As your child moves from elementary school to middle school, their body changes, their interests change and our parenting changes along with them.  As pediatricians, the way we care for your child changes as well. We assess for risk behavior, counsel on safety and discuss a large number of developmentally appropriate topics.  See below for some links to documents you might find helpful or educational.

Our "adolescent" handout.

The Adolescent Checkup

Adolescent vaccines

As your child moves to middle school, there will be a number of vaccines that we will discuss and recommend:

Tdap.  Now required by North Carolina before middle school entry, this protects children against tetanus as well as pertussis, or "whooping cough"

Varicella. A second dose of this chicken pox vaccine is recommended before adolescence

HPV vaccine. Protecting against a family of viruses that causes genital warts has also been shown to greatly reduce a young womans chance of getting cervical cancer.  It is a three dose series

Menactra.  This meningitis vaccine is becoming a required vaccine for college entry. It lasts for at least 10 years, so we are currently giving it in middle school.

Hepatitis A.  This viral infection leads to vomiting and diarrhea, along with the liver infection. It can be obtained from food contaminated from an infected person or from certain other high-risk behaviors. It is a two dose series.

Adolescent Safety

It's never too early to talk to your child about being an adolescent and becoming a young adult. 

The hardest part is starting the conversation. 

KidsHealth.org offers some great resources for you and your children to navigate their growth together.

There has been recent concern about a new "game" adolescents play called the choking game.

Like any risk behavior, parents need to educate themselves about the signs of such behavior.

www.chokinggame.net

www.stop-the-choking-game.com

You might also find information about depression:

www.aacap.org/cs/ChildAdolescentDepression.ResourceCenter#about

www.aafp.org/afp/20070101/83ph.html

and substance abuse:

www.theantidrug.com

www.drugabuse.gov

Internet safety:

www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html