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Give Kids a Healthy Start to the New School Year

^{Published on 2010-08-02 08:30:49 - Market Wire}
 

LOS ANGELES--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--With September soon to signal the start of a new school semester, August is primetime for parents to help ensure that their kids are on track for a successful year. While moms and dads are busily stocking up on school supplies and mapping out carpool schedules, [ Health Net, Inc. ] (NYSE:HNT) is reminding parents that their back-to-school-to-do lists also should include making medical and dental appointments, as well as taking steps to ease their childrena™s transition from free-form summer to focused fall.

"can lead to overall health problems, and this a" in turn a" can adversely affect a childa™s ability to learn."

aChildrena™s physical health is intrinsically tied to performing well in school,a explains Jonathan Scheff, M.D., chief medical officer for Health Net. aThata™s why we recommend that back-to-school preparations include a visit to the doctor and to the dentist. Ita™s also a good idea,a he adds, ato start following a school routine before school actually starts.a

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Medical check-up

aEach new school year should be preceded by a thorough physical exam,a Scheff advises. aGenerally speaking, pediatricians will screen for medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. Vision and hearing tests also should be administered.a Scheff notes that this doctora™s visit further serves as a good opportunity for parents to express any concerns about their childa™s emotional and developmental status.

At this appointment, attention additionally should be turned to making sure that youngsters are up-to-date on their vaccines. aThere currently are 10 vaccines that are recommended by the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases to help prevent children from contracting 14 specific diseases,a says Scheff. These diseases are:

• Diphtheria;
• Hepatitis A;
• Hepatitis B;
• Hib disease (haemophilus influenza type B);
• Influenza (flu);
• Measles;
• Mumps;
• Pertussis (whooping cough);
• Pneumococcal disease;
• Polio;
• Rotavirus;
• Rubella (German measles);
• Tetanus (lockjaw);
• Varicella (chickenpox).

aAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, because children are particularly susceptible to infections,a Scheff points out, amost vaccines are given during the first five to six years of life.a The recommended childhood immunization schedule is available online at [ NCIRD: Instant Childhood Immunization Scheduler ].

Dental check-up

aDental problems,a cautions Robert Shechet, D.D.S., director of dental programs for Health Net, acan lead to overall health problems, and this a" in turn a" can adversely affect a childa™s ability to learn.a In fact, according to the Surgeon Generala™s Report on Oral Health in 2000, tooth decay is the most common, chronic childhood disease, with an incidence rate five times that of asthma.

aYoungsters often dona™t realize that they have a dental problem,a Shechet says, aso parents need to take action when they notice a" for example a" that their childa™s eating habits have changed. Most importantly, their children need to have dental check-ups at least twice a year, starting after the first baby tooth appears.a

Smoothing the transition

On the heels of a slow-paced, sun-soaked summer, starting a new school year can be a shock to a youngstera™s system. To help smooth this transition, Scheff recommends:

• Instituting a sleep schedulea"Several days before school starts, children should begin a bedtime and wake-up schedule that mirrors their impending, weekday routine.
• Bagging healthy lunch choicesa"Take your child grocery shopping and together select items that meet two criteria: they are healthy and they actually will be eaten.
• Making breakfast a prioritya"As part of your parent-child-grocery-store outing, also select an assortment of healthy breakfast items to ensure that your youngster starts the day in a nutritious way.
• Inking in important infoa"Organization is key to curbing stress, so a" to the extent possible a" note in a calendar when assignments are due, tests are scheduled, etc. Also record important information, such as locker combinations and teachersa™ names/numbers.
• Weighing backpacksa"Overloaded backpacks can injure your childa™s back. According to the American Chiropractic Association, a youngstera™s backpack should weigh no more than 10 percent of his or her body weight.

About Health Net

Health Net, Inc. is among the nationa™s largest publicly traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The companya™s health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.0million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Neta™s behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 5.9 million individuals in all 50 states. The companya™s subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.

For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the companya™s website at [ www.healthnet.com ].