Experts you can trust
To nd out about our
pediatric providers, go to
www.valleycare.com/
physician nder
.
N
o matter what your kid says,
success at school doesn’t
depend on having a certain
kind of crayons or style of jeans. For
your child to do well, he or she needs
a foundation of good study habits
and good health.
A nutritious diet, adequate sleep
and plenty of exercise can help kids
be as healthy as possible. at, in
turn, can prepare them to meet the
demands of schoolwork, sports and
extracurricular activities. So can these
four important safeguards of good
back-to-school health.
IMMUNIZATIONS
Vaccines help protect your child’s
health—and the health of those
around him or her. ey help stop the
spread of potentially serious diseases,
like whooping cough, meningitis and
measles.
All vaccines are tested for
safety by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, and serious side
e ects are rare. Most vaccines are
90 to 99 percent e ective, reports the
American Academy of Pediatrics.
All school-age kids need shots.
Even teenagers do. And schools require
a record of kids’ immunizations.
HEARING SCREENING
Hearing is key to language development.
at’s why newborns are screened
within the rst month of life.
But kids’ hearing loss isn’t always
present at birth, and it isn’t always
apparent at home.
In fact, hearing loss may not be
recognized until the child begins
A
Healthy
Start
to
School
e exam will help the doctor
determine if your child is healthy
enough to play. If not, the doctor may
be able to help develop a plan to get
your child back in the game. is exam
isn’t a substitute for a regular well-child
exam, doctors say—every kid should
still have a full annual checkup.
school—when it may be misdiagnosed
as attention-de cit/hyperactivity
disorder.
Even if kids hear OK as infants,
injury or illness can cause damage
at any time during childhood,
so hearing should be screened
regularly.
EYE EXAM
Kids may not recognize eye
trouble; they may even think
it’s normal for vision to
be doubled or blurry. But
sight issues, like near- or
farsightedness, amblyopia
(lazy eye) and astigmatism,
can have a negative e ect on
school achievement, causing
headaches and di culty
reading.
All kids should have an eye
exam when they start school.
Often, these screenings can be
done by your child’s doctor or a
school nurse. If there’s a problem,
your child should have a
comprehensive exam with an
eye doctor.
SPORTS PHYSICAL
Junior high and high school kids
who plan to play sports often must
have a checkup and get a doctor’s
OK to play. ese physicals help
prevent injuries and ensure kids are
ready to participate. e doctor will:
Ask about your child’s health history
and check his or her current health
Address sports-speci c issues, such as
nutrition, training programs and how
your child feels about participating
ValleyCare Health System
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