Holidays | Health & Wellness | Children's Health

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8 Safety tips for kids and holiday decorations

The glitter, glow and frenzied fun of the holidays makes it the most festive time of the year. But the sparkle of the season can come with hidden dangers for your children. "With how busy the holidays get, it can be easy to overlook precautions you should take with decorations to keep your kids safe," says Dawn D. Johnson, M.D., Medical Director of Children's Health℠ Pediatric Group. "Taking a moment to assess your surroundings can help you identify any potential hazards and prevent them from harming your children."

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5 tips for buying safe toys for children

Toys can be hazardous, resulting in hundreds of thousands of injuries each year for children age 14 or younger. As holiday time approaches, make informed decisions about toy purchases by keeping our tips in mind.

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How to encourage healthy eating habits during the holidays

The festivities and treats of the holiday season can make it difficult for your child to maintain healthy eating habits that he or she might have established earlier in the year. On average, people gain 1-3 pounds during the six weeks from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.

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4 hidden spots for holiday germs

Presents aren't the only thing in hiding during the holiday season. With more travel, parties, family and shopping, germs hide out and often show up uninvited to spread contagious illnesses that can put a damper on holiday fun.

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Food allergy-friendly recipe: Herbed prime rib roast

Research shows that 1 in every 13 children in the United States has a food allergy. Navigating food allergies may seem difficult – especially around the holidays – but with a little planning, you can have a delicious, allergy-free meal for the entire family to enjoy.

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Food allergy-friendly recipe: Sweet potato apple casserole

In the United States, 90% of all food allergic reactions are caused by just eight foods: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. It can be difficult to find ways to avoid these food allergens, especially during the holiday season.

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Food allergy-friendly recipe: Chocolate cake

We’re sharing recipes for an entire food-allergy-friendly holiday meal. You’ll want to try them all! The following Chocolate Cake is allergy-friendly recipe and is free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. It's also gluten and dairy free.

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An overlooked eating disorder can surface at the holidays

Because the holidays offer more opportunity for family time, this can be when parents start to notice unhealthy eating habits in their children.

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How old is too old to believe in Santa Claus?

As your child grows older, you may wonder when's the right time to address the Santa question. Fortunately for parents, most children begin to learn the truth slowly so that by the time you have the talk, your child is ready to listen.

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Navigating food allergies during the holidays

During the holiday season, many families look forward to a big Thanksgiving feast, school celebrations and special seasonal treats. But for parents of a child with food allergies, celiac disease or Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), the holidays can be a stressful time of year. Learn how to navigate food allergies during the festivities to ensure your child has a happy and healthy holiday season.

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Food allergy-friendly recipe: Holiday berry sauce

Even if your kids don't have food allergies, it's likely that you'll be cooking for one of your kids' cousins or friends who does this holiday season. The top eight food-allergy triggers include: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

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Elf on the Shelf: Christmas friend or foe?

The Elf on the Shelf, a toy based on a children's book published in 2005, is a fun and novel idea that many families have eagerly incorporated into their Christmas traditions. When a child names the Elf, it magically comes to life each night between Thanksgiving and Christmas to report back to Santa about the child's behavior. It then returns to the home to a different spot than the night before, but the child must not touch it, or it might lose its magic.

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The new normal: How to holiday after separation

For recently separated or divorced families, the holidays can bring an acute sense of hurtful emotions and anxiety. The tug-of-war over who will get the kids, combined with the frustrations of fluctuating schedules and loss of routine, can lead to an unhealthy environment for children and a potentially profound emotional impact on them later in life.

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Teal Pumpkin Project: Candy alternatives for Halloween

Having a child with a food allergy or diabetes impacts nearly every aspect of life – including how he or she can participate in holidays and related celebrations. Festive autumnal celebrations nearly always include candy and treats, and it can be heartbreaking to tell a child with a food allergy that he or she can’t participate in the merriment of trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

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7 trick-or-treat safety tips

The spookiest day of the year is quickly sneaking up on us. You’re probably already on your way to being knee deep in pumpkins, costumes, candy and creating great Halloween memories for your child.

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Valentine's Day FYI: Is chocolate really good for your heart?

Chocolate is a by-product of the cocoa bean or cacao bean. In the 15th and 16th centuries, people in Mexico made a foamy drink with the cacao bean, and spiced it with chili, allspice, honey or vanilla. The beverage was expensive to make and enjoyed mostly by the elite. It wasn’t until the 18th century that the first form of solid chocolate was developed in Italy. Today more than 50 percent of the cocoa harvested annually comes from West Africa. In the United States market alone, chocolate sales average over $19 billion a year. Consumers demand for the organic version of chocolate is also on the rise.