Kids Health

VANCOUVER - A Vancouver mother says a $7,000 insulin pump helped bring back her 11 year-old daughter's childhood.Cheryl Simpson says diabetes was ruling little Ellery's life until an insulin pump paid for by the family allowed her to better control her Type 1 diabetes.Before that, Simpson says her daughter endured the burden of needles five times a day and constantly had to manage her diet to control blood sugar levels.Simpson is joining Opposition health critic Adrian Dix's call on the B.C. government to fund the expensive pump so di .... More »

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There is new information on the number of children in Kentucky that don't have health insurance.Research from the Kentucky Voices for Health shows more than 60,000 children qualify for health insurance programs, but are not enrolled.It's family practitioners like Dr. Dirk Curry of Pikeville Medical Family Practice that understand the frustrations of applying for child health programs."It does make it difficult for families, and they say 'why bother?'," says Dr. Curry.A study by the Kentucky Voices for Health shows out of 93,000 childr .... More »

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As school starts, South Florida is lagging in vaccinations that protect students against serious diseases.More than 10,000 students sought exemptions from required vaccinations last year in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe county schools, giving South Florida some of the highest noncompliance rates in the state.And the percentage of South Florida children not having their shots when school starts is growing, according to Florida Department of Health records. Those records count only kindergartners and seventh graders, meaning the overal .... More »

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Summaries of recent news about children's health coverage in Iowa and Texas appear below.Iowa: Implementing a plan to provide coverage to all children in the state could take up to four years, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. Earlier this year, the state Legislature approved a measure that will put in place a two-phased process for establishing universal coverage for children. In the first phase, which begins in July 2009, the state will expand health coverage for low-income children. That phase is expected to reduce the number of unin .... More »

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Reversing itself, the Bush administration said Thursday that states for now won't be penalized for failing to install restrictions making it harder for middle-income children to participate in a federal-state health insurance program.States had been directed to make the changes in their State Children's Health Insurance Program by Monday or face financial penalties.Among the required changes:-Children must be uninsured for one year before they could enroll; and-At least 95 percent of poor children eligible for Medica .... More »

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THURSDAY, Aug. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Insured children in the United States are much more likely than uninsured children (91 percent vs. 69 percent) to visit a doctor's office and to have a regular annual check-up (77 percent vs. 45 percent), according to new data released Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.The study, conducted by University of Minnesota researchers who analyzed U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2005-07, also found that:About 10 million American children have chronic illnesses and 3 .... More »

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BadgerCare Plus program is open to all; officials try to make enrolling simpleBack-to-school should mean more than buying school supplies this year - it also should mean ensuring that children have health insurance.For the first time, affordable health insurance is available for nearly every child in Wisconsin.The introduction of BadgerCare Plus earlier this year has given a boost to the annual back-to-school campaign that encourages parents to enroll their children in state health programs."We are able to say every kid is eligible," .... More »

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No one likes to be hungry, especially children. Since good nutrition is essential to normal growth and development, it's important to feed hungry children food that tastes good, satisfies hunger and avoids adding unnecessary calories to their diet."Currently, 15 percent of children in the U.S. ages 6 to 19 are overweight, and another 16 percent are at risk of becoming overweight," said National Fiber Council Board member Christine Williams, MD. "Fiber-rich foods can play an important role in helping children maintain their weight, man .... More »

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In an era of so-called "helicopter parents," we've learned once again the downside of too much of a good thing. Swooping in and rescuing your child before he or she can make a mistake - in the hopes of preserving self-esteem - can bypass many learning opportunities.Many adults have probably told themselves at some point that we "learn from our mistakes." Overcoming and learning from failure are vital life skills that your child needs your help to learn and develop during childhood.Building your child's self-esteem is absolutely an imp .... More »

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A recent study published in the journal Bone found that higher intakes of calcium, such as those recommended by the USDA, may significantly improve bone health in children.Researchers used an evidence-based approach to assess data from 21 randomized clinical trials with more than 3,800 children to determine how the intake of dietary calcium affects bone mineral content (BMC), a marker for bone strength, in children. Statistically pooled data revealed that those children who had inadequate calcium consumption prior to the start of thes .... More »

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(HealthDay News) - Your baby's sleep environment should be carefully arranged to prevent injury.The National Safety Council offers these crib safety recommendations:Throw your older crib away if it has slats that are too far apart, lead paint or decorative cutouts that could harm your baby. The slats shouldn't be more than 2 3/8 inches apart.Choose a mattress that fits snugly inside the crib, with no gaps around the edges. Replace any mattress when you can insert two adult fingers between the mattress and the crib.Bumper pads should c .... More »

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Houston County health experts are reminding parents to get their children immunized against life threatening diseases.Public Information Officer Jennifer Jones with the North Central Health District tells FOX 24 News, research shows that children who are up-to-date on recommended vaccines increase their protection against serious and life-threatening infections.Jones says with the 2008-2009 school year on the horizon, the Houston County Health Department is urging parents to set immunization appointments for their children because cer .... More »

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Canada's largest city has recommended that parents limit the cellphone use of their children, but Health Canada said in response that science does not show that cellphones are unsafe.Toronto Public Health has released a report that recommends that children cut down on their cellphone use to avoid exposure to radio frequencies, which the city says may prove to be a health risk. It recommends that children, where possible, use land lines, limit the length of cellphone calls, use headsets or hands-free options, and keep cellphones only f .... More »

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As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity.According to a report released July 14 by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids."The National Poll on Children's Health report clearly shows that adults in America are very concerned about the problem of c .... More »

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Tooth decay in California children called a 'hidden epidemic'SACRAMENTO - As a pediatric dentist, Dr. James Musser sees many cautionary tales.In his 26 years of practice in Sacramento County, Musser has on occasion placed stainless steel crowns on all of a young patient's rotted baby teeth. Sometimes the tiny teeth are so decayed they are unsalvageable, and he must remove them all."Parents think they get a free ride on the first set," Musser said. "But baby teeth can decay and abscess, and the child can go through severe pain."Musser .... More »

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