o   A lot of parents focus on the amount of time that their children should spend brushing their teeth. Generally, dentists and experts will tell you that anywhere between 2 and 3 minutes is acceptable. However, this strengthens the perception that tooth brushing is a chore, and may not be as strong a tool for teaching your children good habits. Instead of focusing on how long your children ought to spend brushing, focus on the quality of the brushing – teach your children how to reach all of the surfaces and areas on their teeth, and to brush effectively, rather than simply swishing the brush around to pass time.

o   Make sure that your children understand the proper times of day to brush. Some parents (and some dentists, in fact) maintain that it is ideal for people to brush their teeth three times a day. However, most importantly, you need to make sure that your children are brushing on their own in the morning before school and at night before they go to bed. Instilling these habits in a young child is very important, as the routine should stick later in life.

o   You also want to teach your children at an early age how to floss. Flossing seems to be the main thing that dentists recommend and patients ignore. However, not only can it help to remove loose particles from mouths, it can also be very effective in cleaning the space between teeth and maintaining health in the gums. Again, if you teach your children to floss at a young age, they will be more likely to stick with the habit as they grow older, and will therefore likely have healthier mouths.

Foods – It isn’t a matter of how much a child eats, it is what he eats that might lead to obesity. Does your child reach for an apple or for some cookies? Is dessert time any time? Desserts can be great, but reserve these treats for after dinner.

Lethargic – Does your child lack the normal energy to get through twenty minutes of a physical activity? Are most of his or her activities centered on one spot in the house like the computer or the television? This may be a sign your child is lacking the proper vitamins he or she needs for energy and growth.

Sleep – Is your child sleeping in? Does he or she lack the ability to get up early like he or she used to? Keep in mind that if children are sleeping too much, it means a lack of energy. Again this could mean a lack in vitamins and nutrients gained from eating healthy foods.

These are only a couple of signs of child obesity. Talk to your child about the things they eat, at home and at school. Don’t stop buying the food you love, but start buying additional fruits and vegetables. It is just one way to help your child lead a long and healthy life.

Such situation is probably one of the worst that you and your children can experience. Just think of your children crying because of the pain that they feel, calling out your name and asking for your help. You are most likely to feel helpless because can’t do anything to alleviate the pain that your children feel.

Add to it the financial burden that you need to carry to save your children’s lives. Medical expenses are not a joke-the complicated the operation or medication that your children need to take, the higher the bill you need to pay later on.

That is why your children should also be covered by a health insurance policy. Such policy will help you in paying out the medical expenses of your children. In other words, you are assured of a secured health plan for your children in case of emergencies or other unexpected situations.

However, many parents are still unaware of the benefits of getting health insurance policies for their children. It is quite evident on the recent studies conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation together with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) which shows that about 7 to 8 million children in the United States (under 18 years old) are not covered by health insurance.

Although said figure is lower than the previous 10 million uninsured American children reported in 1997, the CDC still maintains the fact that millions of American children are still exposed to the threat to their health and growth. As a matter of fact, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported that only one out of three children goes living the entire year without seeing a doctor.

For parents, however, getting their children covered in a health insurance policy will also cost some of their fortunes. Most of the 7 to 8 million uninsured children in the country came from poor families. And with the increasing cost of health insurance, these poor families find hard time compensating it with their meager budget, which leads to missed doctor’s appointments, irregular medication intake, and lack of the necessary medical protection for the youngsters in the form of immunizations.

Fortunately, the country’s federal and state governments are now working out to lessen the number of uninsured children. Programs such as Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are now expanding its eligibility requirements to cover more children, especially those who belong to poor families.

Many states offer low-cost health insurance coverage for the children. Such costs are dependent on their parent’s financial capability. In other words, if you cannot sufficiently provide your children the health insurance that they need, the state will shoulder it. Physician’s appointments and prescribed medications are some of the services offered in low-cost health insurance for children.

Aside from the steps taken by state health programs and Medicaid, there are also several ideas proposed by the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) to help poor children and families to obtain the health insurance coverage that they need. These include the following:

* Enhanced local efforts to identify and get children who are eligible for a health insurance policy but not enrolled either in SCHIP or other available insurance programs.

* Providing states the option of expanding state health programs in order to cover approximately 2 million Americans who are living below the poverty line yet ineligible for any state care program.

* Giving out budget loans to aid middle-class workers to maintain their health insurance coverage even if they are unemployed.

Protect you children against the risk for diseases and other consequences that may arise due to lack of proper health care. Avail of the aforementioned health insurance programs for your children and provide them the bright future that they are entitled to have.

In all honesty, most children hardly remember the dinner they had last night, let alone remember everything they ate during the week. You will need to identify exactly what you are dealing with in order to handle potential eating problems. Talk with your children and discuss together what they eat. Help them to keep a diary of all the foods they take in during the day. Let them take diaries to school and write down everything. After a week, check back into the diaries. This will be a good record into what your children eat.

After the week is over, go over the diary with your child. Note the food choices that were made while you were not around. It is okay for a child to treat himself to a cheeseburger and fries for a day or two, but five days in a row and there is a concern. Explain to him about why we need a more diverse diet. To assist with this, plan meals at breakfast and dinnertime that will include much-needed vitamins and minerals. This way, if there are continued poor food choices at school, you know your child is getting some vitamins from the food he eats with you. It is a great way to know what your children eat and to help them learn the importance of a balanced diet.

Besides medication, the parents must also seek counseling and behavioral therapy for their children. There is no harm in encouraging children to take yoga, hypnosis or meditation classes. Such classes improve the concentration and general well being of the children. However, this must be done in consultation with the doctor treating the child.

The commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD are Methylphenidate and Dexamfetamine. Both these drugs are stimulants and reduce the feeling of hyperactivity and impulsiveness in a child. They need to be administered in the dosage prescribed by trained medical practitioners.

Side effects like nausea, loss of appetite and excess sleep are often experienced by the child at the start of the course. However, these disappear gradually. A non-stimulant Atomoxetine is also prescribed to children who are older than 6 years. This drug is also used to treat teenagers suffering from ADHD.

However, medicines only provide a feeling of temporary relief. They need to be backed with behavioral therapy and emotional counseling. This will help the child cope better with the daily stress.

Behavioral therapy and counseling can also instill confidence in the child and enable him to perform better. The child becomes emotionally stronger and is able to control the emotions better. Even parents tend to cope with the situation better if they are also counseled. They get to understand their child better, and are able to guide them accordingly.

Similarly, educational therapy helps the child to perform better in the academics. This is usually done in cooperation with the teacher. By reducing the symptoms the child can focus better in his studies. Social relationships are also improved over a period of time.

There is always a chance that if these children are not treated during their childhood they can carry their symptoms into adulthood as well. Almost 70% of the adult ADHD cases recorded have suffered from childhood ADHD.

ADHD symptoms are most prevalent in children who are less than seven to eight years old. Their symptoms become pronounced over a period of six months to a year. However, it must be noted that not all children who are impulsive or restless suffer from ADHD.

The main symptoms of ADHD are inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Based on these symptoms, ADHD children are classified as hyperactive type, inattentive type and the impulsive -hyperactive inattentive type. There are a few children who show all the symptoms. Also, the symptoms displayed by a child depend on the surroundings and situations. One can expect a different response in school and at home for the same problem.

There is no single cause that has been found responsible for ADHD. A child is likely to be a victim of ADHD if the mother consumes alcohol or smokes during pregnancy. Similarly, children with ADHD in the family are likely to suffer from it. Traumatic brain injuries caused in accidents in the early years of a child’s life have also been found to be responsible in a few cases.

It is important that teachers and parents should provide emotional support to the children. Their understanding and care can reduce the daily problems faced by an ADHD child to a great degree.

Till today there is no cure for ADHD. Controlled dosage of stimulants is usually prescribed as medication. It helps in controlling the symptoms to some extent. But it needs to be backed with counseling and behavioral therapy for better results.

One of the symptoms of an individual suffering from ADHD is low attention span or inattentiveness. This can be diagnosed as an ADHD case if the child shows six or more of the following symptoms for at least six months:

1. Makes careless mistakes while doing school work;

2. Finds it difficult to focus attention on specific tasks.

3. Does not listen even though he is being addressed directly.

4. Fails to carry out instructions regarding school work because he cannot comprehend what he is expected to do.

5. Faces difficulty in organizing even routine tasks and activities.

6. Avoids tasks that require sustained mental effort

7. Loses or misplaces important items like pencils, books, tools, toys etc as a routine

8. Is easily distracted

9. Forgets even routine work

Another symptom of ADHD is hyperactivity-impulsiveness. Here too a self test can be done to find out if the child suffers from ADHD or not. In this test, the child should display six or more of the following patterns:

1. Constantly fidgets or squirms in seat.

2. Goes out of the classroom without permission.

3. Runs about or climbs trees, walls etc without any reason.

4. Finds it difficult to engage in leisure activities quietly.

5. Is always on the go.

6 Talks excessively, irrespective of requirements.

7. Blurts out answers even before the teacher can complete the question.

8. Is impatient, and cannot wait for his turn to come.

The parents have a reason to worry if their child tests positive in these self tests. They must immediately consult a doctor, and do as advised.

Thanks to research, it has now been established that there are three types of ADHD patients: the hyperactive-impulsive type, the inattentive type and the inattentive-hyperactive-impulsive type. This classification is based on the dominant aspect of a child’s behavior.

It is for the parents or the teachers to recognize these symptoms. Generally, a child who is inattentive is unlikely to be hyperactive-impulsive. But there are some children who suffer from both the symptoms. The symptoms become more apparent over a period of six months to one year.

A hyperactive child finds it difficult to focus on a single subject. Such a child also finds it difficult to sit in a single place for more than an hour, and takes impulsive actions without thinking about the results. On the playfield such children are generally aggressive and overtly active. It is for the parents or teacher to assess how natural is the child’s behavior. Is it symptomatic of the disease or is it that a child is naturally impulsive?

The reverse is true of a child suffering from an inattentive type of ADHD. Such a child may go completely unnoticed because he sits quietly. Such children also face difficulty in grasping things at school and home. Once again, it is the parent who is the best judge to assess what is wrong, and seek necessary treatment.

The final assessment must be left to a specialist because there are chances that a normal child can be mistaken for an ADHD child and a child actually suffering from the disorder can tend to be overlooked. The child must then be supported at every step.

Medications

Doctors today generally like to jump into medications as a first and primary treatment, although not always the best avenues for treatment. Medications can make it easier for doctors and their patients to tackle important focus and other behavior-related issues immediately without delving too deeply into diet, behavior specifics and other factors. Plus insurance often helps cover expenses all parties involved.

Among the negative sides to using medications are that ADHD does not affect all people in the same manner. Hence treatment that works for some, may not work for all effectively. Side effects also come with medications like becoming tired more often and dulling of senses. So closely monitoring and revising medications as needed by a licensed healthcare provider with plenty of experience treating people who have ADHD is advised.

Behavior Therapy

Adults and children with ADHD need to learn better behavior techniques and strategies, too. They often use the fight-or-flight issue in response to stress, and instead, need to learn coping techniques, how to exercise regularly to help with handling stress on the body and mind and learn to journal to note hype-activity triggers along with solutions on how to deal with each type that appears.

Diet

Nutrition comes into play with ADHD suffers. And diet should be discussed with the family physician so that basic ADHD dietary concerns are covered including:

* Reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates is also known to help, limiting pastas and white breads, for instance.

* Reducing the amount of food additives and sugar in the person’s diet is known to help to with ADHD symptom reductions.

* Treating all parasitic and bacterial intestines issues is known to help with ADHD symptom reductions.

* Increasing the amounts of lean protein is known to be helpful.

* Discovering and getting rid of foods that have toxic qualities for the sufferer and that the person is sensitive to and allergic to can greatly increase the person’s health and reduce the ADHD symptoms.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) supports the insured and universal financial access to achieve quality care for the health of all newborns, children, infants, adolescents, and young adults up to 21 years old, as well as pregnant women. This type of insurance must provide unlimited and comprehensive beneficial package of services on recommended AAP preventive care, chronic and acute care, pregnancy-related care, and emergency care.

Children’s bill of rights on accessing health care system:

1. All pregnant women and children have the right to a comprehensive health care.

2. Financial barriers never prevent pregnant women and children from getting comprehensive health care.

3. The public has the obligation to provide insurance for pregnant women and children if their families cannot afford to do so.

4. The financing mechanism on health care should allow the patient or the family members to select a professional on health care who will provide quality pediatric care.

5. Families must choose pediatricians whose office also serves as medical homes.

6. Managed care plans must never have access restrictions on qualified primary pediatric care, inpatient care, and emergency care reliable with the standard of prudent person or appropriate referral to pediatric surgical specialists and pediatric medical specialists. It is required that all plans should include all subspecialties and inpatient facilities representatives having designated pediatric units.

Financing mechanisms on health care must:

- Cover all the health care needed by pregnant women and children stated in the AAP’s statement of policy.

- Include incentives in promoting care coordination and continuity by primary care pediatricians.

- Recognize appropriate value of evaluated reimbursements, care coordination, management services, and performance of indicated medical surgeries and procedures.

- Incorporate appropriate methods for monitoring and reporting the measurements of quality care specifically given to children including process, access, outcome, structure assessments, and patient satisfaction. Peer reviews from pediatricians must also be included.

- Prohibits insurers of health care from neglecting coverage using the pre-existing condition clauses of exclusion or restrictive severe underwriting medical practices.

- Recommends all health insurance policies to fulfil requirements such as:

* enrolment should not have waiting periods

* no coverage or reimbursement limitation due to recurring or severe chronic illnesses

* no increase on premium rates

* guarantee portability and renewability

- Clearly states the limitations and specifications of all plan on health financing.

- Have flexibility and pluralistic. Standardize programs on requirements and benefits such as payment mechanisms and unified claims forms for efficient administration.

- Encourage access to medical subspecialty, surgical specialty care and quality pediatric primary.

- Clearly defines the health insurer’s policy on medical necessity regarding care and services.

Financing mechanisms that are inequitable contribute to the present stage of preventable morbidity and mortality among pregnant women and children. The AAP, private and public sectors are working together in expanding the health care financing structure. The principles are created for evaluating some proposed changes and integrated to ensure that SCHIP can expand Medicaid and established new programs in providing access to excellent health care.