Children and Adolescents

Helping to ensure that children and adolescents stay healthy is very important to people in Canada -- and important for their individual development! We know this is a combination of many things -- including a supportive family home, a thriving social network and the possibilities of going to school. Their health is also affected by their feelings of safety when it comes to who they socialize with and feeling safe in the world around them -- the streets, in schools and on the playground.

Tips for Healthy Kids

Here are some simple ways to keep your children and adolescents healthy:

• Remember that your children's health involves more than their physical safekeeping. Talking with your children daily to find out what they are thinking and doing is one of the most important ways to keep them healthy.
• Keep your  children active. Research studies show than more than half of Canadian children and youth are not active enough for optimal growth and development.
• Keep the environments in which your children live, play and learn safe. For example, keep dangerous products, such as matches and products that contain poisons, in a locked cabinet.
• Take your children for regular medical checkups. Always talk to your physician if you have any concerns about your children's health.
• Instil a lifetime of healthy eating habits by following Canada's Food Guide.
• Encourage your children not smoke or to help them quit:  Quit 4 Life and You and Me, Smokefree.

What Information is Available?

In this section, you will find information about how to keep your children healthy. In addition to the  Tips to Get Active, you will find topics on safety, parenting, teen pregnancies, drugs and so on.

You can also find more information in our It's Your Health section on the following topics:

• Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Cellular Phones
• Condoms
• Earphones
• Hepatitis C
• Menstrual Tampons
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreens

Related Resources

Health Canada

• Advisor on Healthy Children and Youth
• UV Index Sun Awareness Program
• Your Child's Prescription: Important Questions to Ask

Other Resources

•  A Parent's Guide to Immunization
•  Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities
•  Bisphenol A
•  Canada's National Plan of Action for Children
•  Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being
•  Children Rights and International Policies
•  Community Action Program for Children
•  Healthy Images
•  Voices and Choices: Planning for School Health.

You can visit the section for our Office of Paediatric Initiatives, created as the focal point within the Health Products and Food Branch for an integrated approach to a range of health and safety issues related to the use of health products in children and safe and nutritious food for them to consume.