It's that time of year again when kids are back in school and going full
swing. Common to every parent's back-to-school check list are new clothes, notebooks and book bags, but often most leave out a visit to their pediatrician's office or local asthma/allergy specialist.

According to the The Center for Disease Control (CDC), 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold or other illness or reactions. In the course of a year, people in the United States suffer 1 billion colds, according to some estimates.

Dr. A.M. Aminian, Medical Director of the Allergy Institute, says there are a wide variety of vaccinations, physicals and health assessments a child should undergo at different stages of life, including food allergies and respitory concerns.

Here is a brief guide to kids' health needs along with some tips on how to prepare children for school
now:

Schedule Regular Visits for Your Baby
The first two years of life are times of tremendous growth and changes. Make sure to schedule frequent visits, and discuss development, nutrition and parenting issues at those
appointments. Many vaccines are recommended during infancy. Fortunately, a recently released vaccine makes life easier on babies by combining five vaccinations into one: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, and Haemophilos Influenza B.

Schedule Annual Visits for Children Five and Under and 10 and Above
Because children in these two age groups experience a host of changes, they should see their pediatrician annually. The physician checks the patient aged five and under for some key developmental milestones such as motor, social and communication skills. A preadolescent's hormonal changes signal the start of puberty. By this age, youngsters who have a good relationship with their pediatricians are more likely to communicate the physical and emotional issues that may arise during those more challenging years.

Schedule Check-Ups Every Two Years for 5- to 10-Year-Olds
These are relatively calmer years. Unless a child has a chronic illness, health check-ups may be scheduled every other year. During those visits, a booster against chicken pox is encouraged if your child has not had the disease and has only received one vaccine.

Make Sure Children 11 and Older Are Protected, Too
With this active and social age group, consider booster shots against tetanus and whooping cough. Whooping cough seems to be making a resurgence in the adolescent and adult populations. Children in this age group can receive these two boosters together.

Plan Ahead for Potential Vaccine Needs
Is your child going to sleep-away camp or college? If so, your child should receive protection against meningococcemia, a fast-working bacterium that causes meningitis. Will you be traveling outside the country within the next year? Then ask your physician about
extra protection against illnesses. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention also outlines country-specific travel preparations and disease outbreaks.

Talk with Your Pediatrician About Allergies and Asthma
For many, late summer and fall signal the start of a new allergy season. Dr. Aminian recommends checking in with your pediatrician if your child is suffering from sneezing and itchy eyes. There are excellent over-the-counter antihistamines available today. For those who are also troubled with asthma at this time of the year, review your "asthma action plan"
with your physician and renew needed medications.

New Flu Vaccine Recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics
With flu vaccines becoming available in the early fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children from six months to 18 years of age be vaccinated against the flu. Vaccinations are especially important for kids who live with an infant or a family member
with chronic disease. Advances have made it possible for toddlers as young as two to receive the vaccine through a nasal spray instead of shots.

Dr. Aminian also emphasizes the importance of starting the child on healthy routines before the school year begins. When kids transition from the carefree days of summer, it may take 1 - 2 weeks
to get back into a good school-time routine. Parents should ease children into a healthy lifestyle now with formal bedtimes, 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and family dinnertime complete with nutritious meals.

And if you still get sick: Stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids and eat chicken soup!

For more information on this topic, go to: the Allergy Institute

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