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SOME
things you can count on
when school starts in the fall.
One is an avalanche of advertising.
Seemingly every store offers sales on
notebooks, pens and other supplies.
Another sure thing—kids complain
about homework, teachers or having
to get up early after a summer of
sleeping in.
Unfortunately, you can also expect
a few potentially serious dilemmas,
such as children coming home with
viral infections.
Fortunately, you can take steps to
help prevent their getting sick.
Protect against illness
Why do kids who were healthy all
summer often get sick when school
resumes? Part of the reason is the
season. Colds and flu are as much
a piece of the fall and winter land-
scapes as are fallen leaves and snow.
Also, children have not built up
an immunity to many cold viruses,
making them vulnerable to those
that spread throughout the school
population.
As a parent, there are two import-
ant things you can do to help protect
your children from disease:
1
Teach them to wash their hands
well and often. That means scrub-
bing their hands with soap for at
least 20 seconds, then rinsing them
under running water.
2
Keep their immunizations
up-to-date. You can find out what
vaccinations your child needs and
when at
www.morehealth.org/kids.
Inform school officials
If your child has a chronic health
condition—such as asthma—talk
with your child’s physician about
working with school officials to meet
your child’s health needs.
You, your child’s physician and
school staff might want to develop a
written plan, including:
w
How to handle medications
w
Who to contact if there is a
problem
w
What to do in an emergency
Also remember to sign any neces-
sary consent forms.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Parents: Get ready for school
Backpack
overload?
Your children may have
backpack overload if they:
w
Struggle to put the backpack
on or take it off
w
Change posture while
wearing the backpack
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Have red marks on their
shoulders
w
Feel tingling or numbness
in their arms or legs
Help your child
stay healthy this
school year.
For a checkup,
call the Children’s
Clinic at
541-663-3150
.
And see your
own primary care
provider to discuss
flu shots and more.