July, 2015

Breastfeeding and Work

World Breastfeeding Week WBW , taking place August 1-7, 2015, is a week-long observance that promotes the advantages of breastfeeding and its important health benefits for mother and baby. The Florida Department of Health in Polk County DOH-Polk and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children WIC support WBW by encouraging mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life. This year’s theme, Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s M...

Inhaling Water: The Dangers for Kids

You may have heard of something called dry drowning or delayed drowning. While those aren't actual medical terms, they do describe an event that can be both unexpected and deadly - especially to kids, who are at high risk of drowning. Here are five things you need to know about dry drowning: 1. This type of drowning can happen when even a small amount of water gets into a child's lungs. It can happen while a child is swimming, playing in shallow water or, even sometimes, taking a bath. 2. The wa...

5 Things Every College Student Should Know

Soon it will be the time of year when kids are heading off to college. Even before they hit the books, though, there are lessons to be learned. Here are five things to teach your college student before he or she leaves home: 1 . Get help for depression . Starting college is exciting, but some kids may get homesick, struggle to make friends and face difficult classwork. Remind your son or daughter that it's common to feel down occasionally. But if those feelings are ongoing or make it hard to fun...

Help Your Child Avoid a Concussion

In the bleachers, you're child sees you as their biggest fan and cheerleader. But before the season ever starts, you have another important sports-related role: safety monitor. Sports injuries are a common safety concern for school age athletes. Concussions, which affect tens of thousands of kids in the U.S. each year, are among the most serious. These brain injuries can be especially dangerous -even deadly- if a second concussion occurs before the first one has had enough time to heal. Fortunat...

Preventing Foodborne Illness

This holiday weekend, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County FDOH-Polk encourages residents to properly prepare and store food in order to prevent foodborne-illness. Preventing foodborne-illness is an important way to keep your family safe and healthy during the holidays, as well as year round, said Dr. Ulyee Choe, FDOH-Polk Director. Everyone should practice four simple steps to stay healthy while preparing food: clean, cook, chill, and separate. An easy way to prevent foodborne-illnes...