The month of May is nationally recognized as Mental Health Month and each year, Child Mental Health Week takes place during the first full week of the month. This year's theme is "
Healthy Families, Resilient Children: Mental Health is a Family Affair!"
According to the CDC,
psychological disorders affect 1 in 7 kids in the US under 9 years of age and research shows that young children with mental, behavioral or developmental disorders are less likely than others to have access to medical care that is family-centered, continuous, comprehensive, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective.
Child Mental Health Week is a week to focus on children and youth living with mental illness by raising awareness about the mental health needs of America's youngest citizens and to come together in support for the development and implementation of effective services and supports for children affected by mental illness.
For information on events in your area, click here.
To promote childrearing efforts that support positive mental and physical health in children, consider using the "Lead Your Child to Good Health" poster, available on the College website. ACPeds encourages pediatricians and other child healthcare professionals to share the poster with others, especially with your patients' parents. Click here for a preview of the poster.
Internet Computer Technology: A Blessing & Curse to Our Youth
As Americans, the internet and computer technology has become part of our every day lives. We use it for work and play, business and pleasure. They both have an immense potential for improving health, education, and economics; yet when it comes to our youth, the impact may be more negative than positive. An article published by researchers from Michigan State University last month indicated that schools see significant improvement in academic achievement when they provide each student with a laptop computer, as well as the appropriate support for both students and teachers; and researchers from MIT, Tufts University, and Georgia State University have published similar results.
Although two-thirds of parents fear social media is bad for their child, parents are often the first people to introduce their children to internet technology. Parental involvement is crucial to ensure child and adolescent safety when using this medium. For helpful information on internet safety you can provide to parents, please visit the ACPeds Conversations page in the Member Hub, a resource designed for healthcare professionals to provide uncompromising advice in the care of infants, children and adolescents. You will need a user name and password for access.
Picky Eater #WeeklyBlogPost
It's important that our children get a proper amount of nutrition in order to fully function and thrive. At the same time, there are methods of getting our children to eat that are counterproductive and can have harmful lasting effects.
For a list of helpful ideas and tips for parents of picky eaters, click here and leave a comment. We love to hear from you! A new blog article is published each Monday at ACPeds.org/Blog. Click here to subscribe.
Also, please consider sharing the blog to your social media pages each week. The more people we reach, the more people we can help.
Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions and comments. We look forward to hearing from you.
At the same time, there are methods of getting our children to eat that are counterproductive and can have harmful lasting effects. 
