Your Child's First Three Years

Children’s brains grow most rapidly in the first three years of life. Parents can support their baby’s language and thinking skills starting from day one! Read and talk with your baby, even if he doesn’t talk back yet. You are his first and most influential teacher - you will always know your child best.

Many parents can’t resist comparing their child to other children at daycare or in the neighborhood. Don’t worry – most children gain the skills needed to be successful in life, but they don’t all master skills at the same age.

Developmental skills or milestones happen over a range of age: sitting up alone 6-8 months; walking 12-15 months; and saying Mama & Dada between 9- 12 months. These are averages and some children may be younger or older. More information on development can be found on the zerotothree.org website where you can get updates regularly on what to expect based on your child’s age with suggestions of activities to help encourage new skills.

The Clinton County Health Department offers free developmental screenings the afternoon of the 4^th Monday of each month on a walk-in basis. More information is available at www.clintonhealth.org/specialneeds

If your child is between birth and 3 years and you would like a formal evaluation, you can call the Health Department (518-565-4848) and request a referral to the Early Intervention Program (EIP). A no-cost evaluation by a multidisciplinary team can tell you if your child is eligible for services and supports through the Early Intervention program.

Services can be provided at home, at daycare or in the community. These services can help you and your family learn the best ways to care for your child, support & promote your child’s development, and include your child in family & community activities. Services are free, voluntary, and family centered. The purpose of EIP is to help you help your child learn and develop.

Parents and professionals working together to help babies and toddlers develop and learn. Call 518-565-4848 for more information on the Early Intervention Program.

Immunizations – How to Keep it Together

 

The end of summer is here and many parents are shuffling around in a panic trying to figure out if their children are up to date with required school vaccines. But don’t worry, there’s a great tool in New York State which stores your family vaccinations in one place, it’s called the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS).

Ask your health care providers if they are part of NYSIIS.  If they are not, and you want all of your family’s immunization records loaded into one electronic registry with NYS, contact the Clinton County Health Department at 518 565-4848. We’d be happy to help you!

NYSIIS makes it easy for you and your doctor to:

ü  Make sure you and your family are up to date with the recommended vaccines,

ü  Review at each medical appointment, no matter the location – primary care provider, emergency room, specialist, or vaccine clinic, and

ü  Replace lost vaccine records.

To learn more about the vaccines you might be missing and for more tips on how to keep it together, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/vaccines-age.html    

Good Health to you!

How Climate Change Affects Children:

Many common daily activities such as driving a car, using electricity, heating and cooling buildings requires burning of fossil fuels. These activities have increased levels of greenhouse gases in the air which is changing the planet’s climate. Climate change is affecting many things, including children’s health and safety.  

Rising Temperatures: Leads to more heat waves, children can be affected by increased temperatures, especially infants and athletes.

Extreme weather:  Leads to a rise in bad storms, floods and stronger wildfires.  This can lead to dirty water, loss of homes and communities, and more air pollution.  This puts children’s safety and health at risk as well as their mental wellbeing.

Air Quality: A rise in pollution and allergens can increase allergy related illnesses, and cause breathing problems, especially in children with asthma.

Mosquitos and Ticks: Changes in rain, length of the warm season, and differences in temperature can cause a change in mosquito and tick behavior, this leads to an increase in diseases such as Lyme disease, Zika Virus, Malaria, and West Nile Virus.

Water and foodborne illnesses:  Dirty water and spoiled food can cause people to become sick. These types of diseases, like diarrhea, are known to increase when outdoor temperature rises or immediately following storms or floods. Children are especially at risk for these illnesses due to their developing immune systems.

Access to food: In some parts of the world, climate change has already led to less food and less healthy food.

The good news is that each of us can take steps to lower the human impact on climate change and protect children’s health:

      1. Know your carbon footprint: Your carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gases that you produce through activities that burn fossil fuels.  Using less energy and reducing waste can reduce your carbon footprint. You can calculate your carbon footprint and learn how to take action to reduce it here: https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/

      2. Cut down use of fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal and increase use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

     3.  Walk, or bike whenever possible.

To learn more visit:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Climate-Change-Policy-Explained.aspx

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-05/documents/ochp_climate_brochure.pdf

Let’s work together to leave the world a better, healthier, safer place- and give our children a better, healthier, safer future.