For Healthier Kids (01)

Kids Health: Priority One
Keeping kids and teens healthy is the focus of this website, which is provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It discusses safety, germs, healthy eating and hygiene. Plenty of games are offered, from puzzles to crosswords, to engage children about learning to stay healthy. A food safety quiz is also included. Information for teachers to plan healthy eating lesson plans is included.

Is Your Toddler or Child Lactose Intolerant?
This article says it is unlikely your child is lactose intolerant. It notes that between five and 15 percent of Caucasians and more than 80 percent of people of African and Asian descent eventually become lactose intolerant, which can happen as early as age 2 or 3, but symptoms don't usually start until later in childhood or early adulthood. But if your child is starting to become lactose intolerant, he or she may have gas or diarrhea or become bloated beginning about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking dairy products. A doctor visit is recommended.

Children’s Emotional Health: What Matters
A section for parents, advocates and physicians includes articles to empower parents, advocates and providers in caring for the psychosocial needs of children. It also serves as a coordinating tool for a pilot project for health care providers. Topics include the self-destructive child, raising a child who wants to stay alive, and other psychosocial pediatric issues.

Children and Calcium: What the Lactose Intolerant Should Know
Even if your child or teenager is lactose intolerant, it’s important to make sure they get the right daily amount of calcium. This lists how many milligrams per day kids from infant stage to age 18 should have, and also includes nondairy foods that are high in calcium. These include green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, fish with soft bones, and yogurt. "Evidence shows that the bacterial cultures used in making yogurt produce some of the lactase enzyme required for proper digestion," the site says.