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Everyone's heard of the concept of the sugar rush, and some parents try not to give their kids sweet food and drinks to avoid affecting their children's health and wellness. However, the culprit may not be sugar, but caffeine instead. This is somewhat understandable – many people wake in the morning to a fresh cup of coffee to start the day. It revitalizes them, regardless of whether they've had a full night's rest or only a nap. So it makes sense that children would receive a similar burst of energy and act excited while under caffeine's influence. 

However, the effect of caffeine may extend beyond an energy boost, according to recent research published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study found that kids who drink soda are slightly more aggressive than other children, based on the analysis of 2,929 children from 20 sizable U.S. cities. Mothers were asked to rate their children's aggressive behavior on a scale of one to 100 during the two months preceding their survey, and kids who drank four or more soda servings per day averaged a score of 62. Non-soda drinkers rated only a 56, while those who drank between one and three servings fell into a range between the non-drinkers and heavy soda drinkers. 

Children who drank four or more soda servings per day were also found to be twice as likely to fight and destroy people's belongings than kids who don't drink soda. 

"In children who consume sodas on a daily basis, we see an increased level of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, and acting out," Judy Gaman, a health and wellness expert at Executive Medicine of Texas in Southlake, told the Dallas Morning News. "Caffeine is a drug and sodas are addictive, so don't be surprised if you and your family have to go through a detox period when you wean off. During such time, headaches, moodiness, and anxiety will rise, but should be gone in three to seven days." 

Soda on the decline, but parents may want solutions now
The Dallas Morning News also noted that soda sales have been declining for the past eight years. Although the popularity of the beverage may be decreasing, this does little good for parents who want to address the problem now. Gaman, as well as Wendy Rice, a Tampa-based psychologist, offered a few recommendations to families who want to remove soda from their diet. 

Gaman suggested not buying soda, regardless of where the family is, and that parents should also keep an eye out for artificial sweeteners. Rice added that substitutions such as seltzer water mixed with fruit juice can also help. However, the source noted that alternatives like diet soda are not a good answer, as the problem is with the caffeine, not the sweetener. 

Reuters reported that the study is not definitive, as the craving for soda may be tied to chronic pediatric medical conditions such as low blood-sugar levels, and that may result in the heightened sense of aggression. However, it added that soda still provides little nutritional value to children. 

Most people know how to live a healthier life. They need to exercise, eat right and take their medicine. Yet many individuals do none of these activities. They do not exercise, they overeat and, according to a recent survey from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, about two-thirds of Americans sometimes miss taking their medication. This can result in a hospital visit or worse.

For a child, there is the added difficulty of trying to convince the kid to take his or her medicine, and the parents need to oversee the child's treatment. With many adults not taking their prescriptions when they are supposed to, the chance exists that kids may also miss their scheduled dosages. They are also less likely to monitor their own schedule, particularly if they don't like their medication.  Depending on their age, they may also not understand the importance of not missing a pill or injection. 

Give kids a reason to take their medicine
By encouraging children to take their medicine, parents can minimize the risk that they will forget about the treatment and increase the chance that their kids will remind them about the medication. This can be especially important when treating chronic pediatric medical conditions, as convincing someone to do the same thing every day can be problematic when he or she does not want to do it. 

By creating a fun situation for a child, routine activities can become more enjoyable. Medicine-flavoring services such as those offered by FLAVORx partner pharmacies provide a number of better-tasting options for children and can make taking their medication a joy. Different taste options can offer variety to an otherwise familiar medicinal experience, while more than a dozen flavors can help kids find something they like. 

Though most physicians and pharmacists are intent on maintaining children's health and wellness, improving how regularly kids take their medicine can also provide a considerable amount of savings. According to the 2012 Express Scripts Drug Trend Report, the United States loses about $317.4 billion in medical costs every year that could have been prevented by patients more rigorously taking their medicine. 

Chronic pediatric medical conditions like autism can be hard for parents to manage, but being prepared for these issues can create a better, healthier environment for the family. When mothers and fathers know what to expect and how to care for their child, they can avoid frustration related to not knowing what to do – and the earlier they know, the better. 

Parents with autistic children should be aware that there is an increased chance that younger siblings will also experience the condition. Reuters Health recently reported on a study from Aarhus University in Denmark that looked into the likelihood of autism occurring among multiple siblings. Researchers discovered that younger siblings are seven times more likely to have an autistic disorder if their older siblings were diagnosed with one. This includes half-siblings, who are more likely to have an autism spectrum disorder if they share the same mother. Half-siblings with the same father were only 1.5 times more likely to share an ASD. 

While there may be a genetic predisposition to ASDs, Therese Gronborg​, who led the study, noted that there would be a greater recurrence rate if it were solely a hereditary, biological issue. Lifestyle, environment and upbringing were all noted as possible reasons for why children may have ASDs. Researchers suggested that the parents' ability to recognize autism's symptoms may also be why their kids are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition. 

However, Reuters highlighted the fact that past studies actually found a stronger link between autism and sibling relationships. The Aarhus University research still found a correlation between the two, but it is not as likely as once thought. While younger siblings to autistic children have a greater chance of being diagnosed with the condition, this still only amounts to a 7 percent chance – rather than the 18 percent chance similar projects have found. 

Helping raise an autistic child
For parents to maintain their children's health and wellness and their own, the Mayo Clinic provided a few suggestions. This included working with social workers, doctors and teachers to find the best way to raise and educate the child. Meeting with other families that have autistic children can also help. As always, knowledge is power, so the source recommended staying up to date about the disorder and the most recent technologies and therapies devoted to managing it. 

For many parents, obesity is the most pressing issue for their children's health and wellness. The prevalence of fatty, sugary foods mixed with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has caused many kids to gain excess weight with more frequency than ever in history. 

However, various communities have different needs and concerns. According to a recent poll from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, most U.S. adults rank obesity as their main health concern. But when the results are segmented by racial and ethnic backgrounds, the issues troubling parents about their kids take on a different slant. For white and Hispanic parents, childhood obesity is their greatest health concern. Among white respondents, the condition was ranked the top problem by 38 percent of parents, while 47 percent of Hispanic respondents felt the same. However, their priorities quickly shift after that point. 

After ranking childhood obesity as the top problem troubling kids, white respondents to the survey stated that drug abuse and smoking were the most important issues to them, while Hispanic parents ranked bullying and drug abuse after obesity. 

Smoking of greater concern to African-American parents
Conversely, African American respondents ranked childhood obesity as their sixth main concern about their kids' health. They were more worried about their kids smoking, abusing drugs, being involved in school violence, testing positive for a sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy. 

"Childhood obesity remains a top concern, but it is essential to look at differences in perception based on race and ethnicity," Matthew Davis, M.D., director of the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, said in a press release. "Medical and public health providers should be aware that different communities could have different priorities about what health problems are most important."

Taking preventative measures against these problems
Just as communities differ based on their history, environment and other factors, individual families can experience similar disparities from wider racial and ethnic trends. Paying attention to the needs of the child can also enable parents to take better care of their kids, or work together to avoid health hazards. Finding healthy alternatives to their favorite food can help with issues like obesity and potentially achieve better results than outright denying them the things they enjoy. Thankfully, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes that awareness about the problem may be leading to a decrease in its frequency. 

Smoking and drugs are more difficult to find safe substitutes for, but the American Lung Association suggested that parents keep smoking out of their home – which may mean they must quit the habit themselves. The association also recommended against issuing threats or ultimatums, but instead talking with the child about the problem. Due to nicotine's addictive nature, it noted that parents should be patient while trying to get their kids to quit the habit. Meanwhile, the CDC listed tobacco use as a chronic disease, so preventing its use can stop a chronic pediatric medical condition early on. 

It's a sad fact that children with chronic pediatric medical conditions are often at an increased risk for illness than their peers. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, liver disorders and a wide variety of other conditions are more likely to catch the flu than other children. During the last flu season, the CDC discovered that 53 percent of children hospitalized for the disease had previously existing health problems.

The CDC researched the long-term medical conditions possessed by the hospitalized children and found that asthma (20 percent), brain and nervous system disorders (13 percent) and non-asthma based lung diseases (6.3 percent) were their most frequently occurring medical conditions.

As if their preexisting medical condition and increased chance to be affected by the flu weren't enough, the CDC found that the flu can also make their chronic health problems even worse. The organization noted that asthma and congestive heart failure are particularly affected.

To combat the flu and avoid further health complications in kids with chronic pediatric medical conditions, the CDC recommended that they receive flu shots to ensure the children's health and wellness. The organization stressed that immunizations should not be delivered by a nasal spray.

Further preparation
Along with obesity, asthma is one of the most common chronic pediatric disorders in the U.S., and the Standard Speaker recently noted that it affects 7 million children. Along with flu shots, parents of these kids should also alert the local school system to the condition, as asthma is one of the most significant causes for hospitalization in children and they are also 39 percent more prone to asthma attacks than adults.

Handling chronic medical conditions often means finding ways to persuade kids to take their treatment or live a healthy lifestyle that won't worsen their condition. One way parents can achieve that is with flavored medication that they enjoy taking rather than avoid taking.

Many parents can have trouble getting their children to take their medicine, even when the kids are sick. The taste of cough syrup can be off-putting, and the strong odor of various ointments can also make it hard when giving medicine to children. But the bland nature of most headache medication causes few children to turn it down when they're experiencing a migraine or other head pain. Additionally, over-the-counter drugs may give the impression that they're relatively harmless. 

Although headache medicine is usually fine in small doses, overuse can lead to a variety of health problems. The Mayo Clinic noted that pain relievers such as ibuprofen can cause ulcers and intestinal bleeding. These problems can be even more pronounced in children. Aspirin should be avoided in children altogether due to its link to Reye's syndrome. 

The solution can become the problem
Another issue related to overusing pain medication is that it can cause additional headaches. HeraldScotland.com recently covered the efforts of Ishaq Abu-Arafeh, M.D., who runs a headache clinic at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill. Abu-Arafeh just released a new book for advancing pediatric patient care and achieving better outcomes in the field of children's headaches. He noted that taking ibuprofen and paracetamol too frequently can cause short periods of pain and leave children's heads feeling sensitive and sore. This in turn can lead to kids taking even more pain relievers and suffering additional headaches. Once parents have resorted to that, they may need to stop giving their children ibuprofen altogether, despite the effect it will have on their kids. 

"We are seeing quite a lot of conditions that in the past used to be exclusive to adults, like medication over-use headaches," said Abu-Arafeh. "We see quite a lot of headaches in children because they are getting too many paracetamol. It makes it very difficult to manage them."

The source noted that Abu-Arafeh did not know why headaches were more frequent among children, despite one third of his patients experiencing the condition. However, he pointed out that a sedentary lifestyle can affect children's health and wellness.

A few alternate treatments
To help children alleviate the pain of a headache, the Cleveland Clinic suggested that people try to relax. Activities like taking a hot shower or stretching can alleviate some of the symptoms. Prolonged computer use or strenuous exercise can also cause headaches, but regular breaks can reduce the risk of suffering one. Convincing a kid to do any of these things might be hard, but informing him or her that they will help with a migraine should encourage them to act. Maintaining a healthier diet can also reduce the frequency of pain. 

Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Sue Hubbard, M.D., also suggested that parents may want to use triptans. She noted that they are frequently used to treat children's migraines and she considers them safe. She also suggested that caretakers should avoid using the same type of medication, both because of the related health problems associated with overuse and due to the differing types of headaches. 

When we consider the easy availability of fast food, soda, candy and other junk snacks in the U.S., it's no wonder that many people suffer from an obesity problem. Couple these facts with people often having a sedentary lifestyle behind a desk or counter and it's relatively easy for people to fall into the trap of weight gain with little recourse for improvement. Between avoiding the temptation of a quick, easy bite and willing ourselves into exercising regularly, staying healthy regularly takes an effort.

Of course, maintaining a good diet and a regular exercise regimen is easier when people start these habits from an early age. The habits we learn while we're young can stick with us for a lifetime, so emphasizing our children's health and wellness now can set kids on a path for better living for the rest of their lives. 

Even the best parent can have trouble watching over his or her child all of the time, though. Between school, time with friends, field trips and all the other activities that parents may not participate in, the ability to guide our children's health is limited. Thankfully, the trend toward childhood obesity may finally be on the decline, according to health officials from the Women, Infants and Children program. 

Preschoolers found less frequently suffering from obesity
Based finding from a study on 18 states, low-income preschoolers were found to be less likely to be affected by obesity than kids studied in previous years. This is notable because children in this demographic can be at greater risk for weight problems than their peers due to limited access to healthy food. While health officials noted that one in eight U.S. preschoolers are overweight, the problem is even more prevalent among black and Hispanic children. Overall, one-third of all children are impacted by this problem.

Still, the problem recently declined in states such as Washington and Mississippi. The most significant decreases were in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and South Dakota, which each reduced their obesity rates by one or more percent, according to the study.

"I'm hoping it's a trend. We're really trying hard," said Laurie Riegert, a nutritionist for the WIC. 

What may be contributing to this recent decline is the assistance of groups such as the WIC, which offers vouchers for healthy food and nutritional advice to low-income families. The group's policies eliminated sugary drinks like juice and reduced the amount of saturated fat from low-income children's food packages. The WIC has also pushed for more breast-feeding, which may factor into the improvements. 

"People are more aware of sugars," said Riegert. "They're trying not to give their kids soda, and they're starting to become aware of physical activity – that's hard for some families, because they're working full time."

Left untreated, childhood obesity can cause chronic pediatric medical conditions that continue into adulthood. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that it can lead to diabetes, bone and joint problems and an increased risk of heart disease in adulthood.