A guide to rearing healthy children

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KIDS

A guide to rearing healthy children

Take care of your child now to avoid problems later, experts urge.

BY HOWARD COHEN

hcohen@...

Everyone knows that if you maintain a car with regular servicing,

generally, it will run longer with fewer problems.

So why should your child be any different? Taking care of things

now -- like proper diet, developmental checkups, blood pressure --

can maximize good health later.

Here, then, is a birth-to-adult health check list.

• Birth- 2 years old:

Most new parents don't think of heart attacks but this is the time

to consider screening the parents, grandparents, and blood relatives

for their family history.

'A lot of [heart problems] start tracking at an early age. If there

is a family history of early heart disease or the parents' total

cholesterol is elevated that is a flag,'' says Dr. Lipshultz,

professor and chairman in the Department of Pediatrics at the

University of Miami School of Medicine.

At this stage, sometimes it is all about the parents. Is obesity a

family issue?

''Early foods influence future food preference,'' Lipshultz says.

Physical activity is also important. ''A sedentary household leads

to sedentary kids,'' Lipshultz says.

Other concerns: Check for fluoride in drinking water or consider an

oral supplement, suggests Dr. Wasserman of the Ochsner

Clinic Foundation in New Orleans. At one year, consider a pediatric

dental visit.

At one year have a hemoglobin test conducted to test for anemia,

suggests Dr. Gwen Wurm, the director of community pediatrics at the

University of Miami. ''There is a relationship between anemia and

learning disability,'' she says.

Immunizations after your child's first birthday for diphtheria,

tetanus and pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella, chicken pox,

pneumococcus, polio and haemophilus influenza should be up-to-date,

says Dr. Schwab of Comer Children's Hospital at the University

of Chicago.

• 2 to 6 years old:

As your child begins to walk, make sure your home is child-proof so

the child can test his or her independence in a safe manner, Schwab

advises. Safety gates around stairs and windows, covered electric

outlets, and the removal of poisonous cleaning products from child-

accessible cabinets are a must.

''The number one thing is teach your kids to swim,'' Wurm adds.

``Down here your kid needs to learn to swim. The priority is at an

early age.''

Ask your pediatrician to do regular blood pressure checks.

''Why wait until they are 50 and suffering the effects of 50 years

of hypertension if you can ID it early and do something about it?''

Lipshultz says.

During this period send your child for an eye exam, as well. And

don't forget sunscreen.

''One of the things to really focus on in the first couple years of

life is communication,'' Wurm says. Turn off the TV and computer.

''What's most educational is a loving adult interacting with a

child. That's where kids grow and learn and get their major

development from,'' she says.

Additionally, if the child is having a problem communicating or

exhibiting signs of delayed response -- not turning when name is

called, for example -- you can spot this.

• 6 to 10 years old:

Have your child's cholesterol levels checked.

Wasserman recommends a ''happiness'' check around age 7. ``Does the

child sleep well? Is [he or she] getting along with -- and

interacting with -- teachers and peers?''

• 11 through adolescence:

Make sure your child is getting enough calcium, especially girls. At

15, boys should undergo a testicular exam to check for cancer and

should be advised on how to do a self-check throughout life.

Finally, Wurm urges, ``Let kids be. Let them have free time and go

to the beach. Be free with your child in nature. Enjoy your moments.

Don't focus so much on getting things right. Just be.''