Four steps to take today to protect your children from the effects of childhood depression later in life!

by FSP Health team, 18 March 2013

What do children have to be depressed or worried about? Lots, it seems. So if your child says she's depressed or suddenly becomes more tearful and withdrawn, don't wait for her to grow out of it. Because new research has found that childhood depression may lead to heart problems later in life. Here's how to prevent childhood depression in four steps you can implement today…

Want to help your child avoid a future where she’s obese, a smoker and unhealthy?

All you have to do is pay attention if she seems to be suffering from depression.

This, in turn, will help lower her risk of heart problems later in life, says Health24.

Because a new study shows that children who suffer depression could face heart risks as early as their teens, adds eMaxHealth.

Luckily, there are natural ways to prevent childhood depression.

Are you causing your child to become depressed by not watching what she drinks?

You can significantly decrease your children’s risk of developing depression in the first place by limiting the amount of fizzy drinks in their diet.

How much is too much?

Four cans or cups per day of fizzy drinks will make you 30% more likely to develop depression than if you drink none, says FSP Health.

You can also prevent childhood depression by making the following healthy lifestyle changes, says NativeRemedies.

Three more steps to prevent childhood depression

1. The most important step is to ensure regular, healthy meals provide your child with a constant flow of energy and nutrition. Try add as much colour to the plate as possible, with lots of fruit and vegetables.

“Consuming half a plate of vegetables at each mealtime and snacking on apples or other whole fruits could be enough to [ward off depression],” according to the Irish Herald.

2. Next, focus on getting the right amount of sleep, as too little sleep and too much sleep both play a role in depression. Getting a good night’s sleep is also a good way to protect against heart failure, says FSP Health.

3. Lastly, make sure you encourage some form of regular physical activity to boost natural endorphins and burn more of the stress hormone, cortisol. Even better, do so in an activity the whole family can enjoy together, like going for a walk around the block or cycling in the park.

That’s all it takes. Implement these steps today and your whole family will soon be a lot healthier, with less risk of developing childhood depression.

And if your child is showing signs of depression, take her for counselling if she won’t open up to you – there could be a bigger problem at hand.

Tags: depression, treat depression, childhood depression, prevent childhood depression

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