With Halloween around the corner, this is a great time to talk about bones! Your teen's bones, that is. The United States Department of Health and Human Services recently launched Best Bones Forever, a website dedicated to educating teen girls and parents about bone growth.
Why is this important? Because women build their bones up until the end of their teen years - and then the rest of their lives, just maintain what they have. If a teen does not have enough calcium or does not get enough exercise, she isn't building the bone she could have. This can lead to osteoporosis when she is older, a significant health problem for many in the US and around the world. Best Bones Forever has a parent's section with tips to help your teen girl build strong bones. Don't let bone health spook you! Find out what you can do to help your teen develop good habits and a strong skeleton (I couldn't resist...).
This year the American Library Association is sponsoring a Teen Read Week to highlight the importance of reading in teens' lives. This year the event is being held from October 18 until October 24. Contact your local library to see if they are celebrating Teen Read Week.
You might be wondering what reading has to do with your teen's health. It might seem a little far fetched, but good readers turn out to be happier (and therefore healthier) people. Good readers tend to do better in school, leading to better education and job opportunities. In general, those with more education and better jobs take better care of themselves. More specifically, one agency in Canada has been shown that teens with poor reading skills have higher rates of ADHD, depression, and anxiety. A teen who is a poor reader knows it and fears the shame brought upon them by their peers and teachers. If you think your teen is a poor reader, talk to someone at your child's school about your concerns - your teen's future health and well being might be at stake.
Friday October 16, 2009
The US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the use of the Gardasil vaccine for use in teen males. You might be wondering why, as Gardasil was marketed as the first vaccine to prevent cancer - cervical cancer specifically. Since a boy doesn't have a cervix, why would he need this shot?
The answer is three-fold. First, the Gardasil vaccine doesn't only prevent cervical cancer, it also prevents genital warts. Both cervical cancer and genital warts are caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and Gardasil is essentially an HPV vaccine. Boys can get genital warts, and the HPV vaccine will help to protect them from this STD. Second, the HPV vaccine protects boys from penile or anal cancer. Although these are more rare conditions, it is a nice benefit of the shot. Lastly, there is some thought that boys become the carrier for the various strains of HPV, including those that cause cervical cancer. If he isn't carrying that strain of virus that causes cervical cancer, it might help to protect his female partner. I know we don't want to think of our teen sons having sex, but at some point in his lifetime, he probably will. If he gets the shot in his teens, it might protect his wife or partner in the future.
Ask your pediatrician today about the HPV vaccine for your son.
Sunday October 11, 2009
Has your teen had surgery to repair a torn or injured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)? New information from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says that teens who have had an ACL fixed will need further intervention at higher rates than other groups. Doesn't make sense if you think about how young and healthy teens tend to be - or does it?
In fact, it's because teens are so healthy and active that the ACL needs more work. Teens tend to ignore advice that is meant to protect any original surgery on the ligament and "overdo it." The long and short of it is that if your teen has had this kind of reconstructive surgery, it's important for him or her to adhere to what they are told about their limitations. It will help to protect their health and perhaps prevent additional surgeries.
