Getting children healthy for back to school

CLASSROOM OFTENTIMES INCLUDES GETTING STUDENTS BACK INTO THEIR PEDIATRICIAN’S OFFICE. JUST THIS PAST WEEK, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RELEASED ITS GUIDANCE FOR COVID 19 VACCINES. THE ACADEMY RECOMMENDED ALL CHILDREN SIX MONTHS AND OLDER GET THE SHOT. NOW, THAT’S A BREAK FROM THE CDC’S CURRENT GUIDANCE. SO WHAT SHOULD PARENTS DO TO KEEP THEIR CHILD HEALTHY IN A BROAD SCOPE? JOINING US NOW FROM MERCY MEDICAL CENTER’S PEDIATRICIAN, DOCTOR SHANTI WOODS. GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN. GOOD TO SEE YOU. IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR YOU’RE OFF. IS PROBABLY CROWDED RIGHT NOW. IT’S CROWDED. IT’S ON AND POPPIN. BUT WE WELCOME IT. SO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED DURING COVID. I’VE NOTICED KIDS BACKPACKS. EVERYONE HAD A LITTLE HAND SANITIZER. RIGHT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT JUST SAID THE KIDS CARED ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT AS WE SEND OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL? THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. WE DON’T WANT KIDS TO FORGET. WE DON’T WANT FAMILIES TO FORGET. SO THEY STILL NEED THAT HAND SANITIZER. THEY STILL NEED THAT PACKAGE OF KLEENEXES IN THEIR BACKPACK. BUT PREVENTION, THAT’S GOING TO BE THE REALLY BIGGEST THING. SO COMING INTO YOUR PEDIATRICIAN’S OFFICE, MAKING SURE YOU’RE UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF YOUR VACCINES, YOU GET SOME VACCINES WHEN YOU’RE FOUR, YOU GET SOME VACCINES WHEN YOU’RE 11. AND JUST CHECKING WITH YOUR PEDIATRICIAN’S OFFICE, USUALLY WITH A CALL OR USING THE APP JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD IS UP TO DATE WITH VACCINES, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE FIRST STEP OF PREVENTION. OKAY, TELL ME ABOUT SLEEP ROUTINES, BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST THE FACT THAT YOU’RE GETTING REST, BUT IF RECHARGES YOU FOR THE NEXT DAY, I’M GUESSING. SO KIDS SHOULD GET INTO A ROUTINE AND KIND OF STICK TO IT NOW. THAT’S RIGHT. YOU KNOW, EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT KIDS WHO ARE GET THAT GOOD AMOUNT OF SLEEP THAT THEY’RE BETTER PREPARED FOR THE DAY, ABLE TO CONCENTRATE THEIR BEHAVIOR IS BETTER, MORE IN TASK. I DON’T KNOW WHERE EIGHT HOURS CAME FROM. I GREW UP HEARING EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP, BUT CHILDREN NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT. ANYWHERE BETWEEN 9 TO 12 HOURS. OKAY, THE YOUNGER YOU ARE, THE MORE SLEEP YOU NEED. SO THE KIDS WHO ARE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROBABLY NEED TO AIM FOR ABOUT TEN HOURS OF SLEEP, 11 HOURS, AND THEN ONCE YOU HIT MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, MAYBE 8 OR 9 HOURS TO GET THE JOB DONE, OKAY, IT’S FUNNY, I HAVE A HIGH SCHOOLER WHO WOKE UP AT 2:00 THE OTHER DAY. I SAID, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE OVERDONE THE THE SLEEP PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION, ALSO, WE ALWAYS SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL, BUT I’M GUESSING THEY ALL HAVE SOME IMPORTANCE. BUT GETTING OFF TO THE RIGHT STEP WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION STARTS IN THE MORNING. ABSOLUTELY. AND THE SLEEP TIES INTO THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, IF I’M WAKING UP LATE BECAUSE I DIDN’T GET ENOUGH SLEEP, BUT IF I’M WAKING UP LATE, I MIGHT NOT HAVE TIME FOR BREAKFAST. AND AGAIN, POOR SLEEP. NO BREAKFAST. WE’RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE. SO BREAKFAST, WE DO THINK, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY, AND WE WANT IT TO BE HEALTHY. SOMETHING WITH GRAINS, SOMETHING WITH LEAN PROTEIN. BUT BREAKFAST BARS, THOSE ARE FINE. A PIECE OF FRUIT THAT’S GOOD AS WELL. BUT THEN LUNCH OF COURSE, WILL FOLLOW UP. AND WE WANT A GOOD NUTRITIOUS LUNCH IF POSSIBLE. SCHOOL OPTIONS ARE VERY INTENTIONAL WITH TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LUNCH IS HEALTHY, TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THAT SECOND HALF OF THE DAY. SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU GET A GOOD LUNCH AND BREAKFAST, AND THAT CAN INCLUDE PARENTS TAKING THEIR CHILDREN TO THE SUPERMARKET WITH THEM SO THAT THE CHILD CAN MAYBE SELECT WHAT THEY WANT, AND JUST PARENTS MAKING SURE IT’S PROBABLY A BALANCE OF SOMETHING HEALTHY, BUT THEN SOMETHING THAT TASTES GOOD AS WELL, RIGHT? I’VE NOTICED A LOT OF KIDS ALSO CARRYING WATER BOTTLES NOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY. IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’RE KIND OF PUSHED TOWARDS? PARENTS ALSO? ABSOLUTELY. CHILDREN SHOULD DEFINITELY STAY WELL HYDRATED. WE AS PEDIATRICIANS WILL EVEN WILL BE ENTHUSIASTIC TO WRITE A NOTE FOR A CHILD TO BE ABLE TO CARRY THEIR WATER BOTTLE WITH THEM. IF, IN FACT, THE SCHOOL HAS A RULE THAT CHILDREN CAN’T HAVE THEIR WATER BOTTLE. NO, WE WILL SUPPORT. HEY, THIS CHILD, YOU KNOW WE WANT THEM TO STAY HYDRATED. A A CHILD WHO HAS SLEPT WELL, WHO IS EATING BREAKFAST, WHO’S WELL HYDRATED, THAT’S GOING TO BE A HIGH PERFORMING CHILD IN SCHOOL. ONE BIG CHANGE FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL. AT LEAST. ATHLETICS. A LOT OF KIDS, THEY FIND THEMSELVES AS FAR AS BECOMING ATHLETES. WHAT SHOULD PARENTS KEEP IN MIND AS THEY START TO DO THEIR TRAINING AND THAT KIND OF THING? THAT’S RIGHT. MUCH LIKE AN ADULT MYSELF WHO WANTS TO GET BACK TO WORKING OUT, THAT FIRST DAY IS BRUTAL. AND THE SAME GOES FOR CHILDREN. SO IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVE, A PARENT SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CHILD EASES INTO THEIR SPORT. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN TRYOUTS MAYBE ARE IN AUGUST OR MAYBE EVEN NOVEMBER FOR SOME OF THE WINTER SPORTS, THE CHILD WHO WAS NOT ACTIVE SHOULD NOT GO SO HARD BECAUSE WE CAN SEE SOME THINGS LIKE ASTHMA FLARE UP, OR EVEN CHEST AND HEART CONDITIONS. SO THE POINT IS, IN YOUNG PEOPLE AND EVEN IN YOUNG PEOPLE. AND SO THAT IS WHY PARENTS SHOULD BE INVOLVED. IF A PARENT IS AWARE THAT THEIR CHILD HAS SPORTS ASPIRATIONS, THE PARENT SHOULD GET INVOLVED. BE A GOOD MODEL OF ALL RIGHT, GREAT. WE’RE GOING TO THE TRACK. WE’RE GOING TO WALK AROUND OR WE’RE GOING TO RIDE SOME BIKES AROUND THE NEW PARKS THAT ARE BEING RENOVATED AROUND THE CITY. SO IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BORING WORKING OUT. IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT’S FUN. BUT THE POINT IS ONE MAKING SURE THAT YOUR CHILD IS FIT ENOUGH TO TRY THIS VIGOROUS ACTIVITY, AND THEN TWO TOUCHING BASE WITH THE COACHES TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY SPORTS THAT PERHAPS HAVE TWO A DAYS, SUCH AS SOME OF THE OUTSIDE SPORTS THAT THE CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO WATER. HEY, WISH YOUR ROUTINE. IF A CHILD IS SAYING HEY, I CAN’T BREATHE, OR YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES THAT THE SPORT HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE NOT HAVING A PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT? AND I BET YOU’RE REALLY EXCITED TO KNOW THAT SCHOOLS HAVE LIKE, THESE AEDS NOW, THAT KIND OF THING READY ON HAND AND PEOPLE TRAIN FOR THEM. THAT’S A DIFFERENCE MAKER. THAT IS COMPLETELY A DIFFERENCE MAKER. IT’S A LIFESAVER. AND MAKING SURE THAT THE THE TEAMS HAVE ATHLETIC TRAINERS AND ATHLETIC DIRECTORS WHO ARE VERY WELL VERSED I

11 TV Hill: Doctor’s tips to get children healthy for back to school

Updated: 11:30 AM EDT Aug 24, 2025

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Getting students back into the classroom can, oftentimes, include returning to the pediatrician’s office.Just this past week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its guidance for COVID-19 vaccines, recommending that all children 6 months and older get the shot — that’s a break from the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.So, what should parents do to keep their child healthy? Mercy Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods explains on 11 TV Hill.

BALTIMORE —

Getting students back into the classroom can, oftentimes, include returning to the pediatrician’s office.

Just this past week, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its guidance for COVID-19 vaccines, recommending that all children 6 months and older get the shot — that’s a break from the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, what should parents do to keep their child healthy? Mercy Medical Center pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods explains on 11 TV Hill.