Health Safety & Nutrition for Young Children

Parents must manage a child's health and development using dependable resources, adapting to dietary changes and learning what causes behavioral patterns.

• Health is integrated into the child's overall well-being.

Pediatrician as Partner

• A pediatrician checks a child's health and advises specific conditions like asthma. Pediatricians may also provide resources for quality of life needs like giving information on guardianship to relative care-givers.

Diet

• Be creative in serving healthy foods.

  A common dietary problem, iron deficiency anemia, may go unnoticed. Mix and blend healthy foods. For a child who likes rice but not spinach, use spinach as flavoring.

Behavior

• Reduce outbursts in young children by learning "triggers" that set off tantrums. Dr. Stuart Ablon of Think:Kids advises parents to observe a child's skill sets.

Hygiene

• Teach good hygiene using games. Brush a toddler's teeth while they brush yours. Use string to lead them to the bathroom where they discover a colorfully wrapped bar of soap to wash hands.

Listen

• Listen to a child by "feeding back" information. If a toddler demands gum, the parent can repeat, "Johnny wants gum." Author Harvey Karp, M.D. of "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" calls this the "fast food" rule.

Development

• Managing health helps the parent understand their child and discover how diet, behaviors and emotional health lead to positive family relationships.