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March 2010
Spring has arrived at last! Often, families plan trips for some fun in the sun after the cold, dark days of winter. If you're lucky enough to be going somewhere warm, remember these tips when out in the sun. A tan may look "healthy" now but sun exposure causes premature aging, wrinkles, skin discoloration and cancer. Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight. Keep them in the shade, wear lightweight clothing and a hat with a brim. No sunscreen should be used in infants under 6 months of age. For children, use a waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Be careful when applying to the face, avoid the eye area. A hat with a brim to protect the face and sunglasses with UV protection are recommended. Remember:
Beach Tips:
~American Academy of Pediatrics 2007
Traveling with a child can be entertaining, exciting, challenging and exhausting. With proper planning and preparation, a family trip can be pleasant and relatively trouble free. If
traveling by car:
Be sure that seat belts and car seats operate properly, and that all passengers are safely secured with doors locked before you put the car in DRIVE. Take breaks every two hours. Use this time to let infants and children crawl or walk, enjoy a snack or get some fresh air. Pack extra blankets and clothing if traveling in cold weather. Include plenty of toys and games to keep children occupied. Never leave baby or child in the car unattended. Select hotels and restaurants that cater to children and provide amenities to accommodate your family. Stop driving if you get tired or drowsy. Your family is counting on you for a safe trip! If
traveling by air:
Traveling by air is dehydrating. Give your infant or child plenty of fluids during the flight. Feed baby during takeoff and landing. Frequent swallowing helps alleviate ear pressure, which is very common during a plane's ascent and descent. Older children should also have a drink or snack to encourage swallowing. Pack small toys to keep children occupied.
Exposure to cold temperatures can cause serious and life-threatening health problems, including hypothermia and frostbite. Seek immediate medical attention for symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite. Hypothermia: Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to cold. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing. As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. His speech may become slurred and his body temperature will decline. If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets and warm clothes. Frostbite: Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Have children come inside periodically to warm up. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. These areas may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that her skin burns or has become numb. If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears and lips. Do not rub the frozen areas. After a few minutes, dry and cover her with clothing or blankets. Give her something warm to drink. If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor. Common winter Ailments: Nosebleeds: If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in their room at night. Saline nose drops may help keep tissues moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent, consult your pediatrician. Dry skin: Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for the infant's first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter. Use of a moisturizer daily and after baths will help dry skin. Colds: Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school or daycare and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into their elbows may help reduce the risk of colds and flu.
When the temperature drops, staying safe and warm and performing everyday activities can be challenging and dangerous. Young children, older adults, and the chronically ill are most at risk of having cold-related health problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people affected by the ongoing cold weather to take steps to protect themselves, and to check to be sure their families, friends, and neighbors stay safe and warm this winter. Exposure to Extremely Cold TemperaturesWhen possible, people should stay indoors, in homes and buildings that are properly heated. If your home is not heated, find other safe ways to stay warm.
Following these important safety tips can help protect those who must go outside in winter weather.
Staying Safe during a Power OutageBe prepared for weather-related emergencies, including power outages. When power outages occur during emergencies such as winter storms, the use of alternative sources of fuel or electricity for heating or cooking can cause carbon monoxide (CO) to build up in a home, garage, or camper and can kill the people and animals inside. CO is an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled.
Driving in Winter WeatherSnow, sleet and ice can affect driving conditions, making it more difficult to navigate the roads safely. When winter weather makes driving difficult, the safest place to be is off the road. If people must drive, they should take steps to be as safe as possible on the roads.
Ice Skating -Allow children to skate only on approved surfaces. Ice skating should be done at regulated rinks and not on ponds, rivers or other bodies of water that might be only partially frozen. Check for signs posted by local police or recreation departments to find out which areas are approved. -Advise your child to skate in the same direction as the crowd. Avoid darting across the ice. -Never skate alone. -Do not chew gum or hard candy when skating. -Wear appropriate clothing and safety equipment. Sledding
-Keep sledders away from motor vehicles and bodies of water. -Children should be supervised. Keep young children separated from older children. Avoid sledding in overcrowded areas. -Sledding feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries. -Sleds should be structurally sound and free of sharp edges and splinters, and the steering mechanism should be well lubricated. -Sled slopes should be free of obstructions like trees or fences, be covered in snow not ice, not be too steep (slope of less than 30 degrees) and end with a flat runoff. Snow Skiing and Snowboarding -Children should be taught to ski or snowboard by a qualified instructor in a program designed for children. Slopes should fit the ability and experience of the skier or snowboarder. Avoid overcrowded slopes. -Never ski or snowboard alone. Young children should always be supervised by an adult. Older children's need for supervision depends on their maturity and skill. If they are not with an adult, then they should at least be accompanied by a friend. -The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 7 not snowboard. -Equipment should fit the child. Skiers should wear safety bindings that are adjusted at least every year. Snowboarders should wear gloves with built in wrist guards. Consider wearing a helmet. Snowmobiles
-The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 16 not operate snowmobiles and that children under age 6 never ride on a snowmobile. - Do not use a snowmobile to pull a sled or skiers. -Wear safety goggles, boots and a helmet approved for use on motorized vehicles like motorcycles. Travel at a safe speed. -Never use alcohol or drugs before or during snowmobiling. -Never snowmobile alone. -Stay on marked trails, away from roads, water, railroads and pedestrians. Sun Protection The sun's rays can still cause sunburn in the winter, especially when they reflect off snow. Make sure to cover your child's exposed skin with sunscreen. Fire Protection Winter is a time when household fires occur. It is a good time to remember to: -- Buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home -- Test smoke alarms monthly -- Practice fire drills with your children ~AAP
Over the Counter Cold Medicine (Not Recommended) On October 11, 2007, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), on behalf of the leading makers of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines, announced the voluntary withdrawal of oral infant cough and cold medications from store shelves.
On October 18-19,
2007, two advisory committees of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) gathered in
The makers of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines want to ensure that parents and caregivers understand when and how to use these medicines safely. The safe use of these medicines is the highest priority. Medicine makers will continue their long history of providing consumer education with the launch of a new, multi-year national educational program to build awareness among parents and other caregivers and healthcare professionals about how to safely use OTC cough and cold medicines in children, and, as importantly, when not to use them. Oral Infant Cough and Cold Medicines Voluntarily Withdrawn Parents and caregivers
are advised not to use any oral, cough and cold
medicines for children under two years of age.
OTCsafety.org is brought to you by the We recommend the use of salt water nose drops, cool humidified air in your child's room and elevating the head of the bed to help with cold symptoms. In general, most cold symptoms last 7-10 days. A cough occurs as cold symptoms begin to improve. A cough with fever or any respiratory difficulty should be seen immediately. If your child develops a fever that lasts longer than 48 hours or a cough lasting longer than 14 days they should be seen in the office.
~the American Academy of Pediatrics(AAP)
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The main way that illnesses like colds and flu are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This is called "droplet spread." This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and are deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Sometimes germs can also be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches his or her own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands. Some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs and desks. Ways to stop the spread of germs:
It's impossible to make your home accident proof. But you can reduce everyday risks, particularly for the children involved in about 2 million home accidents every year. Children don't know the rules yet and are just being curious. Almost anything within reach attracts their attention, and with little ones it goes straight into the mouth. Crawl through rooms to check the safety landscape from a toddler's point of view.
~CDC For more safety checklists geared for parents, grandparents, about home playgrounds baby products and more, go to www.cpsc.gov. Five easy ways to build a better reader: 1. Don't sweat mistakes. If your child gets to a word he doesn't know when reading aloud, don't make him sound it out, just give him the word. We learn from having our strengths identified not our mistakes magnified. ~Jeff Wilhelm, Professor of Reading at Univ. of Idaho. 2. Stay positive. Don't make reading a barrier to an activity your child enjoys ("You can't go out and play until you've done your reading")~Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook. 3. Card 'em. When your child is reading a book with a lot of words, have him place an index card under the line of text he's reading and slide the card down the page as he reads. This helps kids keep their place. ~Richard Allington, Ph.D., president of the International Reading Association. 4. Form a team. Rather than arguing with your child about when she's going to start and how she'll finish a daunting reading assignment, offer to share the burden. Your child reads one page aloud, you read the next. ~Carol Rasco, CEO of Reading is Fundamental. 5. Give books as gifts. Children say they are more likely to read books they own, specifically, ones that were given to them by someone they love. ~Twila Liggett, Ph.D., creator of Reading Rainbow. Every well stocked medicine cabinet should include:
Many products are often recalled after distribution for safety reasons. The following websites are excellent sources of information regarding recalls. - www.consumeraffairs.com At the site, click on recalls. Select children's items. You can select items back to the year, 1999. - www.cpsc.com U.S. consumer product Safety Commission. Provides information on recalls and product safety news. Years 1973 - 2005, by month. Can search the most recent month or by product category.
- these allergy tips may help reduce your child's symptoms?
- the top ten household poisons? 1. Cosmetics 2. Cleaning products 3. Analgesics such as aspirin, tylenol. 4. Plants 5. Cough and Cold Remedies 6. Foreign objects, such as mothballs. 7. Topical treatments, such as creams and lotions. 8. Pesticides 9. Oral antibiotics 10. Vitamins
- that toilet lids should remain closed to prevent " spiraling toilet aerosol", which contains airborne germs, bacteria and particles that are cast into the air with every flush of the toilet. Dr. Charles Gerba, professor at the University of Arizona and specialist in microbiology reports that significant amounts of bacteria, virus and microbes float around the bathroom for at least two hours after every flush. To decrease the amount of these floating germs, close your toilet lid before flushing, use bleach tablets in your toilet bowl and put your toothbrush and cup away. - the laundry room is one of the places with the highest concentration of bacteria and fecal matter due to the collection of underwear. Fight germs when doing your laundry and make underwear your last load. Don't put colored underwear with other colored items. Use chlorine bleach to clean clothing and your washing machine. -that many common household plants are poisonous. Is there danger growing in your house or garden? The following list includes plants considered to be toxic (poisonous, possibly dangerous). These plants contain a wide variety of poisons and may cause symptoms from a mild stomachache, skin rash, swelling of the mouth and throat to involvement of the heart, kidneys or other organs. Many plants do not cause toxicity unless ingested in very large amounts. House Flower Garden Vegetable Garden Caladium Azalea Tomato Leaves Dumbcane(Diffenbachia) Crocus Rhubarb Leaves Elephant ear Lily of the Valley Potato sprouts Primrose Daffodil Mushrooom Ivy Hyacinth For a more complete listing contact the Poison Control Center in your area.
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