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Healthy Steps for Young Children Program
Your baby's development is influenced by many factors. They include his or her environment, early childhood experiences, and maternal health. Research has shown that the adult brain is strongly influenced by early childhood experiences, especially the parent-child relationship.
ABC Family Pediatricians offers a program called Healthy Steps at several of our offices. Healthy Steps helps you address your child's behavioral, emotional, social and intellectual health. First-time parents meet with a specially trained nurse during some of your regular well visits. You'll discuss topics like:
- How to calm a crying baby
- How to prevent sleep problems
- Feeding challenges
- Understanding your child's temperament
- How your child learns through play
- Discipline -- when and how
- Toilet training
- How to encourage speech development
- Family issues
There is no extra charge when your well visit also includes a Healthy Steps meeting.
ABC Family Pediatricians was one of the original 15 pediatric practices involved in a 5-year nationwide study to examine the enhancement and expansion of traditional pediatric care by including a child development specialist as a part of the healthcare team. Our local funding source for the study was the Pool Health Care Trust. The results of the nationwide study were published in Journal of American Medical Association, December 2003.
National Healthy Steps website
http://www.healthysteps.org/
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