Health Tips for September 13

Health Tip: Pack Your Child's Lunch

Between helping with homework, making dinner, and the nightly bedtime routine, it's difficult to find the time to pack a healthy lunch each day for your child.

The Nemours Foundation says it's worth the effort. It offers these benefits of packing your child's lunch:

• Improved control over your child's eating habits.
• Better food variety for your child.
• Cost savings from making the meals yourself, instead of paying someone else.
• Preparing your child's meals gives you both satisfaction, and is a small way to show your love.

Health Tip: Stifle Back-to-School Allergy and Asthma Problems

Going back to school with asthma and allergies means dealing with pollens, molds and other allergens that contaminate the air during autumn.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology offers these suggestions to help prevent allergy and asthma flares in your child:

• Have your child visit the doctor before school starts to make sure symptoms are well-controlled.
• Give a copy of your child's treatment plan to the school staff, which should be familiar with your child's triggers and medications.
• With the pediatrician's approval, make sure your child is vaccinated for seasonal flu and swine flu.
• Make sure your child carries an inhaler at all times, and an epinephrine kit if the child has life-threatening allergies.
• Talk to your child about what triggers symptoms (such as exercise or chalkboard dust), and make sure he or she knows to avoid them.
• Check out the school and look for any potential problems, such as cafeteria foods that could be dangerous to your child.