Children’s health is really important and every child should have the right to grow up in safe surroundings and live a healthy and happy life. Children are more susceptible to illnesses and infections because their immune systems are still developing; an infection which a healthy adult would shrug off could be very serious for a child.

Keeping children healthy is difficult because they are exposed to lots of different people and infections get passed around relentlessly at schools and nurseries. In order to reduce the risk of your child getting ill, ensure they have a healthy, balanced diet, encourage them to exercise regularly and keep your home nice and clean. Eating healthily will boost their immune system and ensure their bodies get all the nutrients and minerals it needs to function as effectively as possible. Exercise should be part of your child’s daily routine; try to encourage them to play outdoors with siblings or friends and maybe look into local sports teams, dance, athletics and gymnastic groups and swimming lessons, for example.

Dental health is also extremely important; dentists in Dublin and many other parts of the country are reporting an increase in the number of young children coming to them with preventable health conditions including tooth decay. It is important to encourage children to look after their teeth from an early age so that they avoid having to have more complex treatments, such as cosmeticdentistryguide.co.uk/articles/root-canal.html treatment, when they are older. Your child is entitled to free NHS dental care so make sure you make the most of it; if you are struggling to find an NHS practice that is taking on new patients or your old practice has closed down and the dental guide to practices has not been able to help or has moved too far away, contact your Primary Care Trust.

If you are worried about the health of your child you should not hesitate to contact your GP.