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Did you know . . .

Health insurance helps parents know that their child will get the medical care they need—when they need it—no matter what the cost!

A great deal of public attention has been given to the gains in children’s health insurance coverage made in recent years. But while public program expansions have driven a significant increase in the number of children who are insured, more than 9 million still lack health insurance—that’s one out of every eight children.

Children who have health insurance generally have better health throughout their childhood and into their teens. They are more likely to:

Stress during pregnancy could cause children to have mental and behavioural problems like ADHD?

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6298909.stm

Stress ‘harms brain in the womb’

Children whose mothers were stressed out during pregnancy are vulnerable to mental and behavioural problems like ADHD, mounting evidence suggests.
Latest UK research by Professor Vivette Glover of Imperial College London found stress caused by rows with or violence by a partner was particularly damaging.
Experts blame high levels of the stress hormone cortisol crossing the placenta.

Professor Glover found high cortisol in the amniotic fluid bathing the baby in the womb tallied with the damage. The babies exposed to the highest levels of cortisol during their development had lower IQs at 18 months.The same infants were also more likely to be anxious and fearful, she told a conference of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Professor Glover said: “We looked at what stresses were most harmful. We found that if the woman had a partner who was being emotionally cruel to them while they were pregnant it had a really significant effect on their baby’s future development. It really shows that the partner has a big role to play.”

The work suggests maternal stress is a true risk factor in its own right, although Professor Glover acknowledged that genetic factors and home environment after birth would also have an impact on a child’s development. She said most babies grow up unaffected by a stressful womb environment.

Big impact

However, she said maternal stress increases the risk of a range of problems - it doubles the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), for example.

“We should be screening women in pregnancy for stress and intervening. It has big public health implications. About a million children in the UK have neurodevelopmental problems - ADHD, cognitive delay, anxiety and so on. About 15% of this might be due to antenatal stress. If we could reduce the mother’s stress while she is pregnant we might be able to potentially improve the outcome for about 150,000 children,” Professor Glover said.

Dr David Coghill, senior lecturer and honorary consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Dundee, said pregnant women should not be “unduly concerned” by the findings.
He explained: “We are talking about here is extremely high levels of stress and distress. Stress is a normal factor of daily life and is something that the body copes with very well. However, it is a warning for people who may be facing more severe stresses and for those around women who are pregnant that increasing stress levels above what is normal for a person is not a good thing to do at that time.”

Professor Glover has submitted her work for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Hypertension in Children - Related to Poor Diet?
By Kristi Patrice Carter

Hypertension is chronic high blood pressure. In the past, this was a condition usually only seen in older adults. However, an increasing number of children are being diagnosed with hypertension. What is the cause of this alarming trend? According to the majority of leading researchers, the cause for this trend is diet.

Because more parents work outside of the home, more families consume prepared food on a daily basis. While these foods are easier, they are not better for you in terms of health. These foods can be filled with hidden calories, fat, sodium, and cholesterol. All of these contribute negatively to the health of a human heart. While it may take more time and effort, it may be in your child’s best interest to limits the amount of these foods your child consumes on a regular basis.

Children are also eating higher amounts of fast food than they have in the past. Decades ago, a trip to a fast food restaurant was an occasional treat for children. This is no longer the case. Many children eat at least five fast food meals a week, which has a significant impact on their health. These children are often obese, and recent studies indicate that these children develop chronic health conditions later on in life, such as diabetes and hypertension.

These foods are replacing healthy food choices like fresh fruits and vegetables in many homes. Instead of making processed snacks available to children, parents should encourage their children to snack on fruits and vegetables instead. Put healthy snacks on the shelves in the pantry and refrigerator that your children can reach. Place “sometimes” foods in places where your children cannot reach them. This may take some parental monitoring, but this change can be accomplished with a little bit of work and perseverance.

This problem is compounded by the fact that children spend more time in front of a television or computer screen than they have in the past. Instead of going outside to play and get exercise, children are becoming more sedentary. As a result, their health is suffering. Parents can help by sending their children outside to play every day and by limiting the amount of time children spend watching television or playing on the computer.

In conclusion, there are many steps you can take in order to maintain the health of your child. Your child may protest these changes at first, but you must stand firm. Your child will thank you later on in life for your efforts now.

Hypertension is a serious medical condition that affets children and adults. To earn more about hypertension and how to cure it with diet and exercise, please visit http://www.dashdiethypertension.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kristi_Patrice_Carter
http://EzineArticles.com/?Hypertension-in-Children—Related-to-Poor-Diet?&id=585398