Dubai, UAE, September 1, 2016:  The Dubai Health Authority’s smart_clinic discussed today the importance of back-to-school health tips.

Information was disseminated via DHA’s  Twitter and Instagram account as well as through periscope.

Dr Hamed Yahyah Hussein, family and community medicine specialist in schools and educational institutions health unit said that ensuring children do not skip breakfast is essential.

Hussein said: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, in fact studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast function better. They do better in school, and have better concentration and more energy.”

Dr Shaima Qayed, nutritionist at DHA, said: “Nutrition is such an important component for the growth and well-being of children.  Parents should ensure all main meals have some form of protein and one rule of thumb is the more colourful the plate, the more nutritious it is. Find ways to include different colour vegetables in your child’s meals.

“Parents should also use frozen icepacks while sending perishable food items, especially meat, to school so that food does not get spoilt. For young children, parents also need to be cautious of choking hazards and pack food accordingly.”

In order to reduce the prevalence of contagious infections in schools, parents should not send their sick children to school for three to five days. “This is the best method to prevent spread of infectious to other children in class,” said Dr Hussein. “The most common contagious infectious we find in a school environment are common cold, influenza, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, chickenpox and measles.  Reducing the spread of infection among school children is also the responsibility of every parent and therefore they must refrain from sending their sick children for a certain number of days as recommended by their healthcare provider. Schools and parents should also ensure that children wash their hands before meal time as hand-hygiene is one of the most important ways of preventing the spread of germs.”

Dr Hussein also said that parents must ensure children are up-to-date with their children’s vaccination schedule.

He added that establishing a good school routine will lead to less absenteeism and children will have better attention span in school.