Get Vaccinated!

Parents must make thousands of healthcare decisions for their children over the course of their lives. Immunizations are crucial to disease prevention and have multiple benefits. Consider the following statements from the Department of Health and Human Services:

- Immunizations can save a child’s life. Because of advances in medical science, children can be protected against more diseases than ever before. Some diseases that once injured or killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely and others are close to extinction– primarily due to safe and effective vaccines.

- Vaccination is very safe and effective. Vaccines are only given to children after a long and careful review by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals.

- Immunization protects others. Unfortunately, some babies are too young to be completely vaccinated and some people may not be able to receive certain vaccinations. To help keep them safe, it is important that children who are able to get vaccinated are fully immunized. This helps prevent the spread of these diseases to friends and loved ones.

- Vaccinations can save time and money. A child with a vaccine-preventable disease can be denied attendance at schools or child care facilities. In contrast, getting vaccinated against these diseases is a good investment and usually covered by insurance.

- Immunization protects future generations. Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that killed or severely disabled people just a few generations ago. If we continue vaccinating now, and vaccinating completely, parents in the future may be able to trust that some diseases of today will no longer be around to harm children in the future.

The Vaccines For Children (VFC) program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children from low-income families. To find out more about the VFC program, visit http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/index.html. To learn more about specific vaccines or other information about immunizations, visit www.vaccines.gov.

Developing a Second Language

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Learning a second language is something that everyone can benefit from at any age. At birth, a child has no language comprehension, but already has the building blocks with which to learn. Teaching a child early on to speak multiple languages has been proven to help students while learning.

It’s a common misconception that dual language learning may cause speech delays, when in fact, the opposite may be true. Bilingual children often know more total words (in both languages combined) than children who speak only one language. Of course, being bilingual also helps to enable social and career opportunities in the future. Once in the teen years and older, the brain does not process language learning the same way as it does in childhood. To learn some ideas for getting started, check out this article from Parents Magazine and this one from PBS.

The Sound of Music

Music education helps children learn on many different levels, and music therapy is an important field that reduces stress for many children. Consider some of the numerous ways music education can help a child:
- Learning to use multiple skill sets at the same time (singing, dancing, playing an instrument)
- Helping develop part of the brain that processes languages
- Absorbing new information through music and making connections with it
- Exercising the brain - scientists have noticed more neural activity in children who have music education compared to children who haven’t had any musical training
- Improving fine motor skills and sound cognition
- Increasing spatial intelligence and the ability to visualize different elements working together
- Solving problems that arise with architecture, engineering, math, art, gaming, and working with computers

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Learning an instrument, singing, and dancing have so many intrinsic benefits that can help a child abundantly. What is your experience with music education or music therapy? Leave a comment below!

For more information about music education, check out this PBS article. To learn more about music therapy, see this article featuring a program at the University of Alabama.

Starting the New Year Fresh and Clean

As you start off the new year, you may have been thinking about positive changes you can make in your life and your family's. If you've been considering improving cleanliness and hygiene, the following ideas might help! We know convincing a child of the importance of hygiene and instilling healthy habits can be a challenge. Here are a few helpful hints as children age and begin to take on more responsibility for their own cleanliness.

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- Routine: Children thrive on routine. Once they perform these tasks daily, they will begin to accept them as the norm.
- Fun: Make a beard out of those bath bubbles or turn a runny nose into a horn blowing impression. Children love repeating fun tasks.
- Example: Let them witness you getting ready or washing your hands before you cook. Your child won’t naturally pick up on these habits; he needs to see them practiced!
- Talk: Explain the importance of grooming. Children are naturally curious creatures, so explaining germs can help them understand why hygiene is so important.
- Reward: When a child knows that they have a new toothbrush or a cool bath toy waiting for them to use, the task is less of a chore and more of an exciting new experience.

Let us know some of your favorite ways to keep your child clean in the comments. For more tips and ideas, check out this article!

Pediatricians & Healthy Child Development

Charles Bruner, Ph.D., director of the Child and Family Policy Center and HMG National partner, has written a blog post for BUILDing Strong Foundations. In the post, he describes the critical role primary health care practitioners play in the development of young children. "Health Equity, the Triple Aim, and the First Two Years" also discusses the importance of connecting these professionals with other early childhood leaders. “The first two years of life ultimately are the most important ones to ensuring an individual’s health,” he writes. “During this time, the primary health care practitioner is the professional most likely to see and assess the child. She or he is best able also to identify and serve as first responder to conditions that jeopardize healthy development.” Read more here.

Power of Play

Play matters! This month our friends at the Alabama Partnership for Children remind us of the importance of play for young children. Lifelong fitness is something that everyone should aim for, and the best time to learn healthy habits is in early childhood.

Most parents put their children in sports to keep them active, but before doing this there are a few things to consider. Make sure that the activity is age appropriate. Toddlers and preschoolers are still mastering motor skills, so organized sports aren’t designed for them. Supervise and interact with young children while they play indoors or outdoors – it’s important to simply keep them active and safe. When children are old enough for sports (typically around age 6) make sure they enjoy the sport. If a child isn’t having fun with whatever activity she is doing, she probably won’t want to participate in it again.

Share your favorite activities for indoor or outdoor play in the comments! For more ideas for age appropriate play, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic.

Comprehensive Screening - "The Earlier the Better"

Age-appropriate developmental screening and surveillance is a gateway for at risk children to receive services. “The Earlier the Better” is a recent report from the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut which highlights the role of screening as part of a comprehensive approach to school readiness. In the report, we are reminded that identification of delay and subsequent intervention prior to kindergarten saves society between $30,000 and $100,000 per child in academic and social service costs. The report reasserts our understanding that parents are their child’s best caregivers, and that parents are effective and reliable when administering developmental assessments. The authors recommend that all children are screened within an integrated system, screening results are available across services, children are connected to services they need, and all involved providers are engaged in developmental promotion in partnership with families.

Visit http://www.chdi.org/devscreen-IMPACT for the full report and learn what strategies are being implemented in Connecticut.