Heart Disease and Mental Health and Pediatrics

HEART DISEASE AND MENTAL HEALTH

Heart disease and mental health are two of the most common and deadly diseases in the United States. They affect more than one million children each year, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

The risk factors for pediatric heart disease include genetics, family history, obesity, diabetes, and smoking.

Genetics: If your child has a genetic predisposition to the condition, they may be more likely to develop it later in life.

Family history: If both parents have had a heart attack or stroke before age 60, there is an increased chance that their child will develop heart disease too.

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing various types of cancer, including breast cancer.

Smoking cigarettes can lead to breathing difficulties such as asthma attacks or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

How Can I Help My Kids Get Healthier?

It’s important to see your kids have a healthy diet and enough exercise and encourage them to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Ensure they get enough sleep each night (at least 7 hours).

HOW CAN I HELP MY KIDS GET HEALTHIER?

It’s important to see your kids have a healthy diet and enough exercise and encourage them to eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Ensure they get enough sleep each night (at least 7 hours).

Use positive reinforcement for good behavior whenever possible. Praise good work rather than criticize poor performance; reward effort rather than results; praise progress instead of perfectionism.

Mental health care for children is an important part of the overall management of their physical health. A mental health problem can negatively impact the ability to learn and grow and their relationships with others. Mental disorders are more common in children than adults but remain underdiagnosed. Untreated childhood depression has been shown to increase risk factors for adult depression by up to 60%.

CALL THE PROFESSIONALS

Mental health is more than just depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Mental health is related to several factors, including brain injuries, traumatic events, and mental illness. Parents need to recognize the signs of mental illness so that they can take steps together to help their children overcome challenges with their emotions, behavior, or thoughts about themselves or others (selfesteem).