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Summary
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
-
Child Nutrition: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Children: General Health (Nemours Foundation)
Latest News
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- More News on Children's Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Chest Pain in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Elimination Problems in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Fever in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Mouth Problems in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Nausea and Vomiting in Infants and Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Thermometers: Understand the Options (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Vomiting and Diarrhea (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Hearing Evaluation in Children (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Teaching Your Child Healthy Hair Care Habits (American Academy of Dermatology)
Treatments and Therapies
- Alternative Medicine and Your Child (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
-
Children and Complementary Health Approaches
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- How to Give Your Child Medicine (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
-
Time to Talk: 5 Tips on Safety of Mind and Body Practices for Children and Teens
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Related Issues
- How Often Do Children Need to Take a Bath? (American Academy of Dermatology)
- Immunizations and Developmental Milestones for Your Child from Birth Through 6 Years Old (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Kids: Passing on Healthy Habits to Your Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Medical Care and Your 4- to 5-Year-Old (Nemours Foundation)
- Medical Care and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old (Nemours Foundation)
- Preparing Your Child for Surgery (Nemours Foundation)
- Preparing Your Child for Visits to the Doctor (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Talking to Your Child's Doctor (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Tips From School Nurses on Keeping Kids Healthy (Nemours Foundation)
- Well-Child-Care - A Check-Up for Success (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- When to Call Your Pediatrician (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- About Skin: Your Body's Largest Organ (American Academy of Dermatology)
- All about Sleep (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Childhood Eye Diseases and Conditions (American Academy of Ophthalmology)
-
Constipation in Children
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Coughing (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Ear Infections (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Fever and Taking Your Child's Temperature (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Growing Pains (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Infections (Nemours Foundation)
-
Pediatric Injury
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
-
Preventing Musculoskeletal Sports Injuries in Youth: A Guide for Parents
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- Questions and Answers: Runny Nose (with Green or Yellow Mucus) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Repeated Infections in Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Sleep Terrors (Night Terrors) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Teaching Your Child Healthy Nail Care (American Academy of Dermatology)
- Your Child's Vision (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Test Your Knowledge about Kids' Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Child Health (National Center for Health Statistics)
-
Federal Report Shows Drop in Proportion of Children in US Population
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Health
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Growth Charts (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Find an Expert
- Find a Pediatrician or Pediatric Specialist (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
-
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- The day of surgery for your child (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Well-child visits (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- When to use the emergency room - child (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish