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The Norwood News recently sat down with Dr. David Listman, the Director of Emergency Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital, to talk about the back-to-school health questions on the minds of Bronx parents.

Q: What vaccines do children need when they are entering the school year?
A: Prior to starting kindergarten, children usually get a big set of vaccines. At that point they get boosted for their tetanus and pertussis, which is whooping cough. They should also have flu vaccines every year. It’s not ready by the time school starts – parents need to plan to bring their children to the pediatrician a little later and get the flu vaccine each year.

Q: How often should students go to the pediatrician?
A: Young children are seeing the pediatrician more frequently in the first two years of life. After that generally students should go to the pediatrician once a year, as long as they’re healthy. Usually people do try to schedule around when the school year starts so you can have all your school forms, medications to be filled out in that visit. Children with chronic diseases, like asthma, should probably be going for well visits three to four times a year.

Q: What’s the best way to make sure my child receives his or her medications while at school?
A: There are two things that go into making sure your student is getting their medication at school. The first is making sure the medication is available for school. Then there’s a form the school system has that needs to be filled out by your pediatrician in order for the school to have permission and authorization to give the medication at school. Having that in advance and ready is key.

Q: Does my child need a physical to participate in a certain sport?
A: It depends on the sport and the school. I think usually for elementary schools, where the sports are a little less vigorous, usually not, but often for high school sports and certainly for contact sports usually [students] do need a separate physical and sports clearance for that.

Q: What’s the best way to make sure my child stays physically active after school?
A: Go to the park or go on a walk after school. When it’s appropriate, have your child walk to and from school, and depending on the age, you should be walking with him or picking him up from school. Take the stairs rather than the elevator if it’s safe and appropriate to do so in the building. It’s something that has to become a family activity. It’s hard to get your child to do it if you’re not going to do it alongside your children.

Q: How can parents detect early signs or symptoms of heart conditions and seek medical help?
A: Usually heart disease concerns for children, especially child athletes, can be very hard to find. A family history of sudden death in a young person or cardiac arrest, that’s someone who should be screened. People who develop chest pain with exercise should also be screened.

Q: What are the best types of food to pack for a healthy lunch?
A: It’s important to have a balanced diet and eat well, so fruits and vegetables are great snacks. If you’re sending lunch meat, they should be lean and low-fat and use whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Have water be the main drink as opposed to juice or soda. Even juice, although it’s natural, has lots of sugar and lots of calories.

Q: What are some food and snacks that children should absolutely avoid?
A: I think sugary drinks, even juice, are best avoided as much as possible. Lots of pre-packaged snacks –moderate, small amounts are fine, but things like that are high in fat, low in fiber.

Q: Once the school year starts, do you see a rise in certain diseases among school-aged kids?
A: Infectious diseases that get shared in school are on the rise: colds, coughs, those sorts of illnesses start to rise; strep throat is more common during school and non-infectious things like head lice get passed around the school.

Q: What is the best thing parents can do to keep children from getting sick?
A: The best thing you can do is really hand washing. Healthy eating and exercise, getting enough sleep also prevent you from getting run-down, which makes it easier for infections to get hold.

Editor’s note: A version of this story appears in the Aug. 23-Sept. 5 print edition of the Norwood News.

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