A child is any person under the age of 18. Although in some cases children may refer to any human being who has not completed the tertiary school but according to the law age matters because some children finish tertiary education when they are young and others when they are old than age prescribed by the law for a child. The first years in an individual’s life are vital in determining health. It’s essential when a child is born to be well taken care of by giving the child the right medication. Being healthy is necessary if children and young people are to get the best out of life and fulfil it in the best way. To achieve this, health provisions for children and young people need to be improved. Children in foster care have a disproportionate percentage of health and developmental problems that are often missed or not treated properly. This well-known assertion was the impetus for the establishment in the early 1990s of foster care clinics across Connecticut dedicated exclusively to the welfare and growth of foster children (Monica, 2002).
Child health concerns are issues which hurt the development of a child. Some of the health concerns include nutrition. Young children have a weak immune system which is can easily be attacked by any disease. Some of the diseases caused by poor diet include Malnutrition, obesity, and rickets. Many young children in families with low income are either obese or malnourished due to the factor that they don’t get a well-balanced diet. Diarrhoea, dysentery and cholera are also other diseases in children caused as a result of poor nutrition. Hygiene is essential in preparing children’s food, and even when serving the food, hygienic conditions should be observed. To avoid these attacks, parents are advised to give their children a balanced diet also immunization against such diseases should be done at the appropriate time to prevent infection. Another health concern is dental health. Dental health in children is very rampant. Tooth decay and other diseases caused by teeth may are prevalent in young children because of a lack of proper care of their teeth (Mezey, 2004).
Psychological health is another concern in children. For a child to perform correctly in school, he or she is supposed to be happy, confident, and secure. Some characteristics which may indicate that child is not feeling good include dullness, isolation from other children, and not playing with his peers. Some times children have problems, and if not monitored well by their mentors, they may have negative impacts on the growth and development of the child. This may even affect the child’s performance in school and also in other aspects of production (Laurence, 2002).
Social, economic, cultural and environmental factors impact on a Childs pathway to adulthood. These factors have a strong influence on the outcomes and life chances for children. A child born in a family with high income has a difference with a child of low income. The children of low-income earners are likely to have adverse health because they live in areas with the harsh condition and end missing school due to illness as compared to high-income earners. These families stay in areas where health hazards are plenty, e.g. where there is no proper sanitation, air pollution is rampant, and where the environment is not supportive, and their parents are more likely to report parenting aggravation. Mothers in low-income families are one-third as likely as higher-income mothers to be in excellent or perfect physical and mental health themselves, which affects their ability to care for their children. Children of low-income earners are likely to participate in activities which pay. They participate in voluntary activities or community service. Low-income earners don’t ensure their children and their children are not expected to receive preventive medical and dental care. The environment is another factor that influences child development. This includes the experiences the child encounter in their home, school, and in the community. The situation can either improve or harm a child’s development. Because children are growing and developing, they are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of environmental pollutants which may be cancer-causing. Health research points out that children between the ages of 2 to15 have a risk of contracting cancer. Child health risk factors should be taken into account when evaluating environmental safety (Levin, 1999).
Asthma is another health concern in children. Asthma is most cases is associated with sudden coughing and wheezing. The tubes that carry air to the lungs are inflamed and may be swollen and clogged with mucus; this is the first stage of asthma attacks. The inflamed airway becomes very sensitive, and the body becomes allergic to dust particles, cold air, or physical exercise can cause the airway to squeeze tight, leaving little room for air pass. Statistics show that about 8 million Americans under the age of 18 years have been diagnosed with the disease, but 50 to 70 percentages of the youngsters are free from adulthood symptoms. Also, most children with asthma have allergies, so if your child suffers from fever, eczema, or any allergic reaction take it seriously. Parents are, therefore advised to take their children for medication. The most common remedy is corticosteroids and bronchodilators. Asthma can be deadly if left untreated, but children can go healthy lives if medication is fully taken. Parents should not limit their children from physical exercise because they are asthmatic (Graber, 1999).
Other childhood infections include; flu, bronchitis, mumps, sore throat, ear infections, foot infections, eye infections, heat rash, constipation, fever, headaches, whooping cough, teething, vomiting, ringworms, food allergies and lice. Parents should take the necessary precautions to avoid these diseases (Graber, 1999).
Another child health concern is a disability. Disability is inevitable and young children borne with disability problem should not be looked down as a cast in the family. Disability affects the development of a child because they grow relatively slowly than typical kinds. Families with disabled children are supposed to have physical programs for the disabled (Peterson, 1998)
In many countries and most government schools, they have incorporated a wide range of services and programs that are provided to support their health and well being. Some of these programs include; immunization, school health service, students support, ways to keep children home, dental health, nutrition, physical education and school chaplains. All these programs ensure that children health is fit. Parents should learn how to solve their children’s problems. They should be able to listen to their children to avoid the mental challenge. Counselling is essential to young children who are not willing to speak out their issues quickly. Parents are supposed to counsel their children’s problems without judging them. They are also supposed to encourage them to open up and talk about their problems out when they have a problem. This has a lot of impact on children’s life because it reduces the emotional baggage for the child mind. If you are concerned with your child’s progress in school, you should speak to the parties involved with your child’s education. If the teachers do not adequately solve your concerns, ask an intervention team from the principal as that is the group that will assist your child academically and in terms of behaviour. If your child is not in school, and you have concerns regarding their development, the relevant child centres. Every child as an individual, as a different developmental process than those of his peers. Some children may start walking earlier than others. This should not worry about the parent, but the parent should consult a paediatrician. Children are supposed to be given and shown a lot of love. This does not mean that they are not supposed to be disciplined because of the significant difference between respect and discipline. Some ways to show appreciation to our children is by hugging them, listening to them playing with them, eating with them, and reading with them. This is important because you learn a lot concerning your child’s interests and skills (Kelly, 1999).
In many countries, the government has put some measures to improve child health and well being. These initiatives include; antenatal care and postnatal care, where all pregnant mothers are advised to visit the hospital for a checkup and also after giving birth, they are entitled to take their children for medical checkup. Other initiatives include; consistent and cross-sectional national approach on identifying and supporting vulnerable families in the antenatal period earlier, everyday child health and well-being competence for all who deliver and care for children. These initiatives improve not only child health and well being but also the future of the child. The action also led to quality service provision and valuable health trends. Both the health and community services sectors will be actively involved in developing and implementing solutions, as well as establishing close links with the education sector to facilitate further positive outcomes in child health and well-being (Janger, 1999).
Children in families of low-income earners, spend a lot of time with their parents looking for basic needs. The family spends most of the time doing casual work and does not have time to spend with their children. In many cases, the parents wake up early in the morning and sleep late in the evening make the children adapt to their parents sleeping patterns. This affects children’s life because sleep is essential in a child’s growth (Davie, 2006).
For healthy a child, parents are supposed to immunize their children against diseases. Some of the illnesses include smallpox, measles, polio, hepatic B, which hazardous conditions for children. While the majority of children receive annual preventive healthcare visits, very few receive preventive medical care which is very vital. Also, for a healthy child, a regular source of medical care that meets the standards of accessibility, continuous, comprehensive, coordination, compassion and cultural sensitivity. A child’s health is essential to the family. When a child is ill, there is a lot of impact on the family because family resources are going to be used, and also they will be affected emotionally. Vaccination is another way of ensuring healthy children. They should be vaccinated against diseases during a breakout. Children between the age of 2 and 5 have a routine checkup visit. These visits are healthy for the child because the doctor keeps a close eye to the child’s development. To ensure that your child is free from some of the infectious diseases, the parent is supposed to ensure his children are immunized against some of the conditions such as measles, and smallpox. In cases of outbreaks, vaccination against such diseases should be done. Children’s health is also determined by the environment in which they are living. This includes the experiences the child encounter in their home, school, and in the community. The situation can either improve or harm a child’s development (Carl, 2005)
If you are concerned with your child’s progress in school, you should speak to the parties involved with your child’s education. If the teachers do not adequately solve your concerns, ask an intervention team from the principal as that is the group that will assist your child academically and in terms of behaviour. If your child is not in school, and you have concerns regarding their development, the relevant child centres. Every child, as an individual has a different developmental process from those of his peers. Some children may start walking earlier than others. This should not worry about the parent, but the parent should consult a paediatrician. Children are supposed to be given and shown a lot of love. This does not mean that they are not supposed to be disciplined because of the significant difference between respect and discipline. Some ways to show appreciation to our children is by hugging them, listening to them playing with them, eating with them, and reading with them. This is important because you learn a lot concerning your child’s interests and skills (Alexander, 2005).
To conclude, children’s health has a lot of impact on their growth. To have a healthy child, parents teachers are advised to immunize their children, provide a balanced diet, physical education, love and vaccination in case of a disease breakout. Children are also supposed to be given physical exercise because it’s vital for a child’s growth and development. Parents should ensure that their children are happy because happiness leads to mental healing.
Reference:
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