October is Child Health Month! In 1928, National Child Health Day officially became a day of observance thanks to President Calvin Coolidge. Later on, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) began encouraging pediatricians, policy-makers, and parents to commemorate the entire month by focusing our attention on making children’s needs a national priority. We can accomplish this by helping to improve their nutrition, providing immunizations, and preventing injuries.
Helping the cause is easy! Here are five things you can do to help keep children’s health top of mind this month:
- Promote healthy hygiene. Create habits like regular hand washing to prevent infections and teeth brushing to maintain oral health.
- Take it outside. Protective gear like bike helmets and sports padding promotes safe outdoor play and exercise. Ensure adequate water intake to alleviate the risk of dehydration in the Texas heat.
- Increase fruits and vegetables. Teach your child how to make healthy food choices at school by promoting healthy eating habits at home.
- Be prepared. Keep a list of emergency contacts and phone numbers on your fridge or somewhere easily seen.
- Build immunity. Keep your children up to date with their annual flu shots.
Ally Medical seeks to make the health and welfare of children a priority this month and every month. To that end, Ally Gives, an initiative of Ally Medical that lends time, talent and resources to positively impact and better our local communities, has partnered with A World of Dreams, an event this Saturday, October 8, that will serve as the kickoff to The DeShay Foundation: An Endowment for Aspiring Students of TV, Film, Business, and the Performing Arts. Performances of the evening will highlight the talents of the students from Bastrop Independent School District, one of the beneficiaries of the foundation’s core focus. Later in October, Ally Gives will work with Teaghlach Ranch, whose mission is dedicated to offering a place of renewal and connection for families of foster care and adoption, to provide Starbucks gift cards and lunch to these parents committed to childrearing. And during the last week of October, free CPR training will be offered at Ally Medical’s Bastrop Emergency Room.
Whether it’s considering attending A World of Dreams, signing up for CPR training at our Bastrop location or finding a volunteer opportunity in your own neighborhood, this Child Health Month you too can look for ways to offer your time and dollars to local initiatives promoting this important cause.
