Health Concerns
By Sadie Pilz
Middle Childhood
- Often the healthiest period for children
- Body is developing immune system
- offers protection against disease
Middle Childhood
Hearing
- Well developed
- Midrange sound awareness develops first
- high-range and low-range follow
- Auditory awareness of adults by age 11
- Ear infections can cause permanent hearing loss
Vision
- Ready to read by age 6
- See object with eyes at same time
- Ability to focus improves
- Close-up vision improves
- Nearsightedness is the most common vision problem
- see close objects more clearly than further
- Nearsightedness can be overcome with corrective lenses
- 25% of children need their vision corrected
- Vision should be checked regularly
Teeth
- Begin losing "baby" teeth
- 1st and 2nd graders often have toothless smile
- First teeth to fall out are incisors
- Lower and upper front teeth
- Primary teeth are replaced by age 12
- Permanent teeth appear out of proportion
- Face grows to accommodate larger teeth
- Tooth loss has psychological effect on children
- They become self-conscious
- Tooth decay is a common health problem
- Caused by:
- Poor hygiene habits
- Poor health
- Diets high in sugar
- To help children prevent tooth decay:
- Brush teeth after each meal
- Eat well-balanced diet
- Avoid foods high in sugar
-Receive regular dental checkups
Obesity
- Excessive bodily fat
- Becoming common problem
- Affects 25% school-age children
- Impact on child's emotional health
- Teased by peers
- Results in lack of self-esteem
- May be inherited by overweight parents
- Environmental factors also contribute
- Abuse
- Death in the family
- Alcoholism
- Divorce
- Physical inactivity contributes
- Difficult to treat
- Family disorder
- Children need help being healthier