Ask the Expert
will also help identify the small number of kids who have a genetic disorder called familial hypercho- lesterolemia. It is always good to
Screening kids 9 to 11 for cholesterol may give you the information needed to benefi t from coaching and counseling early in life
screening before age nine for children who have diabetes or a family history of cholesterol problems. The other part of the contro- versy is what to do when a lab test is abnormal for a child with neither physical problems nor a family his- tory of them. Some members of the
AAP have recommended these questions be part of a conversation for all parents, with monitoring for weight problems, blood pressure and lifestyle an important part of that conversation. The AAP also recommends limiting sedentary screen time to two hours or less per day and to have all kids get
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at least one hour of moder- ate physical activity daily. These recommendations are meant to decrease obesity and get families involved in physical activity. The recommendation
for low-density lipopro- tein (LDL) cholesterol in milligrams per deciliter is: <110 mg/dl, acceptable; 110-129 mg/dl, borderline high; and >130 mg/dl, high. The NHLBI guidelines state that no cholesterol- lowering medicines should be considered until a minimum six-month trial of lifestyle changes fails to lower very high (>190 mg/ dl) cholesterol in children age ten or older. Testing
know about your family’s health. Learning about your family history and the health problems that adults in your family face can help you and your children become aware of potential health issues. Screening for kids 9 to 11 years of age may give your family the informa- tion needed to benefit from coaching and counseling early in life, rather than be- ing treated for cardiovas- cular disease later on.
Terea Giannetta, DNP, RN, CPNP, is a certifi ed PNP and Chief PNP at Children’s Hospital Central California, where she has had a clinical practice in Hematology/ Oncology ambulatory clinic for the past 20 years. She is also a full-time faculty mem- ber and Associate Professor at California State Univer- sity, Fresno.
Have a question? E-mail
em@cwpg.com.
www.readysetgrowmag.com
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