Pulse

Health line

THE FIRST THREE YEARS of a child's life are critical for development, from taking the first steps to learning to speak.

Did you know a child between 1 and 2 should be able to kick a ball? Or that "Dada" and "Mama" are typically pronounced between 8 and 12 months?

A list of milestones -- and signs that medical intervention may be necessary -- is available from the Discovery Learning Center, a preschool program for the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children.

"The brochure is a useful tool for first-time parents as well as a refresher for involved grandparents who have already raised their families," says Brenda Hanson, early intervention specialist.

To receive a free copy of the brochure or to learn more about Discovery Learning Center, call (727) 345-9111, ext. 404, or go to www.discoverylearning.org.

NO JUNK FOOD in schools is the goal of a campaign launched this month to rid cafeterias and vending machines of unhealthy food and curb the increasing obesity among children.

A nonprofit group called Commercial Alert has signed on doctors, authors and other experts, and sent its agenda to state legislators and health and education departments across the country.

The group wants:

--No exclusive contracts between corporations and schools to sell soda or view food and beverage advertising on in-school programming such as Channel One.

--No posters, billboards or logos on school grounds that advertise junk food or promote brand names.

--A ban on sale of junk food on school property, including in vending machines, a la carte in cafeterias and after-care programs.

--Eliminating junk food as a reward for good performance or fundraising efforts.

--Pushing school food services and contracted services to exceed standards set for nutritional value by the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs.

Junk food is defined as food that provides calories primarily from fat or sugar with minimal amounts of vitamins and minerals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 15 percent of U.S. children ages 5 to 18 are severely overweight or obese. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last week found that obese children suffer a startling level of despair, rating their quality of life as low as children on chemotherapy for cancer.

"HEROES AREN'T BORN, They're Trained." So says the American Heart Association in urging the public to learn how to administer CPR.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save someone who is in cardiac arrest or whose breathing has stopped because of drowning, choking, electrocution or other injury.

Free two-hour classes will be offered May 3 at Hillsborough Community College, Dale Mabry Campus, 4001 Tampa Bay Blvd.

A new class will begin every 15 minutes between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Students must be at least 9 years old. For information, call toll-free 1-800-275-0448, ext. 3433.

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