person’s height and weight as a way to determine whether that person is overweight or obese. It is often used to help identify those who are at risk for weight-related health problems. -
Building a stronger community, one family at a time
Odil Douglas knows what it's like to be overwhelmed. Five years ago, she found herself raising two young children and a newborn, as well as caring for her sick mother in the hospital. Alone, stressed and unsure where to turn for assistance, Odil found an "extended family" in the Healthy Families Orange program at The Howard Phillips Center for Children & Families. An intensive home visitation program based on a national model, Healthy Families Orange prevents child maltreatment in 98% of families served and builds healthy, positive parenting behaviors for new mothers and fathers through education, referrals and resources. Odil credits Healthy Families Orange with helping her make it through the most difficult time of her life, all while teaching her how to be the best mom possible to her three young children.
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Does my child need Antibiotics?
Does My Child Need Antibiotics?
About once a month, I will get a phone call from any one of my girlfriends who is looking for a friendly “second opinion” about their child. She tells me that her child hasn’t been feeling well for a few days, and she finally got an appointment to see their pediatrician on short notice. She becomes disappointed because her doctor did not give her a prescription for antibiotics for her child. She is upset because her child “always gets better on antibiotics.” My friend voices her frustration because she feels like her doctor “didn’t do anything.” Then she may ask me to “just prescribe something” for her child. I gently have to tell her no, because it is not right for me to do that since her child is not my patient, and I have not examined her child. I reassure her to trust her pediatrician, and to definitely keep her doctor in the loop if her child’s condition is not improving, or actually worsens over the next day or two.What are Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are medications that can be used to treat bacterial infections. For example, if your child has an ear infection or strep throat, your pediatrician will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic to help treat the infection. Anti-virals are medications that can treat viral infections, such as influenza or herpes simplex. Anti-fungals work against fungal infections, such as ringworm or yeast infections. -
It’s time to get up and get outside!
With summer just around the corner, what better time to get your kids more active? Concern over kids’ health and the growing obesity rates has been a hot topic for years, bringing to attention the fact that physical activity is a crucial part of kids’ health. Not only does it help to keep kids’ weight in check, but also plays a role in the development of cognitive and social skills.
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Surviving springtime allergies
Spring is here! Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and many of us are… sneezing.
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Trampolines aren't just fun and games
“Watch this!” cries your youngest child, as his older sibling bounces him high into the air on the backyard trampoline. Your child is all giggles and smiles as he quickly flies into the air and lands with a big bounce on the trampoline’s giving surface. Your child bounces a few more times, until he finally comes to a stop. What may seem like all fun and games at the time, can quickly take a turn for the worse when someone gets hurt.
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With eating disorders, there's hope and help
At Teen Xpress, we see our fair share of adolescent drama and trauma. Our program, housed at the Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families, works to provide adolescents with medical care, counseling, and case management. Our mission is to focus on students that do not have adequate insurance or do not have insurance at all.
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Time to shape up your plate
March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which makes it a great time to get your family’s plate in shape. We tend to do what we’ve always done when it comes to food. We eat familiar foods, sometimes over and over, and usually consume the same quantity of food.
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Continuing our Conversation on Vaccines
As I mentioned , I attended an information session at my pediatrician’s office where we discussed vaccines. Dr. Federico Laham shared with us his insight on the topic. I wanted to share with you what I learned and address some of the questions you’ve asked.
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The Heart Center delivers world-class cardiac care
Dr. Susan DesJardins is a cardiologist at the Heart Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital. In honor of February's focus on heart health, she shares what makes The Heart Center the leader in children's cardiac care in Central Florida.
