Your child's health includes physical, mental and social well-being. Most parents know the basics of keeping children healthy, like offering them healthy foods, making sure they get enough sleep and exercise and insuring their safety.
It is also important for children to get regular checkups with their health care provider. These visits are a chance to check your child's development. They are also a good time to catch or prevent problems.
Other than checkups, school-age children should be seen for
- Significant weight gain or loss
- Sleep problems or change in behavior
- Fever higher than 102
- Rashes or skin infections
- Frequent sore throats
- Breathing problems
- Children: General Health(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/index.html
- Parents: ABCs of Raising Safe and Healthy Kids(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/family/parentabc/index.htm
- Test Your Knowledge about Kids' Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/family/parentquiz/index.htm
- Kids Who Wheeze with Rhinovirus at Higher Asthma Risk(10/02/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69985.html
- Heavy Children May Have More Headaches(09/22/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69532.html
- Acid Reflux Linked to Chronic Croup(09/22/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69529.html
- More News on Children's Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_c.html#childrenshealth
- Chest Pain in Infants and Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/525.printerview.html
- Directory of Medical Tests(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest2.html
- Elimination Problems in Infants and Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/533.printerview.html
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Fever and Taking Your Child's Temperature(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/fever.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/fever_esp.html
- Fever in Infants and Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/504.printerview.html
- Mouth Problems in Infants and Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/510.printerview.html
- Nausea and Vomiting in Infants and Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/530.printerview.html
- Shortness of Breath in a Child or Infant(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/522.printerview.html
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Vomiting and Diarrhea: Helping Your Child through Sickness(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/stomach/196.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/stomach/196.printerview.html
- When to Call the Doctor(Virtual Hospital) - http://www.virtualpediatrichospital.org/patients/cqqa/callthedoctor.shtml
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20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors in Children(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/20tipkid.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/20tkidsp.pdf
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Got a Sick Kid? Don’t Guess. Read the Label(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/sickkids.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/sickkids-spanish.htm
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Medicine and Your Child: How to Give Your Child Medicine(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/safety/097.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/safety/097.printerview.html
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Hearing Evaluation in Children(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/hear.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/hear_esp.html
- Screening Tests for Children (Ages 2 to 12)(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/wellness/b_children_1-2.html
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What You Can Do to Protect Children from Environmental Risks(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Children's Health Protection) - http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/tips.htm
Also available in Spanish http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/tips_sp.htm
- Alternative Medicine and Your Child(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/alternative_medicine.html
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CAM Use and Children
(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/children/index.htm
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Healthy Eating(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/habits.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/nutricion/habits_esp.html
- How to Care for a Seriously Ill Child(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/seriously_ill.html
- Children's Illness: Top 5 Causes of Missed School(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childrens-conditions/CC00059/METHOD=print
- Ear, Nose and Throat(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) - http://www.chop.edu/consumer/your_child/module_toc.jsp?id=-10381
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Earaches in Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/ent/055.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/ent/055.printerview.html
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Enuresis (Bed-Wetting)(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/toilet/366.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/toilet/366.printerview.html
- Growing Pains(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/growing_pains.html
- Infections(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/
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JAMA Patient Page: Chronic Diseases of Children(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/297/24/2836.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/297/24/2836/DC1/1
- Night Terrors(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/night-terrors/DS01016/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
- Nightmares(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/nightmares/DS01010/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Repeated Infections in Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/ent/221.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/ent/221.printerview.html
- Runny Nose (with Green or Yellow Mucus)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community/campaign_materials/FactSheet-RunnyNose.htm
- Your Child's Cough(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/childs_cough.html
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Your Child's Vision(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/vision.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/vision_esp.html
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All About Sleep(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sleep/sleep.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/sleep_esp.html
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Finding a Doctor for Your Child(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/find_ped.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/find_ped_esp.html
- Getting Help: Know the Numbers(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/help.html
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How to Talk to Your Child's Doctor(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/talk_doctor.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/talk_doctor_esp.html
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Knowing Your Child's Medical History(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/medhist.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/medhist_esp.html
- Medical Care and Your 4- to 5-Year-Old(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/medical_care_4_5.html
- Medical Care and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/medical_care_6_12.html
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Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/doctor/dr_visits.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/dr_visits_esp.html
- Safety Tips for Halloween(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/kids/candyandtreats.html
- Talking to the Pharmacist(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/pharmacist.html
- Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
- Powerful Girls Have Powerful Bones(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) - http://www.girlshealth.gov/bones/
- Growth Charts(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/growth_charts.html
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Financial Management during Crisis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/financial_crisis.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/preguntas/financial_crisis_esp.html
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Insure Kids Now: Questions and Answers(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/questions.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/espanol/questions.asp
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child, Hospitalized(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Child,+Hospitalized%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant Nutrition(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=infant+AND+nutrition
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Nutrition(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=nutrition+%5BCONDITION%5D+AND+child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D
- National Children's Study(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nationalchildrensstudy.gov/
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Southall is allowed to return to child protection work. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18815177&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Israeli government wants better monitoring of children's welfare, after three... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794184&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Integrating health interventions for women, newborn babies, and children: a... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18790321&tool=MedlinePlus
- Children's Health -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=child+welfare[majr:noexp]+OR+child+nutrition+physiology[majr:noexp]+OR+child+health+services[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- AAP Pediatrician Referral Service(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/referral/
- American Board of Pediatrics: Verification of Certification Search(American Board of Pediatrics) - https://www.abp.org/NewVerification/faces/VerificationSearch.jsp
- Insure Kids Now: Find Your State(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - Directory of low-cost or no-cost health insurance programs for children by state - http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/states.asp
- American Academy of Pediatrics - http://www.aap.org/
- KidsHealth(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/index_noflash.html
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
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Children's Health Publications(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubslist.cfm
- FDA & You: News for Health Educators and Students(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/fdaandyou/
- America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008(Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics) - http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/
- Child Health USA 2006(Maternal and Child Health Bureau) - http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/chusa_06/
- FASTATS: Child Health(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/children.htm
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/
- Child Dental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childdentalhealth.html
- Child Development - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childdevelopment.html
- Child Safety - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childsafety.html
- Childhood Immunization - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childhoodimmunization.html
- Exercise for Children - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseforchildren.html
- Hearing Problems in Children - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hearingproblemsinchildren.html
- Infant and Toddler Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infantandtoddlerhealth.html
- School Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/schoolhealth.html
- Teen Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenhealth.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Population Groups - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/populationgroups.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Children's Health is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
Children's Health - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/childrenshealth.html