Swimming: The source of many illnesses
Most kids’ favorite summer activity is swimming, no matter if it’s splashing in a small backyard pool, or on the beach of a five-star resort. But the reality is that no fun activity is totally safe and healthy. For information on water safety, see TenTips: Waterfront. For avoiding illnesses from […]

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Tags: Diarrhea, Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Respiratory infections, Skin conditions, Sun exposure

The sun does to skin what tobacco smoke does to lungs. Both produce progressive, cumulative, and irreversible tissue damage, often culminating in very serious health issues many decades later.
But it need not happen. There are positive rays of sunshine, too: information on how to neutralize the harmful effects. Here is what you should know:
1. Don’t […]

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Tags: Equator, Infants, Respiratory infections, Skin conditions, Sun exposure, Sunburn, Sunscreen, Toddlers

Visiting Mexico City: 7,550 feet. Viewing the Grand Canyon: 8,000 feet. Skiing in Colorado: 8,000 feet (with some slopes going higher.) Driving up Pike’s Peak: 14,000 feet. At these elevations most children run circles around their huffing and puffing parents. But some children will show symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS), and a rare child […]

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Tags: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), Altitude, Aspirin, Asthma, Coughs, Dehydration, Fatigue, Frostbite, Headache, Hypothermia, Ibuprofen (Advil Motrin), Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Respiratory infections, Seizure disorders, Sleep, Sore throat, Sun exposure, Toddlers, Vomiting

A vacation at sea offers families the best of all worlds: seeing foreign countries without the hassle of constant packing; supervised age-appropriate activities, lots of other children and, should you need it, “in-house” medical facilities.
Here’s what you have to know:
1. Bring your children’s medications:
A leading reason for passengers visiting ships’ infirmaries is to obtain medications […]

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Tags: Cruise ships, Infants, Intestinal illnesses, Medical kit, Medications, Seasickness, Sun exposure, Third world, Toddlers, Tropics, Vaccine

On Caribbean islands (Bermuda and the Bahamas included), travel-related illnesses are relatively minor, generally predictable, and largely preventable, making the islands comfortable places for family vacations. The exception to this is Hispaniola, where the Dominican Republic and Haiti are (see below).

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Tags: Dengue fever, Sun exposure, Third world