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Child Health Day

In the US, Child Health Day serves to increase public awareness of the ways in which individuals can safeguard and improve the health of children. It is customary to commemorate this occasion on the first Monday in October. Child Health Day is not considered a holiday in the United States, despite being a national remembrance.

The first president to proclaim May 1 as Child Health Day was Calvin Coolidge in 1928. From 1960 onwards, the holiday was celebrated on the first Monday in October. In the early 20th century, groups including the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the American Federation of Labor, and the American Child Health Association encouraged the idea behind this event. 

All agencies and organizations involved in child welfare are invited to come together on Child Health Day to observe exercises to stimulate or increase people’s awareness of the need for a year-round program to protect and develop children’s health in the United States, as part of the annual presidential proclamation for the day.

This day is observed by health organizations and professionals across the country through a variety of events and activities. For instance, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) actively participates in distributing educational materials about topics including making healthy decisions, staying fit, and preventing childhood obesity to parents, kids, and schools. Additionally, the HRSA requests that all surgeon generals nationwide promise to support children’s health in the future.

In the United States, one in six children between the ages of 2 and 19 is overweight, according to the HRSA. This raises the chance of developing significant medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Child Health Day aims to increase the public’s knowledge of techniques to reduce or reduce potential health issues that could influence children. The day focuses on a range of childhood wellness topics, including vaccinations, good eating and lifestyle choices, decreasing injuries, daycare’s impact on development, adolescent health, and pregnancy care.