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Nutrition & Fitness

  • A to Z: Head Injury

    Learn more about head injuries (head trauma).

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears

    ACL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.

  • Bike Safety

    Bike riding is a great way to get exercise and share time as a family. But there's an important factor that you need to consider - safety.

  • Burner (Stinger)

    Burners (or stingers) are injuries to the nerve network in the shoulder, arm, forearm, hand, and fingers. They're pretty common in sports and usually go away quickly.

  • Can Kids and Teens With Asthma Play Sports?

    Kids and teens who have asthma can and do play sports. But some activities are better than others. Find out more.

  • Compulsive Exercise

    Even though exercise has many positive benefits, too much can be harmful. Teens who exercise compulsively are at risk for both physical and psychological problems.

  • Dehydration

    Sometimes kids lose fluids and salts through fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or sweating. Here are some tips on preventing or treating dehydration.

  • First Aid: Broken Bones

    A broken bone needs emergency medical care. Here's what to do if you think your child fractured a bone.

  • First Aid: Strains and Sprains

    Here's what to do if you think your child has pulled or torn a muscle, ligament, or tendon.

  • First Aid: Teeth Injuries

    If your child loses a baby tooth, there's no need to replace it. But if a permanent tooth is dislodged, it's a dental emergency. Here's what to do.

  • Head Injuries

    Head injuries can be external or internal. Learn more about both kinds, how to prevent them, and what to do if your child is injured.

  • Heat Illness

    Active kids can be at risk for heat illness, which can result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke. Learn how to prevent and treat heat illness.

  • How to Handle Heat Illness

    In hot weather, a child's internal temperature can rise and cause heat exhaustion, which can progress to heatstroke if not treated quickly.

  • Knee Injuries

    Knee injuries are common among young athletes. Learn about causes, treatments, and prevention.

  • Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injuries

    MCL injuries can happen in active and athletic kids, when excessive pressure is put on the knee joint, resulting in a torn ligament.

  • Nosebleeds

    A nosebleed can be scary, but it's rarely cause for alarm. Here's how to handle one at home.

  • Osgood-Schlatter Disease

    Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's really not a disease, but an overuse injury.

  • Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (Runner's Knee)

    Patellofemoral pain syndrome (or runner's knee) is the most common overuse injury among runners, but it can also happen to other athletes who do activities that require a lot of knee bending.

  • Preventing Children's Sports Injuries

    Participation in sports can teach kids sportsmanship and discipline. But sports also carry the potential for injury. Here's how to protect your kids.

  • Repetitive Stress Injuries in Sports

    Repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) happen when movements are repeated over and over, damaging a bone, tendon, or joint.

  • Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

    Rotator cuff tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder bones.

  • Safety Tips: Baseball

    Baseball is by no means a dangerous sport. But it can present a very real risk of injuries from things like wild pitches, batted balls, and collisions in the field. These safety tips can help keep your kids safe on the diamond.

  • Safety Tips: Basketball

    Basketball is fun - but it's also a contact sport, and injuries happen. To help your kids stay safe on the basketball court, take a look at these safety tips.

  • Safety Tips: Hockey

    As fun as it is, ice hockey carries a very real risk of injury. To keep your kids as safe as possible, follow these tips.

  • Safety Tips: Skateboarding

    Skateboarding is undeniably cool, but it's also easy for riders to get hurt. Help your kids keep it safe with these safety tips.

  • Safety Tips: Sledding

    Sledding is a lot of fun, but can also cause injuries, some of them pretty serious. To keep your kids safe while sledding, make sure they follow these safety tips.

  • Safety Tips: Snowboarding

    Snowboarding is a great way to have fun and get exercise, but it has some very real dangers. These safety tips can help keep your family safe on the slopes.

  • Sports Physicals

    Just as professional sports stars need medical care to keep them playing their best, so do student athletes. That's why it's important to make sure that kids and teens get a sports physical.

  • Steroids

    Get the facts about steroids, their side effects, and why kids and teens might try them.

  • Strains and Sprains

    Sprains and strains are common injuries, especially for kids who play hard or are into sports.

  • Water Safety

    Kids need constant supervision around water — whether the water is in a bathtub, pool, the sea, or a water park. Here's how to keep them safe.

  • 3 Ways to Build Strong Bones

    We build almost all our bone density when we're kids and teens. Kids with strong bones have a better chance of avoiding bone weakness later in life. Here's how parents can help.

  • Celiac Disease

    Celiac disease happens when someone has a food intolerance to gluten. Here's how to manage symptoms and prevent damage to the intestines.

  • Dairy-Free Diet

    A dairy-free diet is one that has no animal milk in it or any products made from milk.

  • DASH Diet for High Blood Pressure

    Doctor may recommend the DASH diet for kids who've had a blood pressure reading that was higher than normal. The DASH diet is not a strict diet, but more of a lifestyle.

  • Dietary Needs for Kids With Cerebral Palsy

    Kids with cerebral palsy can have trouble eating. But with the right diet and feeding techniques, they can get the nutrients needed to thrive.

  • Dietary Tips for Kids With Cystic Fibrosis

    Kids with cystic fibrosis have some special nutritional needs. Here's how parents can help them.

  • Egg Allergy

    Helping your child manage an egg allergy means reading food labels carefully, being aware of what he or she eats, and carrying the right medicines in case of an allergic reaction.

  • Feeding Your Child Athlete

    All kids need to eat balanced meals and have a healthy diet. But should that balance change for kids who play on a sports team or work out?

  • Food Allergies

    Food allergies can cause serious and even deadly reactions in kids, so it's important to know how to feed a child with food allergies and to prevent reactions.

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common intestinal problem that can cause cramps, gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Certain foods can trigger these problems. So can anxiety, stress, and infections.

  • Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy

    A ketogenic diet is a strict high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that can reduce, and sometimes stop, seizures.

  • Milk Allergy in Infants

    Almost all infants are fussy at times. But some are very fussy because they have an allergy to the protein in cow's milk, which is the basis for most commercial baby formulas.

  • Nutrition Therapy and Crohn's Disease

    Nutrition therapy is an alternative to medicines that doctors use to ease the symptoms of Crohn's disease. It can help improve nutrition and growth, ease inflammation, and heal the gastrointestinal tract.

  • Peanut Allergy

    If your child is allergic to nuts or peanuts, it's essential to learn what foods might contain them and how to avoid them.

  • Sesame Allergy

    Sesame is one of the most common foods that can cause allergic reactions. Avoiding sesame means more than just not eating it. It also means not eating any foods that might contain sesame as ingredients.

  • Tree Nut Allergy

    Sometimes people outgrow some food allergies over time, but tree nut allergies are lifelong in many people.

  • Vegetarian Diets

    Vegetarian diets have become more popular, and many parents may wonder if kids can safely follow a vegetarian diet and still get all the nutrients necessary for growing up healthy and strong.

  • Vitamin D

    Vitamin D is needed for strong bones, but is hard to come by because it's found in few foods. Here's how to make sure kids get enough vitamin D.

  • Exercising During Pregnancy

    Most women benefit greatly from exercising throughout their pregnancies. But during that time, you'll need to make a few changes to your normal exercise routine.

  • Fitness and Your 13- to 18-Year-Old

    Kids who enjoy exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. Learn how to encourage fitness in your teen.

  • Fitness and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old

    Kids this age are naturally active, so be sure to provide lots of opportunities for your child to practice basic skills, such as running, kicking, and throwing.

  • Fitness and Your 3- to 5-Year-Old

    Take advantage of your child's natural tendency to be active. Staying fit can help improve kids' self-esteem and decrease the risk of serious illnesses later in life.

  • Fitness and Your 6- to 12-Year-Old

    School-age kids need physical activity to build strength, coordination, confidence, and to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle.

  • Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports

    Some kids aren't natural athletes and they may say they just don't like sports. What then?

  • Kids and Exercise

    Besides enjoying the health benefits of regular exercise, kids who are physically fit are better able to handle physical and emotional challenges.

  • Motivating Kids to Be Active

    Parents can help instill a love of activity and help kids make it a part of their everyday routine.

  • Motivating Preschoolers to Be Active

    A preschooler's desire to move, move, move makes this a great time to encourage fitness habits that can last a lifetime.

  • Motivating School-Age Kids to Be Active

    Being active is a key part of good health for all school-age kids. So how do you get kids motivated to be active, especially those who aren't gifted athletes?

  • Raising a Fit Preschooler

    Preschoolers have a lot of energy, and the physical skills and coordination to ride a tricycle or chase a butterfly.

  • Safe Exploring for Preschoolers

    Kids ages 3-5 have tons of energy and are eager to walk, run, dance, and play. It's a great age for exploration too.

  • Safe Exploring for Toddlers

    Toddlers are learning to talk, to walk and run, and to assert their independence. For many in this age group, "outside" and "play" are common requests.

  • Signing Kids Up for Sports

    Organized sports can help kids grow in many ways. Consider your child's age, personality, and abilities to help make sports fun.

  • Strength Training

    With a properly designed and supervised program, strength training can be a fun way for kids to build healthy muscles, joints, and bones.

  • Teaching Your Child to Be a Good Sport

    One of the most important goals of kids' sports is helping children develop a sense of good sportsmanship. Here's how to set a good example for your kids.

  • A to Z: Failure to Thrive

    Failure to thrive refers to a child's inability to gain weight and grow as expected for kids of the same age and gender. Most diagnoses are made in the first few years of life.

  • Anorexia

    People with the eating disorder anorexia are very afraid of gaining weight. They have unrealistic views of their body and try to eat as little as possible. They also might exercise too much or do other things to lose weight.

  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

    Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder. Children who have it are extremely picky eaters and have little interest in eating food, which can lead to poor growth and poor nutrition.

  • Binge Eating Disorder

    Kids who eat unusually large amounts of food - and feel guilty or secretive about it - could be struggling with binge eating disorder.

  • Body Mass Index (BMI)

    Doctors use body mass index (BMI) measurements to assess a child's physical growth in relation to other kids the same age. Here's how to calculate BMI and understand what the numbers mean.

  • Bulimia

    People with the eating disorder bulimia often eat large amounts of food over short periods of time (binge eat). Then, they try to prevent weight gain by doing things like exercising too much or throwing up what they ate.

  • Eating Disorders

    Eating disorders are common among teens and kids, especially young women. Read about the warning signs, prevention strategies, and ways to help a child with an eating disorder.

  • Encouraging a Healthy Body Image

    A healthy and positive body image means liking your body, appreciating it, and feeling grateful for its qualities and capabilities. Parents can help kids develop a healthy body image.

  • Indigestion

    Indigestion is an upset stomach that most often happens because someone eats too much or too fast, or has foods that don't agree with them.

  • Lactose Intolerance

    Many kids have lactose intolerance - trouble digesting lactose, the main sugar in milk and milk products - which can cause cramps, diarrhea, and gas.

  • Overweight and Obesity

    Preventing kids from becoming overweight means making choices in the way your family eats and exercises, and how you spend time together.

  • Pica

    Some young kids have the eating disorder pica, which is characterized by cravings to eat nonfood items.

  • Weight Loss Surgery

    When diet and exercise aren't enough to help shed stubborn pounds, weight loss surgery may be an option for teens who are very overweight.

  • What Is a BMI Report Card?

    Find out what the experts have to say.

  • Your Child's Weight

    "What's the right weight for my child?" is one of the most common questions parents have. It seems like a simple one, but it's not always easy to answer.

What next?

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