children s health issues
Chronic Health Problems in Children
Introduction
Severe illness, even if temporary, can provoke a great deal of anxiety in children and their families. Chronic health problems may persist for months or forever. They may be severe enough to create limitations in usual activity. Chronic health problems usually cause even more emotional distress than temporary problems. Examples of chronic health problems include Asthma in Children None Cystic Fibrosis (CF) None Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Children and Adolescents None Hearing Impairment in Children or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (ADHD) Depression and Mood Dysregulation Disorder in Children and Adolescents None Birth defects or birth injury (for example, Cerebral Palsy (CP) , traumatic brain injury [see Coping with illness may require coping with pain, undergoing tests, taking medications, and changing diet and lifestyle. A chronic health problem often interferes with a child's education because of frequent absences from school. The illness as well as side effects resulting from treatments may impair the child's ability to learn. Even though parents and teachers may have lower academic expectations of children with a chronic illness, it is important for them to maintain the challenges and encouragement children need to achieve their best. 