As children develop and begin to feed themselves, parents are encouraged to release some of their previous control over the child's eating. They should avoid analyzing their kid's eating habits and insisting on clean plates. Parents also should never use food as a tool to reward or punish behavior. Dr. Gilger concedes that children, if left to themselves, will not innately seek out a well-balanced diet. Dr. Gilger notes that toddlers react negatively to new foods but are usually accepting with time.
Parents can help by being flexible and making minor modifications in food preparation.
Generally, children ages 2 to 4 need about 1,000 to 1,300 calories daily. Parents who are concerned about their child's caloric intake should contact their child's doctor. The combination of certain painkillers and too much water could put some runners at risk of developing a deadly blood condition. In a study of marathon runners, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found a direct relationship between regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, high water intake and the incidence of hyponatremia, a potentially fatal, low blood sodium disorder. The results are in the May 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.