Awareness of the importance of good heart health should start before your child is born. “It is important to establish a relationship with your obstetrician/gynecologist if you are considering having children for optimum heart health for the baby,” said Catherine Powers, director of Family Birth Center at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. You want to follow through with all prenatal checkups and make healthy choices before, during and after pregnancy.
Just because your child is young does not mean he is not susceptible to medical problems. “The main thing we are seeing is rising obesity in kids, and we need to be targeting that by increasing exercise,” said Dr. Diane Sobkowicz, cardiologist and lipidologist at Montage Medical Group with Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.
GET ACTIVE
The easiest way to get moving is limiting screen time. “Set a time limit for how long they can use devices each day and the American Heart Association recommends no more than 1 to 2 hours per day,” said Donna Romani, American Heart Association representative. We are lucky to live in an area where being active on a regular basis is simple. “We have good weather here and lots of places where you can hike or climb around on rocks or go to the beach, and there are different options in schools like group sports, running or karate,” said Janna Dreisbach, registered dietician at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. You want to find an activity your child enjoys and encourage him to stick with it.
WATCH YOUR CHILD'S DIET
Often, when you exercise or eat well your child, will follow suit. “Just plain old avocado lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol and almonds, walnuts and pistachios have the food fats and decrease your bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol,” said Sobkowicz. Balance is the key. “Get your child used to eating fish that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, tuna, halibut or trout because they decrease triglycerides in your bloodstream,” said Sobkowicz. Swap sugars. “When your kid needs a taste of something sweet try offering fruits or homemade granola instead and if you enjoy baking, try substituting some of the sugar with unsweetened applesauce,” said Romani. You will not even notice the difference. Talk about your choices at the grocery store. “If you are over the age of 2 there is no need for any full-fat milk, and they should have skim milk,” said Dreisbach. Avoiding processed foods is always beneficial and same with drinking water.
Understanding the ingredients in your food is helpful. “Check all the labels and if possible, try lower sodium varieties of their favorite foods,” said Romani. Having choices promotes positive behavior. “For kids to have a healthy relationship with food it is important that they are not bribed or forced to eat food they do not want but at least need to be presented with it and then decide how much and what they want to eat,” said Dreisbach. You may not think your child is paying attention, but he is learning about nutrition from you. “Having whole grains, lean meats and a variety of different foods when they are young makes them keep those habits up as they get older which is important,” said Dreisbach.
BE INFORMED
“Parents need to know what their risks are and know their numbers, so if they have high cholesterol the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the age of 9 and 11 are screened for high cholesterol because of the growing epidemic of obesity in kids,” said Sobkowicz. Kids are particularly at risk if they have parents or grandparents with a history of heart problems, stroke or heart attack before age 60. “The thing to remember is that plaque formation can start at the age of 5, and it is something that can be reversed but is a lifelong commitment and not something you start at 40,” said Sobkowicz.
WARNING SIGNS
“The most common thing to watch is weight, but sometimes children have problems with shortness of breath, chest discomfort, palpitations or lightheadedness and those are things you need to talk to your doctor about because it could be dehydration or asthma or something to do with the heart,” said Sobkowicz. Weight is usually tracked at the annual physical with the pediatrician, and your child should be in the normal range for their age and height. Blood pressure is also monitored at those visits.
The field of cardiology has grown by leaps and bounds such that the focus is now on prevention and many procedures that used to be surgical are now done without surgery. “You cannot change your family history, but you can alter how much it affects you and 80 percent of risk factors are modifiable and can be changed,” said Sobkowicz.
Jamie Lober, author of Pink Power (www.getpinkpower.com), is dedicated to providing information on women’s and pediatric health topics. She can be reached at jamie@getpinkpower.com.