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Conversatioin provides first line of defense against racism

Most parents know that immunizations are an important part of keeping their children healthy. Pediatricians all over the country remind parents of the importance and the appropriate timing of these and other preventive measures to protect their children from the communicable diseases of childhood.

But there is another threat to public health also quite contagious, unfortunately we rarely hear discussed in doctors' offices. Though prejudice and racism have been linked to such stress-related diseases as hypertension and cancer, and hate crimes which often result in deadly violence are on the rise, prevention of the spread of racial bias has not received enough attention in the medical community. Yet pediatricians have an important role to play in providing information to parents about how they can help protect their children against absorption of negative racial attitudes.