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Pediatric health Archive

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The sore throat checklist: What parents need to know

Children get sore throats all the time - and most of the time they are nothing to worry about. But it is important for parents to know the common causes of sore throats, and to be aware that that certain instances are serious and should be seen by a doctor immediately.

How to help your child get the sleep they need

Without enough quality sleep, children are more likely to have health and behavioral problems - and difficulty learning. Here are a few simple things you can do to help your child get the sleep they need.

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness - and may even lengthen lives

Gratitude has the power to boost well-being, improve sleep, lessen depression, and help heart health. Now new data from the long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that it may extend lives. How can you jump start a gratitude practice in your life?

Boosting your child's immune system

As children go through another school year under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are asking what they can do to keep their children healthy. While no magic solutions can ward off every illness, parents can take steps to help children - and everyone in their household - protect their health by keeping their immune systems robust.

Does your child need to bathe every day?

Bathing daily is a habit for many people, but does it need to be for children, preteens, and teens? Not necessarily. Of course, it depends on what they have been doing and whether or not they are visibly dirty or stinky, but most don't need a top-to-toe daily scrub.

How to help your preschooler sleep alone

Many parents face the challenge of getting their child to move from sleeping in bed with them to sleeping in their own bed. Changing this habit takes time; being practical and consistent about it helps.

Want to stop harmful drinking? AA versus SMART Recovery

People reckoning with problem drinking choose different paths, including two well-known self-help organizations built around peer support: Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery. Researchers questioned people participating in these programs, or no program, about their approach.

Writing a thank-you note is more powerful than you think

Writing a letter of gratitude to someone can increase positive feelings for both the letter writer and recipient.

Doomscrolling dangers

Doomscrolling is the habit of constantly scrolling online news headlines, which often blare bad news. Doomscrolling became prominent during the pandemic. It can lead to a wide range of physical and mental health effects, including headaches, muscle tension, elevated blood pressure, and existential anxiety. To offset doomscrolling, people can create boundaries around using devices that include keeping phones off their nightstand, opting out of digital notifications, focusing on local news, and asking others not to send you depressing news items.

Side effects after a COVID shot indicate it's working

Side effects from the COVID vaccine like fatigue, achiness, muscle and joint pain, chills, headache, and fever are signs the body is making greater levels of antibodies, which adds extra protection against the virus, according to a 2024 study.

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