More than six million American children - including one million with special physical and emotional needs - will be soon heading off to one of the nation's 8,500 summer sleep away and day camps. There is no doubt that summer camp offers kids enormous benefits, but before the fun starts parents need to make sure that all of their child's health needs are met.

When a child complains "my stomach hurts," one of the first fears that a parent may have is that of appendicitis. Children's bellyaches are often varied and numerous, and it is important that parents recognize when a particular stomachache might be cause for alarm.

Remember when our parents had us stand up against a wall and make a mark with a pencil to see how much we had grown? And then wondering exactly how tall we would eventually become? Our growth calculator can help you figure out your child's adult height.

Here is what parents should look for in dealing with this common pediatric problem.

The human foot may be the most neglected part of the body and children deserve special attention since their feet are constantly growing, changing and developing.

Having their child diagnosed with pneumonia scares most parents. While some pneumonias are quite serious - particularly in newborns and in an older child with a vulnerable immune system - most pneumonias in children and adolescents are mild and easily treated.

Protect your child from the sun's harmful rays.

It's 4 p.m. on a school day. Do you know where your child is? If he is a teenager, you may not. As your child gets older and makes more and more of his own decisions, don't assume you can let go of your responsibility to monitor his activities.