- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- preteenagers today articles
- preteenagers today q&a
- teenagers today articles
- teenagers today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Teens, Vaccines and Screenings
Keeping up on Health Guidelines
By Kelly Burgess
Quick! What comes to mind when you think about screenings and vaccines? If you said babies and toddlers, you're only half right (or maybe that's two-thirds right). In fact, although your teenager may be old enough to go in the doctor's office by himself, and too old for a lollipop, teens have plenty of recommendations for ongoing health care that will help them grow into a lifetime of good health.
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that, if left untreated, can cause deformities, back pain and difficulty breathing. Many schools in the United States offer annual scoliosis screenings, and most pediatricians make it a part of any annual checkup as well. Mary Rodts, assistant professor at Rush College of Nursing and senior editor of Spine Universe, says it's important to catch spine problems as early as possible.
"The incidence of scoliosis is not huge – screenings pick up 3 to 4 percent of every hundred and of that number only 1 percent will require treatment – but it's worth it to avoid serious problems that require invasive treatments," Rodts says. "Back surgery is fraught with difficulties, and we'd prefer to prevent it getting that serious."
According to Dr. Catrise Austin, a dentist who has been in private practice for 10 years in New York City, dental caries are the No. 1 disease in children. The importance of dental health is something that experts are just beginning to realize is indicative of the health of the entire body – including long-term cardiac health.