
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 31, 1990                   TAG: 9003310770
SECTION: SPECTATOR                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Daily News
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CABLE LOOKS AT HOW TO KEEP KIDS HEALTHY

Model Kim Alexis, a busy mom who commutes from Florida to New York, does not have much time to sift through the flood of information on child-rearing.

A new series on the Family Channel will give Alexis a chance to address this topic weekly.

"Healthy Kids," developed by Cahners Publishing Co. and the American Academy of Pediatrics, will present medical updates and interviews with pediatricians, as well as discussions with parents about health concerns.

As host, Alexis said she hopes the show will "help moms keep their kids healthy. Parenting is harder these days than when I was a kid."

She added that parents in the '90s are bombarded by so much more information, "and some of the info out there is not even right. When mothers hear about all these things that could happen, it makes them worry more. We want our show to be educational and entertaining. And you can trust the answers. I was impressed that the academy was right there on the set with the latest information."

The series kicks off with a light-hearted but informative one-hour game show special called "The Great American Healthy Kids Quiz" at 8 p.m. Sunday.

The regular half-hour "Healthy Kids" show has its debut at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, exploring topics ranging from choking and CPR to the Superbaby Syndrome (trying to teach young kids too much too soon).

Future episodes will tackle subjects relating to children from birth to age 4, including self-esteem, sleep problems, the pros and cons of pacifiers, picky eaters and swimming lessons.

Each show starts out with "Health Update," in which a doctor highlights current news about the children's health field.

Another regular feature, "Parents Want to Know," includes taped questions from several families gathered at a particular location (such as Busch Gardens in Florida), each followed by a live discussion between Alexis and her guest pediatrician.

Alexis' favorite part of the show is the "Parent Talk" segment featuring family visitors chatting with Alexis and a doctor in a living room setting. This brings the most surprises, including crying and squirmy children, but, said Alexis, "we keep the show going until the director says stop. We just go with the flow."

by CNB