National Public Health Week Day 1: Be Healthy from the Start
Apr 07, 2014
April 7-13 is National Public Health Week. Each day this week, we will share information about how you can think about public health at home.
Today's theme is Be Healthy from the Start.
Public health starts at home...from family nutrition and maternal health to safety precautions and disaster preparedness.
Did you know?
- Breastfeeding is recommended for at least the first year of a child’s life, and exclusively for the first 6 months. Longer lifetime durations of breastfeeding are associated with decreased risks of maternal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In addition, longer durations of breastfeeding are associated with decreased risk of many common childhood infections and sudden infant death syndrome, as well as chronic conditions in offspring such as obesity, Type 1 diabetes, and leukemia.
- Prenatal care can help keep mothers and their babies healthy. Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birth weight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care.
- Globally, an estimated 43 million preschool children were overweight or obese in 2010, a 60 percent increase since 1990. And children’s early-life experiences, such as lack of breast feeding, too-little sleep and too-much television can increase the risk of obesity later in life. That’s why early child care providers have such a crucial role to play in turning around the obesity epidemic.
- Nearly one-third of all students in the United States do not graduate from high school on time. It’s a destructive cycle: Students who don’t graduate face lifelong health risks and high medical costs, and they are more likely to engage in risky health behaviors. They are less likely to be employed and insured, and they earn less — all of which continues the cycle of poverty and disparities.
Good personal health is connected to good public health.
Resources:
- The most effective way to encourage breastfeeding among soon-to-be or new mothers is education. Share resources such as informational videos and websites with new mothers on breastfeeding. Here are some examples: World Health Organization Academy of Pediatrics Breastfeeding Initiatives March of Dimes - Feeding Your Baby
- Tip for businesses: support your employees by ensuring you have private, clean areas established as breastfeeding centers for employees.
- Child care providers are in a unique position to initiate healthy eating and exercise habits among young children and encourage similar behavior at home. Check out these resources from the United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services: Team Nutrition Ideas for Child Care Providers Wellness Resources for Child Care Providers
