The health of an individual begins in childhood. Early childhood habits and care will determine not only physical growth but emotional health and cognitive development. Healthy children matter not just as a result of not turning sick; it takes on its far better meaning when we look at what children have to thrive. Good nutrition, routine medical care, love, and a safe place to grow are the foundation for healthy and happy childhoods. In the fast-paced world of today, with the trend of lifestyle diseases on the high, taking that extra step towards child’s health is only in your hands.
What is the Need for Good Child Health?
The reason for maintaining good child health is for children’s bodies and minds who must grow and develop on an ongoing basis. Their immune systems are still developing, unlike those of adults, so they are especially vulnerable to infections and deficiencies. Good access to medical care and health care is not the only thing that matters, having access to vaccinations, regular food in the diet and the good living conditions also keep children free from diseases.
Furthermore, a child who is healthy also does better academically, has better emotional stability and is more productive in the long run. In brief, investing in the health of children is investing in the health of society; since healthy children are more apt to become productive, engaged, and responsible adults.
Why is Child Health More Important than Adults’ Health?
The health of children is treated as more important than the health of adults as they are more affected by external factors like pollution, bad diet or infectious diseases. It can be a minor illness for an adult but a much more serious illness for a child who hasn’t had the chance to fully develop the immune system. And childhood malnutrition can lead to shorter stature, weak bones or chronic diseases in adulthood, including diabetes and heart disease.
There are a lot of reasons: good health in early life has direct effects on both cognitive and emotional development, and early life is a time of rapid brain development. To put it in other way, the consequences of not paying attention to child health today reverberate throughout their lifetime.
Tips for Good Child Health:
Good Diet – Encourages kids to adopt a good diet plan including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Cut back on high calorie snacks, and sugary drinks.
Vaccines- Even for preventable diseases such as measles and hepatitis, vaccines serve as a vital protection.
Sleeping – we need more than children do actually. Everyone actually needs more sleep than you’re able to get to grow and learn. Preschoolers require 10 to 12 hours; school-aged children, 8 to 10 hours a night.
Exercise -Children need to be out running or biking, or on a team sport at least every doubly.. Exercise is essential for building strong muscles and bones, a robust immune system and a good body weight (meaning less susceptibility to obesity).
Hygenic condition -Follow good Hygenic practice such as washing your hands properly, brushing your teeth two times a day and maintaining yourself in proper hygiene and clean way to take self safety from this kind of infection.
Yearly Health Check Ups– Similar to all health problems, a check up or two per year is a good idea. Eye and dental examinations are as important.
Emotional and Psychological Havens- Children should feel safe and emotionally comforted. You should listen to their concerns, avoid comparisons, and foster positive relationships at home and at school.”
Drink Water- To the newcomers, they are always advised to drink enough water daily rather than indulging in carbonated and packed ones. Drinking water aids in digestion, concentration and the breathiness of the skin. Restrict screen time – Too much time spent on mobiles, T Vs, tablets can impact eyes mite, sleep, and concentration. Instead, encourage outdoor play, creative hobbies.
Negative Impact of Bad Child Health:
Unhealthy children can develop short-range and long-range problems. Short term, children suffer from recurrent infection, are listless, anorexic, miss school frequently. And they have long-term consequences as well, and can have larger penalties, like malnutrition resulting in stunted growth, obesity into life-style diseases and untreated mental stress into anxiety and depression. Also, poor child health affects academic success, relationships and sense of self.
If these issues are not resolved the obstacles persist into adulthood, fulfilling the promise of misery, diminishing productivity, and increasing health care costs. In short, unhealthy children are not only bringing down the child, but they put a burden on the child’s family and the health care system.
5 Reasons for Poor Child Health:
Poor Diet– Too much consumption of junk food, salty and sweet snacks, sugary beverages adds on weight, and also weakens the immunity system resulting in lack of nutrients.
Inactivity- The increasing fad of Screen Time, lack of outdoor play and a sedentary lifestyle voids general fitness of children and is leading to diseases.
No sleep– Modern schedules and gadgets that cause kids to lose out on the rest they need to be active, cheerful participants.
Unsanitary living conditions– Poor hand hygiene before eating, unhygienic environment, oral hygiene if unclean, infections ie: parasites and diseases.
Mental Health Neglect– Emotional and mental health can all deteriorate from stress due to academic stress, bullying or lack of emotional support.
FAQs:
Q1. How do I strengthen my child’s immune system?
ANS. Nutritional diet, fruits and green vegetables, dairy and nuts are found to boost the immune system. Make sure they are sleeping well and doing regular exercise.Yogurt and good hydration and the power of the immune system, too.
Q2. What diet is the best for the child?
ANS. The perfect diet for children is to eat 3 healthy meals along with 2 healthy snacks each day. It should have protein (eggs, pulses, fish), fats (nuts, seeds, ghee), carbs (rice, whole grains), vitamins through green and colourful veggies and fruits. Stay away from refined sugar and highly processed trappers.
Q3. How often should your house’s children get a physical check up at a doctor?
ANS. Children are recommended to see pediatricians yearly for a routine examination. But, as children go to daycare and then school, immunizations and growth monitoring will mean more regular visits. Dental and eye screening visits are to be performed every 6–12 months.
Q4.How much exercise is enough for children?
ANS. They offer guidelines for how much activity children ought to get (they should be getting at least an hour a day, they say). That can be exercise — running, swimming, cycling, outdoor sports — or it can be duct-taping yourself to the wall of your apartment and wiggling however (or just dancing). Children might also find exercise enjoyable, so that they will develop a taste for it and be more likely to turn to it as a habit.
Q5. How should a parent help a child facing mental problems?
ANS. For a child to develop emotionally, his parents must provide physical, emotional and psychological safety to him. Open discussion, academic pressure and quality time with family.
