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At last fall’s Healthy Child Awards, we honored four outstanding individuals as Champions for Children. Our inspiring honorees are emblematic of individuals who speak up and take action to protect children’s health, and have effected real change, both in big and small ways.

We were thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of Founding Board Members and a driving force behind the work of Healthy Child Healthy World, Dr. Harvey Karp.  

Dr. Karp has been a practicing pediatrician and child development specialist for 30 years.  He is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine in Los Angeles and has committed his full-time efforts to writing, lecturing and education.  He has been a spokesperson on children’s environmental health for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the California Department of Health Services, and the California Medical Association. His best-selling books, The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block, have made him one of America's most read pediatrician.

There's a reason why The New York Times celebrated his contribution to modern parenting by saying, "Roll over Dr. Spock!"  Take a look at this great video (shown at our event) highlighting Dr. Karp's work and impact:

The Happiest Baby on the Block book and DVD solve the 3,000-year-old medical mystery, “What is colic?” and reveal Dr. Karp's discovery of the "calming reflex", a virtual crying off-switch babies are born with. This reflex soothes most fussy babies in minutes and can boosts sleep by 1-3 hours per night!  And calmer babies equal calmer, more confident parents.  His method is taught in hospitals, health departments, and military bases across the country by thousands of specially trained educators.

Dr. Karp's follow-up book and DVD, The Happiest Toddler on the Block, are among the most used toddler parenting guides in the country. They teach parents of children 8 months to 5 years of age a surprisingly more effective toddler communication approach that can rapidly boost a toddler's patience, cooperation and reduce outbursts and tantrums.  

Its impossible to overstate Dr. Karp's influence on the work of Healthy Child and his inordinate assistance to the cause.  He continues to inspire us all.  In his own words:

"John Muir, the great American naturalist, said that if you reach out and tug on a tiny piece of nature, you’ll discover that everything is connected to everything else. And because of this great connection, we often blunder into doing harm. “Oops, we’re sorry we polluted your river for the next 100 years!”…“Oops, we didn’t know the chemical we were using caused cancer!” These unintended consequences are especially worrisome for our children because early life experiences and exposures influence whether or not they will grow up to have healthy and happy lives. We've changed the world before and now, for the sake of our children, it’s time to do it again.  And, as a bonus, your thoughtful example will nurture in your children your deep values, respect for nature, and the desire to make the world better."

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