Keep your child heart healthy with these tips
No matter your age, taking care of your heart is something to work at each and every day. Heart health is a major component of overall health. For parents and caregivers, teaching the importance of heart health is a very important responsibility that begins with modeling. I encourage you to incorporate the following practices into your daily routine to educate the next generation on heart health and improve your own health at the same time.
Teach your child about the importance of good nutrition and maintaining a balanced diet. Prepare meals and snacks complete with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, animal and plant-based proteins, nuts, beans and legumes. Limit the intake of processed foods, which tend to be high in sodium and added sugars. Involve your child in meal preparation so they have even more opportunity to learn about food and nutrition, and whenever possible, sit down together for family meals to help establish a healthy relationship with food and provide you an opportunity to connect.
Pair that nutritionally balanced diet with exercise throughout the week. The American Heart Association recommends children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Walking together, taking the stairs and signing your child up for structured physical activity are all great ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine. Help your child keep moving by discovering their favorite ways to be active and ensuring those are built into their week.
Promote good-quality sleep by establishing a nighttime routine to help the body grow and heal each night. Not enough sleep contributes to both children and adult’s likelihood of developing high blood pressure and obesity.
Keep children and teens away from smoking and tobacco use in any form, including e-cigarettes. Both smoking as well as secondhand smoke affects cardiovascular health by damaging the heart and blood vessels, impairing their ability to function properly. Teach adolescents about the dangers of smoking and tobacco, making sure they understand that vaping is not a healthy alternative.
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes, no matter what we do, heart conditions can develop — both in utero and after birth. It’s important to remember not to blame yourself and to instead focus on getting your child the care they need. Children with heart conditions may exhibit certain signs that something of concern is going on with their body. Symptoms that would indicate a call to your child’s pediatrician include — but are not limited to — chest pain, trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fatigue, heart palpitations and poor feeding and lack of weight gain in infants. Contact your child’s pediatrician if you have any heart-health concerns.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This column was provided by the Advocate Children’s Hospital. Author Dr. Kristen Nelson McMillan is a pediatric cardiac intensivist at Advocate Children’s Hospital.