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Maintaining children’s health presents its own set of challenges. From their very first days, parents find themselves visiting a range of health facilities for vaccinations, dental check-ups, eye exams, and treatments for ailments like congestion. However, health experts emphasize that one crucial area often receives insufficient attention: cardiovascular health.
“As a pediatrician, I am increasingly worried about the lack of focus on the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease risks among children and youth,” stated Dr. Mona Sharifi, chief of general pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. “We must prioritize heart health for children.” While heart disease and strokes are typically associated with adulthood, research highlights a concerning trend—risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and tobacco use often take shape much earlier, even in childhood.
Recent studies reveal that conditions like high blood pressure are now appearing in young individuals, signaling a need for more thorough monitoring and proactive management of cardiovascular risks from a younger age. As Dr. Amy Peterson, a pediatric cardiology professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, asserted, “Ideally, parents should start thinking about heart health even before their child is born.” The health of mothers during pregnancy can significantly impact their children’s cardiovascular well-being long into their later years. Factors such as maternal obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes can heighten the risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes in their children later in life.
“The foundation of what we refer to as adult heart disease often originates in childhood, sometimes even before birth,” Peterson cautioned. “It’s never too early to start this conversation.” For expecting mothers, maintaining a healthy diet and staying physically active is essential, as long as their healthcare provider deems it safe. The American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” outlines eight vital metrics for cardiovascular health, including consuming a nutritious diet, engaging in regular physical activity, getting ample sleep, avoiding smoking, managing weight, and maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Adhering to these guidelines benefits both mothers and their babies.
Once children arrive, experts suggest that following these metrics can help establish cardiovascular health that persists into adulthood. Here are several strategies for parents to consider:
1. **Promote Healthy Eating**: Introducing children to nutritious foods and fostering healthy eating habits significantly impacts their weight and cardiovascular health, according to Peterson. Research indicates that dietary patterns developed during childhood often continue into adulthood. Federal guidelines for children advocate a diet abundant in fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, lean proteins, and seafood. However, data shows that many children in the U.S. struggle with poor diet quality, especially as they enter their teenage years.
By late adolescence, only half of the required fruits and vegetables are consumed, with excessive amounts of starchy foods like corn and potatoes, along with high sugar, saturated fats, and sodium. Approximately 20% of children and adolescents face obesity, correlating with various health dilemmas such as hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver disease, and mood disorders, according to the CDC. “These health issues collectively have a damaging effect,” Sharifi remarked. “Making small changes, like swapping sugary drinks for water, can lead to significant health improvements.” Peterson stressed that parents should model healthy eating: “When parents express dislike for vegetables, children pick up on that. If they see their parents enjoying nutritious foods and exercising, they are more likely to adopt similar habits.”
2. **Encourage Physical Activity**: Regular physical activity is crucial to maintaining cardiovascular health, yet many children fall short. Data reveals that just 20% of adolescents in the U.S. meet recommended activity levels for aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises. Federal guidelines urge children aged 6 to 17 to partake in about an hour of moderate to vigorous activity daily, encompassing primarily aerobic activities along with some age-appropriate muscle and bone-strengthening exercises like running or jumping rope. “Facilitating opportunities for children to get their hearts pumping for an hour daily is vital,” Sharifi emphasized. Even when not linked to weight loss, physical activity brings cardiovascular advantages and enhances cardiorespiratory fitness.
3. **Monitor Blood Pressure and Cholesterol**: High cholesterol and blood pressure are significant contributors to cardiovascular disease and can manifest early in life. These conditions are often asymptomatic, meaning they might go undetected without regular monitoring during health check-ups, according to Peterson. “Healthy diets and regular exercise usually help maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but monitoring is crucial for detecting issues not related to lifestyle factors,” she noted. Children should undergo cholesterol testing once between ages 9-11 and again between 17-21. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests annual blood pressure screenings starting at age 3.
4. **Address Social Determinants of Health**: For some families, maintaining health involves more than making good dietary choices and ensuring physical activity. “Factors such as genetics and social determinants of health play a significant role,” stated Sharifi. Challenges such as insufficient physical activities in schools, unsafe play areas, lack of access to quality healthcare, and limited availability of affordable, healthy food options contribute to the difficulties families face. Stress from food insecurity can hinder children’s ability to sleep adequately, further impacting heart health.
5. **Teach CPR**: Equipping children with the knowledge of how to respond in a cardiac emergency is another vital aspect of promoting heart health, according to Peterson. Some schools offer classes teaching hands-only CPR, where students learn to call emergency services and perform chest compressions until help arrives. In many states, CPR instruction is a graduation requirement. “Children are competent at younger ages than we often recognize, and they can start learning these skills,” Sharifi pointed out. With around 350,000 cardiac arrests occurring outside hospitals each year in the U.S., parents and caregivers can benefit from understanding these techniques. “The more we educate our community, the better equipped we’ll be,” she concluded.