Countries in East Asia and the Pacific were among the first globally to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the first wave, however, the pandemic was kept mostly under control. During subsequent waves in 2021, virus variants, including the highly contagious Delta variant, elevated several countries in the region to hotspots for COVID-19,…

Good nutrition during the 1,000-day window between pregnancy and 2 years old can give children the opportunity to reach their full potential. Conversely, malnutrition early in life can cause irreversible damage to a child's brain development and physical growth, leading to a lifetime of poor health and lost potential. Each year, malnutrition costs…

Physical health is a key component of early childhood development and school readiness. By keeping children healthy and decreasing the chances of disease outbreaks, immunizations help early childhood programs create a safe environment for children. While overall vaccination rates are high nationally for most vaccines routinely recommended for…

Otitis Media (OM) is an important global issue that can have a long-lasting impact on a child's life. There is no easy fix! For a family who has a child with OM, the ramifications can be short term and have minimal consequences, or they can be very complex and involve medical, educational, behavioural and wellbeing issues, and may even be…

Childhood overweight and obesity are major problems in the United States, with important consequences for our nation's health and economy. Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, yet children, adolescents, and adults skip breakfast on a routine basis. This habit of breakfast skipping is related to weight gain, higher body mass…

Objective: To assess risk factors for diarrheal illness among clients of a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic in Miami, FL. Design: A cross-sectional survey with questions about demographics, food safety practices, and diarrheal illness. Setting: WIC clinic operated by the Miami-Dade County Health…

Theories and practices in early childhood education continually evolve, and the same is true in the health field. Such change is especially apparent in the area of childhood immunizations. Since vaccination to prevent smallpox was first started in the late 1700s, recommendations for which immunizations to give and when to give them have been…

The Candy Land board game has been in production since 1949 and remains one of the best-known and biggest-selling children's board games of all time. Beginning with the fiftieth-anniversary edition in 1998, Hasbro Inc. has promoted the story of how a retired schoolteacher named Eleanor Abbott came to invent Candy Land while recuperating in a polio…

A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the earliest years--beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant--lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early…

"New Jersey Kids Count 2011" again documents both advances and setbacks in key areas that affect child well-being--poverty, health, child protection, education, including early learning, and adolescent well-being. To better gauge New Jersey's progress in essential areas, a "New Jersey Kids Count Report Card" that identifies…

Dental caries, periodontal diseases, tooth loss and oral cancers have significant burden of disease effects, quality of life and cost implications for the Australian community. Oral health promotion is a key approach to addressing these conditions endorsed as part of the National Oral Health Plan. Understanding the evidence for effectiveness of…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

This booklet is part of the "Children's Activity Series," a set of four supplemental teaching resources that promote awareness about health, family life, and cultural diversity for children in kindergarten through third grade. Nine activities are included in this booklet to help children be "germ smart" help children in kindergarten through third…

Argues that immunizations are the most powerful and most effective way to prevent childhood infectious diseases. Presents immunization rates in Missouri and describes recent state legislation adding tetanus and pertussis to required immunizations for school attendance. Identifies factors contributing to Missouri's low preschool immunization level.…

The goal of the Bright Futures project is to respond to the emerging preventive and health promotion needs of infants, children, and adolescents. Bright Futures is sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the United States Public Health Service and the Medicaid Bureau of the Health Care Financing Administration. Over 100 professionals,…