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Kid's Corner

The State of Illinois cares about you and your children. Kid’s Corner is Be Well Illinois’ way of providing helpful information to support you with wellness needs of your children. Remember, your physician is an important partner in the care of your child. It’s important to have an established relationship with a physician and make sure your child has regular wellness checks.

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September is Alcohol Awareness Month

September is Alcohol Awareness Month. Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America’s youth and can cause them enormous health and safety risks.

Previous articles

August is Amblyopia Awareness Month

August is Amblyopia Awareness Month. Amblyopia (also called lazy eye) is a type of poor vision that usually happens in just 1 eye but less commonly in both eyes. It develops when there’s a breakdown in how the brain and the eye work together and the brain can’t recognize the sight from 1 eye.

July is Hepatitis Awareness Month

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can damage and destroy liver cells. Hepatitis in children can be caused by many things. Your child can get hepatitis by being exposed to virus that causes it.

June is Aphasia Awareness Month

Aphasia happens due to an injury to the brain. It can happen suddenly or over a longer period of time. Aphasia can be mild or severe. The severity depends on the cause. Some children may recover some or all of their language abilities, others may not.

May is Better Sleep Awareness Month

Your body and your brain need sleep. During sleep, the brain sorts through and stores information, replaces chemicals and even solves problems while you snooze. Most kids don’t get enough sleep. Kids ages 5 to 12 need nine to 12 hours of sleep each night.

April is Stress Awareness Month

Young people experience stress from a variety of sources. Some stress can be positive but too much stress is overwhelming. Tuning into emotional or behavioral cues is important in identifying potential problems.

February is Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month

You can help your children literally make their permanent teeth permanent. Just teach your kids to take great care of their teeth at a young age for a healthy smile that can last a lifetime.

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

From deficiencies to autoimmune diseases, thyroid problems could have various causes. Thyroid problems in teens can adversely affect their physical and mental development.

December’s Focus is Winter Wellness

When the thermostat drops and the kids are stuck inside driving you stir-crazy with their various tech devices, it’s important to have a Plan C, a few good cold-weather ideas on hand.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

People with diabetes can pretty much eat the same foods as their friends and family, this includes kids with diabetes as well. They just have to keep track of what they eat and enjoy some foods in moderation.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Can teenagers get breast cancer? Breast cancer can happen at any age, particularly for those young women that have a history of breast cancer in their family or a genetic disposition to breast disease.

September is National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Awareness Month

 

As much as parents may not like to think about it, the truth is that many kids and teens try alcohol during their high school and college years, long before it's legal for them to drink it. Research has shown that nearly 80% of high school kids have tried alcohol.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

When it comes to a smooth back-to-school experience, preparation is key. Gathering school supplies and catching up on doctor visits and other health basics can help children stay healthy and succeed in school.

July is UV Safety Awareness Month

For many people, summer is the best time of the year. However, nothing puts the brakes on a good summer day like a bad sunburn. Put plans in place to protect your family as they enjoy all summer has to offer.

June is Migraine & Headache Awareness Month

A headache is pain felt somewhere in the head or neck. They're very common in kids. It's important to understand how to recognize when a headache is a passing pain or if it's something more and needs medical care.

May is Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month

The number of children with asthma has risen dramatically in the past few decades. Could your child be the one in every ten children who is affected by what is now the most common chronic disease of Childhood? Here’s what parents need to know.

April is Stress Awareness Month

Since April is Stress Awareness Month, here are some tips for those busy mothers, fathers and guardians out there and as a bonus, included are some ways to help your kids overcome their own stress too.

March’s Focus is National Nutrition Month

If you want to be healthy and have energy for all your favorite games and activities, then you need to eat food that is good for you and what will make you strong. How can you tell which foods will do the job?

February's Focus is Heart Health Awareness

The American Heart Association recommends children ages 6 to 17 get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Preschoolers and toddlers need even more than that.

January’s Focus is National Blood Donor Awareness Month

Young donors play an important role in helping to make sure that blood is available when and where it is needed most. It is important to have the best possible donation experience as you begin your donation journey.

December's Focus is Winter Wellness

Extreme weather conditions and events, like record-low temperatures, can threaten children’s lives and disrupt infrastructure critical to children’s well-being.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

If you suspect your child has diabetes, it may be a good time to learn about the things you can do as a parent to help spot the symptoms and manage the disease.

October is National Dental Hygiene Month

Dental hygiene is important to your child’s overall health now and in the future. To start them on a good path of daily, lifelong dental habits, here’s some information and tips for children’s dental health.

September is Leukemia & Lymphoma Awareness Month

For most families, a parent's diagnosis of cancer represents a crisis. Family members find that they must adjust not only to the diagnosis, but also to a prolonged period of treatment.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

Childhood vaccines or immunizations can seem overwhelming when you are a new parent. Vaccinations not only protect your child from deadly diseases, they also keep other children safe by eliminating or greatly decreasing dangerous diseases.

July - Focus on Family Wellness

Family fitness challenges make working toward fitness goals much more fun. Collaborating as a family helps you all stay motivated and learn to reach your goals.

June is Safety Month

The widespread use of smartphones helps users stay connected, but also raises privacy concerns. According to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online almost constantly.

June is Men’s Health Month

Teens and young men have tremendous resilience and healing capacity. Healthy young men benefit when they see a doctor for a physical exam every few years, get needed vaccinations and learn the importance of a good diet, exercise, and sufficient sleep.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

It is easy for parents to identify their child’s physical needs, whether its nutritious food, warm clothes when it’s cold or selecting bedtime at a reasonable hour. However, a child’s mental and emotional needs may not be as obvious.

May is Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month

Young children with asthma may not always understand what it is and what's going on when they have symptoms. However, teaching your child about asthma at a young age can help them communicate better with you when they do have symptoms.