Regarding sports, Children should not be "pushed" to specialize in a sport before they reach adolescence, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

"Research supports the recommendation that child athletes avoid early sports specialization," a new AAP policy statement says. "Those who participate in a variety of sports and specialize only after reaching the age of puberty tend to be more consistent performers, have fewer injuries and adhere to sports play longer than those who specialize early."  Read more on Mayo Clinic Web site
  

About 4 million children are taken to emergency rooms each year for sports injuries.

Fortunately, most such injuries are minor. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, about 95 percent of children's sports injuries involve cuts, abrasions, bruises, pulled muscles and similar conditions. Still, many of these can be prevented when parents take common sense steps. Read more on Mayo Clinic Web site

Aspirin has been a staple in medicine cabinets for more than a century — used to help safely relieve everything from headaches to stomach cramps. But in households where children reside, these commonplace pills are often seen as a dangerous drug. That's because the use of aspirin has been linked with Reye's syndrome — a rare, but serious illness that can affect the blood, liver and brain of children and teenagers after a viral infection. Read more from Mayo Clinic site

Childhood Obesity: The most important thing to offer obese children is the same thing every child needs — love. Often, obese children are shunned both by peers and by adults, so it's extremely important for parents to treat them as equals to other children. Parents play a crucial role in helping obese children feel normal, control weight and develop healthy habits to stay fit for life. Read more from Mayo Clinic site

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