Safer Child Products

I always allowed my kids to eat in the car.  Why?  Because it kept them quiet, and it seemed like my little one was a bottomless pit.  Today, now that they are older, it seems like it’s our only option some days.  We are so busy running to activities after school and catching up on errands on the weekends, that I feel like we live in our car! 

Periodically, my husband would clean out the car because he couldn’t stand the mess. The question was always “What do we do about the car seat?”  Typically we would just vacuum it out, and occasionally we would take it out and give it a thorough cleaning and it was always pretty gross!  However re-installing it was no easy task and we always took it back to the DMV to get re-installed/checked. 

It wasn’t until I read an article about Germs in Your Car that I realized that not only are the crumbs disgusting to sit in, but they can actually be dangerous to our and our children’s health! For some reason it never occurred to me that crumbs can grow mold!  Well yeah, that makes sense!  In fact, there was a study done Charles P. Gerba Ph.D. Professor of Environmental Microbiology at University of Arizona, which found that “greater numbers of bacteria were found in automobiles that carried children as passengers.”  Specifically, MRSA was found in a child car seat and on a steering wheel too!”  That made me take disinfecting wipes to my car!  Wow!  What a wakeup call that was! 

So, knowing that statistics show 3 out of 4 car seats are NOT installed correctly, then why would we want to remove our already secured/ professionally installed seats from the car, even to clean them, as frequently as Dr. Gerba recommends (washing the cover a few times per month)?  Why can’t there be an easier/ better way, since most child car seats require you to take apart the whole seat just to get the cover off for cleaning. Hmmm…..

Safer Child Products

So many times I am walking in the mall or supermarket, even the playground and I see infants in their car seat carrier whose straps are loose or chest clip is down by the belly button. It really makes me wonder 2 things.

1.   Do parents then put the infant carrier back in the car like this and
2.   Were parents ever taught that the chest clip needs to be up at armpit or nipple level and harness snug to body to keep the baby secure? 

Why do many parents feel that it is necessary to loosen the straps on their child’s harness?  I know that no one’s intention is for our children to be less safe outside the car than in! With a loose harness, a child is likely to stick there arm thru the gap in the straps or even fall out if tilted or dropped. The harness is designed to hold the child securely in the seat so that the seat itself takes the impact and the child should more or less not move.

I worry about this. If parents are not taught how to install and use their child car seats properly, then our children are not as safe in the car as they could be.  I don’t know how many people really take the time to read their car seat manual cover to cover. 

I know that some hospitals are now giving classes on the newborn/postpartum floor on how to properly place and secure your newborn into a car seat/infant carrier. I think this is fabulous and encourage every parent of a newborn to participate, whether this is your first child or your fifth!  Car seat styles and regulations have changed so much over the years, it’s always good to be refreshed and get updated recommendations.

This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week and this Saturday, September 24^th is Seat Check Saturday.  For information on car seat checks in your area go to www.safekids.org

Safer Child Products

National School Bus Safety Week is coming up October 17^th-21^st, but why wait to learn the rules of the road.  Even if you don’t have school age children, or your children don’t ride the bus to school, school buses are out on the road.  Do you know when it’s ok to pass a school bus and when it’s not?

Passing a STOPPED school bus is against the law.  If you see a school bus with yellow lights flashing, slow down. If the bus has red lights flashing, you must stop. Wait for children to finish crossing, for the Stop Arm or Stop Sign to be pulled back and the lights no longer flashing. 

       According to the Delaware Dept. of Education, “Drivers travelling either direction on a 2 lane road MUST stop when the school bus activates it’s flashing lights and stop sign. When travelling the same direction as the bus on a 4 lane road, you still must stop. If you are driving in the opposite direction on a 4 lane road, you do NOT have to stop.  http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/schools/transportation/bussafety.shtml

To see a diagram of when to pass and when to stop, visit: http://www.safetylane.org/?p=2073 

Following these laws can save a child’s life.  Pay attention and keep everyone safe on the road.

Safer Child Products

Head Lice.  Just the thought of it is enough to make any parent cringe and scratch their head.  If you’ve ever had it visit your family, and been the one to treat it, it probably makes you want to cry, and scratch your head! Lice are tiny insects that can only live on the human scalp.  They need human blood to survive.  They are about the size and color of a sesame seed.  Do not fool yourself by saying “this could not happen to us, we are very clean”.  Cleanliness is NOT an indicator on who will get lice.  According to LiceMD, “They crawl from one person to another and are spread by direct hair-to-hair contact. Other means of spreading is from the sharing of combs, hats, helmets, scarves, headphones, pillows or other personal items.”

Many young children love to play dress-up.  Make a rule that they cannot share any hats or crowns, even when going out to play.  If your children are in school, remind them that rugs are for sitting on, not for laying on.  Why take a chance that someone who unknowingly has lice was just rolling around on the rug.  Even at home, try to keep hair brushes and pony tail holders separate for each child.  If going on a sleepover, tell your child they must bring and use their own pillow, for everyone’s protection.

If you discover that your child does have lice, don’t keep it a secret.  It’s not worth being embarrassed over.  It is very important to tell the teacher and anyone that your child works or plays closely with.  Think about them leaning head to head reading or working on a project together. 

Invest in a very fine toothed comb and a magnifying glass.  Check your children regularly, so you can catch it early.  I checked my kids before they went back to school, so I knew that we were starting the year free of any little pests. 

The next step in lice treatment will be to strip all bedding and stuffed toys.  What you can wash, do so in HOT water and dry on High Heat.  Anything that cannot be washed seal in a plastic bag for 2 weeks.  Clean out hair brushes and put them in hot soapy water for 5-10 minutes. 

There are many different recipes for treating or killing head lice.  LiceMD, RID, even Mayonnaise! (In some cities you can even hire a professional “nitpicker”!)  You may want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist about a treatment that is right for you.  Most important is that fine tooth comb and magnifying glass.  Even after killing the lice, it is essential for you to comb the nits or eggs from the hair.  You must keep checking over the next 10 days to be sure that there are no new hatchlings.  When you comb, be sure to take very small sections at a time, and comb in different directions, concentrating on the scalp, nape of the neck, and behind the ears.

Another tip:  If your child has lice, check their siblings and yourself as well.  You may want to sit your child in front of a DVD to occupy them while you comb out their hair to minimize the whining and crying.  It’s worked for us!

Visit http://headlicecenter.com/head-lice/head-lice-treatments/ for even more discussion on head lice and treatment options.