Safer Child Products

As the weather gets colder and mornings are frosty, many of us wonder how to fit the kids into their car seats with their warm fluffy coats on.  Well, the answer is don’t!  Puffy Jackets have no place in the car seat.  If possible, warm up the car OUTSIDE the garage.  Keep blankets in the car that you can put over your child once they are buckled in the car seat.  Also, they can wear their jacket backwards, so that it can warm their arms and body without interfering with the harness straps. 

Puffy jackets take up space between the body and the harness, and even when you think the straps are tight, they are likely only tight to the jacket.  In an impact, instead of being held tight in the seat, the jacket will compress and the child will be thrust against the harness. 

An alternative is to unzip the jacket and pull the sides out from underneath the straps.  Pull the jacket flaps to the side and tighten the harness to the body.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/340181/group/Life/

Safer Child Products

I was speaking with a friend of mine who has a toddler and she was commenting on how her little one gets into EVERYTHING!! At that age children need to be very closely supervised.  Not only do they move fast, but they are very curious.  If they can’t see or can’t reach, they will reach up and feel the surface to see what’s there.  They will pull on anything hanging down, i.e.: a cord or a tablecloth.  What worries me most this time of year is the potential for burns via candles or hot pots.  As the weather gets colder and the holiday season approaches, we are more likely to be cooking soups, stews and ciders.  Be sure to keep pot handles turned in, so they are not hanging over the edge of the stove.  Cook on back burners whenever possible.  If you have a flat top cooking surface, consider getting a plastic guard for the front of your stove, like the one shown in One Step Ahead http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=29&cmSource=Search

In addition, many of us like to burn candles, whether it is for pure pleasure, or for religious observances.  Keep burning candles out of reach of curious   hands, keep away from curtains and tablecloths, and remember not to wear loose of dangly clothing while cooking or lighting candles as well.  Candle sticks can be placed on a glass or metal tray, or even on aluminum foil, so that if a lit candle falls over, it will not burn the surface or light anything else on fire. 

For more at home safety tips to prevent burns, go to http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/little-kids/at-home/burn-prevention.html

Safer Child Products

My niece and nephew came to visit this weekend.  They are 4 and 2.  They are so cute and so much fun to play with. We all had a great time.  However, when you have a 2 y/o visiting, you have to be conscious of small pieces in toys and games and my niece loves to go up and down the stairs.  Most of the day she was engaged and well supervised, but at one point I went upstairs and found her walking down!  I got very nervous!  I had not closed the bathroom doors upstairs. In fact, I noticed that the lid on the toilet was open!  What if she had fallen into the toilet or fallen down the stairs?  What if she got caught on the closet door? 

Fortunately, none of these things happened, but Unintentional Injuries are the leading cause of injury and death among children in the United States.  According to the article Unintentional Injuries in Pediatrics, “1 in 4 children sustains an unintentional injury that requires medical care each year.”  To summarize the chart, the leading cause of Unintentional Injury Death Among Children Age 0-10 Year, 2000- 2005, Suffocation was #1 for infants younger than 1 yr. and Drowning was on top for children 1-4 years old.  For children older than 5 years, Motor Vehicle Crashes were the leading cause of injury, death and disability.  I could not believe when I read that “In 2005, 20 children younger than 19 years of age were killed each day from motor vehicle crashes and more than 200, 000 were injured in that year.”

I hate the thought of children being hurt ever, but if there is something we can do to prevent these injuries, than let’s all make an extra effort to do so. Below is the list of Injury Prevention Tips, from Table 2 and most we’ve heard before. It doesn’t hurt to see it again in fact, we could all use reminders and re-evaluations of our situations.  In spite of all we can do, there is no substitute for close supervision. 

Motor Vehicle Crash

·         Back seat (middle) placement of child
·         Rear-Facing car seat until age 2yrs,  
·         Forward-Facing car seat until at least 40 lbs
·         Booster Seat until at least 80 lbs. and 57 inches
·         Always check manufacturer’s specifications on car seat
·         Proper use of seat belts

Drowning

·         Enclose Pools w/ at least 4-ft fence and self-closing gate
·         Wear Life Jackets on boats and when playing near water
·         Do Not leave children unattended in baths
·         Supervise closely (adult within 1 arms reach of a child in or near water)
·         Teach swimming and water safety

Fire and Burns

·         Install smoke detectors on every level of the home and near sleeping areas
·         Test smoke detectors monthly, replace batteries yearly
·         Establish a family fire escape plan
·         Keep lighters, matches out of reach
·         No smoking in bed!
·         Reduce water heater temperature to 120 degrees
·         Do not drink hot fluids near children
·         Never leave the stove unattended
·         Keep appliance cords, pot handles, grills and fireplaces out of reach
·         Cover outlets with protective devices

Poisoning

·         Keep all potential poisons in original containers and out of reach
·         Keep all medication out of reach
·         Place child-resistant caps on medication
·         Dispose of medications immediately and safely
·         Install Carbon Monoxide detectors on every level of home
·         Keep poison control number near the phone 1-800-222-1222

Threats to Breathing

·         Back to sleep
·         Remove comforters, pillows, bumpers and stuffed animals from crib
·         Avoid nuts, carrots, popcorn and hotdog pieces
·         Keep coins, batteries, small toys,  magnets and toy parts awat from children < 4years old
·         Cut blind cords and tie them out of reach
·         Ensure cribs and mattresses meet safety precautions

Falls

·         No baby walkers with wheels
·         Supervise children closely
·         Use safety straps in high chairs, shopping carts, and for diaper changes
·         Keep car seats and “bouncy chairs” on the floor

 Recreation

·         Ensure helmets are fitted and worn properly
·         Keep children <10 years old off the road
·         Remove drawstrings, scarves, and ropes from clothing when children are on playground
·         Supervise children closely
·         Ensure playground equipment has deep soft surface underneath

Above information taken from Pediatrics in Review Vol. 32 No.10 October 2011, pages 431-433