Safer Child Products

In our house we very rarely drink Soda and I buy herbal or decaffeinated tea, because I don’t like how caffeine makes me feel. Coffee is not something any of us drink. Though we do have the occasional Gatorade, or Powerade type drink, I’ve worried more about the sugar content than caffeine.  Energy drinks do have caffeine, and too much of it can be dangerous for our children.  Did you know there are recommended limits on how much caffeine a child should have based on their weight?

“Based on average body weights, the maximum daily caffeine intake for children between four and 12 years is:
45 milligrams for children aged four to six.
62.5 milligrams for children aged seven to nine.
85 milligrams for children aged 10 to 12. 

Emergency rooms across the country have seen a dramatic spike in caffeine overdoses, up from 1,128 in 2005 to 16,055 in 2008 and 13,114 in 2009, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.”

According to an article in the New York Times, Business Day sections on October 22, 2012, “Under current F.D.A. rules, companies are not required to disclose caffeine levels in their beverages and can choose to market them as drinks or as dietary supplements. Those regulatory categories have differing labeling and ingredient rules.”

Back in May of 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics even took a stand, saying that kids should not drink energy drinks and generally do not need sports drinks, they should stick to water. “Energy drinks contain substances not found in sports drinks that act as stimulants, such as caffeine, guarana and taurine. Caffeine – by far the most popular stimulant – has been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems. Energy drinks are never appropriate for children or adolescents, said Dr. Schneider and Dr. Benjamin. In general, caffeine-containing beverages, including soda, should be avoided.” They also found that “In many cases, it’s hard to tell how much caffeine is in a product by looking at the label,” Dr. Schneider said. “Some cans or bottles of energy drinks can have more than 500 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of 14 cans of soda.” In addition to the health affects relating to your heart and blood pressure, Energy Drinks can be linked to Obesity, Sleep Disorders, Calcium Deficiency and Dental problems.  Be aware that if your child is Medicated for ADD, Depression or even Pain, there can be serious interactions.

Let’s keep all our children safe!

Safer Child Products

My friend just told me the other day that her baby is not up to date with her immunizations.  I was very concerned about this.  I know that people have different opinions about giving their babies shots, or how many at a time should they give.  There are still very serious diseases out there that immunizations can prevent.  My daughter’s school is collecting change to support our local Rotary Club fight Polio. I was not aware that Polio was still around, but according to the NIH, Polio still exists in a few countries in Africa and Asia. Talk to your child’s health care provider to address your concerns about immunizations and how you can best protect your child, and the community around you. http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/vaccine.html

Safer Child Products

Recently, we were at my sister’s house and the kids wanted to play on the trampoline.  It makes me very nervous when too many kids are on the trampoline at the same time.  I am always concerned that someone is not only going to get stepped on, but jumped/ landed on.  I know my nephews like to play “popcorn” where someone lays down in the middle and the other kids jump and try to make him pop up.  I don’t see the joy or adventure in this, but maybe because I am not a 13 y/o boy.

However, I found an article on Trampoline safety in the October 4^th issue of Pediatrics, Volume 130, Number 4. It addresses something I hadn’t even thought about, injuries relating to falling off the trampoline, or injuring the spine when attempting flips. 

According to Pediatrics, but not surprisingly, when there are several people jumping on the trampoline at the same time, “the smallest participants were up to 14 times more likely to sustain injury relative to their heavier playmates.” Not only are strains and strains common trampoline related injuries, but bone fractures and dislocations are a frequent problem as well. The injury rate for children under age 5 is greater than in ages 6 – 17, but even with the older children, the injury rate is significant.

In conclusion, the AAP recommends against recreational trampoline use.  If you choose to allow trampoline activity, be sure that it is placed on the ground, on a flat, cleared area.  Check your trampoline to ensure that the padding and netting is in good condition. Because of the frequency and severity of cervical spine injuries on trampolines, discourage or disallow flips and somersaults on the trampoline. The AAP also recommends active supervision by an adult with one jumper at a time.

Let’s keep our children safe.