Immunizations are an excellent way to help keep your child healthy.  Children entering kindergarten need to show proof of having received DTaP and MMRV boosters.  These vaccines help protect against whooping cough, measles, and chickenpox.  Likewise, children starting sixth grade need their meningococcal and Tdap vaccines.  The HPV vaccine can also be started at this age; this vaccine protects against cervical cancer.  It’s also a good idea to get a flu shot this fall.  Influenza can be quite serious and keep a child home from school for a week or longer.

Adequate sleep is very important to school success.  Start practicing the school schedule at least a week before school starts.  Generally, this means getting to bed and getting up earlier!  Most school children need nine hours of sleep every night.  And plan on enough time in the mornings for your child to get a good breakfast.  Children who eat breakfast get better grades.

Backpacks can get heavy with school books and cause back pain.  Make sure your child’s backpack fits over fits over both shoulders so the weight is evenly distributed over his back.  Throw in some hand sanitizer and Kleenexes to help ward off those school-time germs.

Most children ride the bus to school.  Find out where and when the bus will be coming.  If possible, greet the bus driver and meet the other children at the bus stop.

Many schools have a dress code.  Make sure your child’s clothes conform to the dress code and that they are comfortable and clean.  Contact the school’s social worker if you need assistance.

Your child’s future depends on a successful school experience.  Is your child is ready for school?  Are his immunizations up-to-date?  Does he have a good sleep schedule?  Are his clothes appropriate?  If your child complains about school or isn’t doing well, talk with his teacher(s) early in the school year.  Yes, school is for learning but it should also be fun and safe!

Ready to spend some time outside, now that the weather is warming up? Learn how to keep your kids sun safe.

Most of us Midwesterners have been bundled up all winter. A day at the park or zoo can provide kids the kind of intermittent sun exposure that leads to sunburn.

The amount of sunburn your children get now, before they turn 18, increases their risk for skin cancer, particularly melanoma.

Did you know that only onesevere sunburn in childhood can more than double the chances of skin cancer developing in adulthood?  With every sunburn comes a decrease in the skin’s natural ability to protect itself and an exponentially higher likelihood that skin disease will occur later in life.

Keep your kids burn-free this spring:

1. Make sure your sun safety practices are age appropriate.
2. Choose the right sunscreen.
3. Find the right sunglasses.
4. Pick the safest time and the place.
5. Skip the tanning bed!

You can help our Indy community be sun smart too.

• Teach your kids a fun sun safety game to play with their friends!
• Help your child’s school be sunwise. Learn about guidelines for school programs that strive to prevent skin cancer.
• Babies, with their delicate skin, are particularly vulnerable sun exposure. Each year, HealthNet Health Promotions offers Baby Be Sun Smart, a sun education program for mothers of newborns. This year, we will be distributing sun safety kits to HealthNet moms of babies between 0-3 months at well-baby visits. Moms receive a bilingual sun safety education flyer, a hand-made baby bonnet, and a small bottle of sunscreen.

Want to help a mom who can’t afford sunscreen for her baby? A donation of $75 to HealthNet Health Promotions will provide sunscreen for 75 sun safety kits.  Thanks for making a difference in our community!

As parents, we sometimes are so busy taking care of our children that we lose track of some of the details of their lives.

Take 5 minutes and test yourself with this 16-question quiz recommended by our Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families staff. It will help you to see if you are having enough conversations, spending enough time, and showing enough interest to share in your child’s life each day. A parent needs to know his or her child better than anyone else in the world!

1. If your child could paint his room any color, what would it be?
2. What does your child want to be when he or she grows up?
3. Who is your child’s best friend?
4. Does your child think he or she is too big or small for his age?
5. What does your child think others think about him?
6. What does your child like best about school? Why?
7. What does your child dislike about school? Why?
8. Who outside your family has influenced your child the most?
9. Who is your child’s hero?
10. How does your child feel about you?
11. What would your child change about his family?
12. Does your child think you are fair?
13. If your child had $5 today, what would he or she buy?
14. What is your child’s favorite toy?
15. What would your child change about you?
16. If asked, “What do you do well?” what would your child say?

Find a time to sit down with your child, check your answers and see how well you did!

Helping Vulnerable Kids and Families Succeed

ALL parents need reminders from time to time on how to be the best mom or dad they can be for their kids. HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families teams work with at-risk Indy parents during the critical early years of their children’s lives. They help increase parent knowledge of early childhood development, improve parenting practices, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse and neglect and increase children’s school readiness.  Kudos to these programs for making Indy a healthier place for children!

Caring for young children’s teeth is an important part of keeping their bodies healthy—and it’s never too early to get started!

Strong first or baby teeth set the stage for strong permanent teeth, and help children play, learn, and grow. In honor of Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month, here are some tips to keep your little one’s teeth healthy.

Did You Know?

Children without access to dental care suffer from tooth decay, gum disease, pain and missing permanent teeth. Studies show that children in underserved areas suffer even more, with twice as much tooth decay as their more affluent counterparts. Tooth decay is the number one chronic illness in children – five times more prevalent than asthma.

When Should Dental Care Start?

Proper dental care begins even before a baby’s first tooth appears. Remember that just because you can’t see the teeth doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Teeth actually begin to form in the second trimester of pregnancy. At birth a baby has 20 primary teeth, some of which are fully developed in the jaw.

Running a damp washcloth over a baby’s gums following feedings can prevent buildup of damaging bacteria. Once a child has a few teeth showing, parents can brush them with a soft child’s toothbrush or rub them with gauze at the end of the day.

Even babies can have problems with dental decay when parents do not practice good feeding habits. Putting a baby to sleep with a bottle in his or her mouth may be convenient in the short term — but it can harm the baby’s teeth. When the sugars from juice or milk remain on a baby’s teeth for hours, they may eat away at the enamel, creating a condition known as baby bottle tooth decay. Severe cases result in cavities and the need to pull all the front teeth until the permanent ones grow in.

The American Dental Association recommends that a child’s first visit to the dentist take place by his or her first birthday. At this visit, the dentist will explain proper brushing and flossing techniques (you need to floss once your baby has two teeth that touch) and conduct a modified exam while your baby sits on your lap.

Such visits can help in the early detection of potential problems. And, they help kids become accustomed to visiting the dentist so they’ll have less fear about going as they grow older!

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Looking for a dentist? HealthNet has five dental centers around Indianapolis. Click here to find the HealthNet dental center closest to you!

Generosity can be seen in many ways:

• Donating last year’s coat to a homeless shelter
• Dropping some spare change into the Salvation Army bell ringer’s red bucket
• Purchasing a toy for the Toys for Tots program

HealthNet has seen seen an outpouring of generosity over the last couple weeks. Groups have come together to donate coats, hats, gloves and blankets to our Homeless Initiative Program, and social workers at our Community Health Centers are getting ready to distribute toys to children in need thanks to organizations like Toys for Tots and Mattel’s Toy Donation Program.

But what happens when the new year begins and people get back to their daily lives?

HealthNet’s social workers work tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that thousands of families and children are having their basic needs met.

These needs include referrals to area programs to help with heating assistance, bus passes to get to their health care appointments, and guidance on where to find job training and educational services. Our social workers also work with families to help provide school uniforms, properly fitting shoes and even a gift for parents to give their child on his or her birthday.

During the holiday season there seems to be an abundance of organizations helping families provide toys to their children for Christmas but what happens when June comes along and a child is without a birthday gift or the basic needs of life?

With your help, HealthNet’s social workers can continue to provide these services year round.

Please consider donating $25 to help purchase a birthday gift and basic care items for a child who would otherwise go without. Give a gift that keeps giving year-round! 

We asked Dr. Philip Woller, DDS, why these check-ups are so important. Dr. Woller serves as dental director for HealthNet’s six dental clinics, which care for over 6,500 kids and adults each year. Here’s what he told us about kids and tooth decay:

1. After the common cold, it’s the most prevalent chronic childhood disease. Tooth decay is an infectious disease and over half of school children, ages 5 through 9, have at least one cavity. And, the problem is increasing dramatically in preschool-age kids.
2. Dental-related illnesses account for 52 million lost school hours each year. Because serious tooth decay can affect overall health, it can lead to problems with eating, talking, concentrating in class, learning and can eventually lead to school absences.
3. It’s preventable. You can stop the decay caused by bacteria by making sure your children brush and floss regularly and by taking advantage of affordable dental care in your neighborhood to schedule regular checkups.

A dental exam is just as important as booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations, echo the American Dental Association (ADA) and theAmericanAcademyof Pediatrics (AAP).

Back-to-school dental check ups should be easier to schedule during the weeks before students’ calendars fill up with after-school sports and homework. If you don’t already have a dentist, click here to find out which HealthNet dental clinic is closest to you.

Our sixth location opens this month and is just for kids. HealthNet Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center (PACC) is pleased to begin offering dental check-ups and cleanings for established PACC patients ages 0-5 each Thursday, beginning July 12. Learn more!

When I have young children and teenagers in the clinic I do my very best to talk to them and to encourage them regarding their current “roles” in society.  I stress with them that they only have two responsibilities.  The first and most important responsibility is for them follow the commands/directives of the adults (parents, teachers, neighbors etc…) and their second responsibility is to do well in school.  I tell them that if they are able to perfect these two responsibilities, then the chances of them being successful (defined as being a blessing to their community) will increase exponentially.

How does one do that?  Do what your parents have done, but better!

Being a parent is a wonderful calling and it is a blessing.  In my opinion, parenting is the most important job in the world.  As parents, we are able to help shape the next generation of leaders and what we do for our children can/will last a lifetime.  The way we carry ourselves, spend time with our children, encourage our children, love our children and discipline our children in love, goes well beyond the first 18 years of life.  Our children are a reflection of us.  Their behaviors, goals, dreams and aspirations are a result of what has been modeled for them growing up.  While there is no such thing as a perfect home or perfect parent, there are many things that we can do that will give our children a strong foundation to build upon as they prepare to lead the next generation.

flickr photo by jaqjan

When we have our picture taken, what is it that we want that portrait to say?  The same thing can be said regarding our children.  As parents, it is imperative that we do our very best to be successful role models for our children.  This in turn will help them to reflect or portray us.  How do we Give A Care About Kids?  By modeling success – hard work, accountability, responsibility, overcoming failures, never quitting, focusing on the family, stressing the importance of education, and thinking about how to be a blessing to others.

As a pediatrician, I stress these two responsibilities but I understand that this must start with the man/woman in the mirror… Me and You.  We too have a responsibility and that is to paint these beautiful pictures that are the next generation in the form of our children.  They are a reflection of us; a walking and talking image.

What pictures are you painting?

The Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families’ mantra should be We Care About Kids. Over 1500 kids, both born and unborn,  hold a place in the hearts of the more than 50 home visitors and support staff in these two programs over the course of a year.  Our passion and purpose is to ensure that children are born healthy and are raised in nurturing and safe environments.  Personally, I cannot think of a more important job than the job of the home visitors who beat the streets of neighborhoods that many of us would not venture into.  Our home visitors use proven strategies and interventions for parents or parents-to-be to develop relationships with children that will form the basis of all of their future relationships and interactions.  With their loving hearts and caring hands, the home visitors support individuals and families and teach about falling in love with their children.  Many of the individuals and families that we serve have experienced childhood trauma, which impacts their ability to care for their children as parents.

The following story is just one of the success stories that illustrate how building a relationship with both BIBs and Healthy Families participants, who are HealthNet patients, can change an adult’s life. The result of a child feeling love and protection from a healthy relationship with the parent helps the child become a caring human being capable enough to handle life.

Nancy enrolled in the program and initially was not completely open about her past. She was very quiet and timid.  Over the course of a few visits, Nancy opened up to her home visitor, disclosing a significant history of depression, anxiety, abuse, and rape.  Her home visitor arranged for Nancy to see a HealthNet Behavioral Health therapist, and she and her home visitor worked together on ways to help her cope with her stressors.  Nancy did see a therapist and is now attending weekly sessions.  She regularly uses the stress relief techniques that the home visitor taught her and is working on eating healthier and exercising.  Nancy enjoys the praise she gets from her home visitor and reports that one of the few things she looks forward to each week is her home visit.  While Nancy’s story is ongoing, her progress and willingness to share her history and emotions demonstrate growth and maturity that is supported by services provided by BIBs and Healthy Families.

Children are our future; we must take care of them with maximum effort. -Naomi Campbell

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To learn more about our #GiveACareAbout Kids theme, click here.
Have any questions about our BIBs/Healthy Families program? Comment below or tweet us – @GiveACareIndy.

This is a total assumption, but I think it may be a pretty well-grounded one.  Unless parents today take time out to sit their child down and explain who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, most children probably won’t know until they bring it up in school.

It would be hard to explain.. a man who fought for freedom and rights for all people, a man who was a preacher with the title of Doctor, and a man who was put in jail for speaking what he believed was right.

It is hard to explain anything that complex to a young child, but the one way children can begin to know who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, is through parents who express love for the child no matter what the situation.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8_1NYYKixM]

Giving children a dream that no matter what situation they are living in at that moment that they will be able to achieve whatever they put their mind to, is sometimes a difficult task.  The stresses of everyday life can wear on any parent and make it easy to dampen the aspirations of children.

Reflecting on MLK Day, many inspirational quotes are spread throughout the online world — quotes that help you get going and keep you moving toward YOUR dream.

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Do you have a favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quote?
How do you try to give inspiration to young children in the community?
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You can help our Better Indy Babies program assist Indianapolis children in pursuing their dreams by supporting our ONCE UPON A HEALTHY BABY event.  Click here to learn more about how we are teaming up with six (6) Once Upon a Child locations throughout Indianapolis to raise funds and awareness about our program that has proven to decrease infant mortality and premature births.

photo by Find Me Famous

Adding the FUN to fundraising during one of these events is what Prevent Child Abuse America is inviting everyone to do!  A HOUSE PARTY to help raise awareness and funding for this cause.

Healthy Families America is a program that is part of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA), and before Healthy Families America opened a branch in Indiana, children in our community had to be reported as being abused or neglected FIRST before a family could receive support services.

HealthNet‘s Better Indy Babies (BIBs) and Healthy Families (HF) Programs would love for your PCA America House Party to benefit them!! These two programs work hand in hand to make sure Indianapolis children ages
zero to 5 AND their families have the resources needed for the healthy development and success in the first years of school.

You can learn more about the great things being accomplished by our BIBs/HF staff by reading our introduction post here.

What do you think about throwing a house party
and fundraising at the same time?
Comment below!