Did You Know…Every 2 weeks a child dies from a “tipover”?

It’s not something we like to think about…and it certainly could never happen to us…but the reality is that every 2 weeks a child dies because an unsecured appliance or piece of furniture has toppled over onto them. In fact between 2000–2008, the CPSC received reports of nearly 200 tipover deaths among children 8 and younger. More than 90% of them involve children under 5!

Typically, injuries and deaths occur when children climb onto, fall against or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests and appliances. Sometimes it’s the out-of-reach item placed on top of furniture, in other cases it’s the furniture or appliance itself that will topple causing serious if not fatal injuries. On Monday, the CPSC issued a warning, urging parents to inspect and secure these items. They also offer the following safety tips:

• Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests, dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
• Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
• Push the TV as far back on its stand as possible.
• Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach and teach kids not to play with them.
• Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
• Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.

One thing we often forget is that even when our own home has been thoroughly baby-proofed, our friends and family’s homes will likely not have received the same attention. It’s up to us to be vigilant…wherever we may be.

Help Save Lives with National Seat Check Saturday

Did You Know???

• An estimated 8,959 lives were saved by child restraints from 1975 to 2008.
• Still…each year, thousands of children are tragically injured and killed in automobile accidents.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 and older. Why???
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that nearly 3 out of 4 car seats are not used correctly. And most of these parents have no idea…

NHTSA is aiming to change that with National Seat Check Saturday on September 25. As part of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25), communities nationwide will have certified technicians available to provide hands-on child safety seat inspections and advice – for free! Click here to find nearby car seat inspection stations on National Seat Check Saturday and throughout the year. Other resources available to you:

• A poster for you to place on your blog to help spread the word about Child Passenger Safety Week and National Seat Check Saturday to other parents and caregivers
• A site where you can easily find instructional videos, handy informational flyers, and links to product ratings and recall lists …and FINALLY
• The Child Passenger Safety Twitter account (@childseatsafety) will be hosting a Twitter party on Wednesday, September 22 at 2 p.m. EST. NHTSA experts will be available to offer information and insight on car seats and how to travel safely with children. Just use the hashtag #CPSweek to follow along and ask your questions.

For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week and to find your local car seat inspection station visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS or http://www.facebook.com/childpassengersafety.

Thanks for helping us save lives!!

“Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” – What a Great Idea

I was driving my dogs to a park last week. I often choose a trail as it is not easy to walk along our neighborhood roads. Cars driving too fast, distracted drivers- I just feel safer. To drivers my five dogs and I may seem like a road hazard as well. So for our mutual benefit I hit the trails and parks. My (human) kids are grown but the same concerns should hold true for all parents- often our roads are simply not a safe place.

So I was driving to the trail when I saw the above sign, reminding me to “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here.” I checked my speed- doing good- simple and effective. It beats the way I often react to offensive drivers when I do walk the roads. I usually indicate with my favorite finger that they are number one.

These signs are not an angry reaction to an individual driver- they are a constant and permanent reminder. They are just a simple and good idea. The makers of this sign have a website where we are reminded about the hazards to pedestrians, to the young and old alike. Their slogan is, “Promoting Child Safety In Our Neighborhoods, Post a Sign, Save a Life.” They sell signs and hats and bumper stickers. It’s a message worth getting out- we don’t need to speed on residential roads-the risk is too high. It’s pure American Grassroots messaging and caring.

In that spirit I challenge all our readers to submit other local, not famous, grassroots programs. Let’s spread the word.

Live Well, Live Safe- Jim

Keeping Your Family Safe from MRSA

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a potentially life-threatening antibiotic resistant Staph infection. Staph is commonly found on the skin and in the nose. When the MRSA strain of Staph comes into contact with an open sore, that’s when an infection can occur and it can quickly become dangerous. In 2005, nearly 19,000 Americans died from MRSA infections. During the same year, there were 134 cases of MRSA in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MRSA Prevention

There are many ways to prevent the spread of MRSA and protect your family. Good hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of not only MRSA, but many other illnesses as well. When it is not possible to wash hands with soap and water, the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used but always supervise the use of hand sanitizer by children. If you have a cut or abrasion, cover it with a clean, dry bandage until it is healed. Never share any personal items, such as towels, razors, toothbrushes, etc. Wipe down toys, sports equipment, and hard surfaces with a disinfecting bleach solution using 1 tablespoon of bleach per each quart of water. If you or your child plays sports, wash all athletic clothing after each use and clean sports equipment frequently.

MRSA Symptoms

Have a sore that is painful, swollen, red, or draining? Worried it might be MRSA? Take it seriously!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “most MRSA infections are skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils which often are red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. They often first look like spider bites or bumps that are red, swollen, and painful. These skin infections commonly occur at sites of visible skin trauma, such as cuts and abrasions, and areas of the body covered by hair (e.g., back of neck, groin, buttock, armpit, beard area of men).” Not every sore that meets these criteria is a MRSA infection, but if you have these symptoms, it is important to have it evaluated and treated by a doctor.

MRSA Treatment

If you believe you or a loved one may have a MRSA infection, cover the area of infection and seek medical care as soon as possible. If you have been diagnosed with MRSA, follow your physician’s instructions and do not try to treat yourself without medical evaluation and follow-up. Take all medication prescribed by your doctor for the entire duration of the prescription, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. MRSA can worsen and even become deadly if not properly treated.

You can learn more about MRSA and how to prevent it at StopMRSANow.org. To hear more MRSA tips from NBA All-Star Grant Hill, who nearly died from a MRSA infection in 2003, check out his interview on the Ask MomRN Show

Ripe for the Picking: A Great Way to Spend Family Time

Want to save 20 to 50 percent on the freshest, most flavorful produce possible? Then skip the supermarket and head straight to the farm to PYO — pick your own — fruits and veggies. Along with saving money, you’ll give your family a memorable way to spend a beautiful fall day together. This season, more local farms than ever are giving customers the opportunity to harvest a cornucopia of apples, peaches, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, as well as tomatoes, green beans, sweet corn and more. Some even let you cut your own flowers and gather your own eggs. And many add to the fun by offering hayrides, corn mazes, petting zoos, fall festivals and other activities. Here, how to get the pick of the crop:

Find a farm Check out the Web site “Pick Your Own” for complete listings of farms and available produce by county. Updated daily, the listings feature what’s ripe at that farm; whether they charge by the pound, quart or count; hours of operation; other activities; and links to the farm’s Web site. Still, be sure to call ahead to confirm that the farm you’ve chosen is open and what you want to pick is still available. The site also features a crop calendar for each state with approximate ripening dates for PYO crops.

Go early Since there may not be a lot of shade in the fields, plan to PYO first thing in the morning. And keep in mind that some fields can be picked clean by noon.

Dress down Wear clothes and closed-toe shoes that can get a little muddy and stained when you gobble up berries right off the branch. Don’t forget sunscreen and a wide-brim hat. Bugs are not usually a problem, but you might want to carry a repellent.

Bring your own bags Some farms offer containers for an extra fee, which you can avoid if you bring your own. Small, clean sand buckets work well for kids. Be sure to tote along snacks and water, as well as a cheap disposable camera to capture your child biting into that freshly picked peach.

Go for the best Since produce can ripen at different times in the same field or orchard, be sure to ask the farmer where the best fruits and veggies are. Then follow these tips to PYO like a pro:

• Apples Don’t pull them straight off the branch. Instead, roll them upward and give a little twist. The apple will come off easily. Never shake a branch or tree.
• Peaches Ripe ones will be soft, smell sweet and come off the tree without effort. Peaches bruise easily, so be gentle when you pick and set them down in your bucket. (Never drop them in!)
• Blueberries Look for light-gray/blue ones without a hint of red. Holding your bucket under a bunch, rub the berries gently with your fingers. The ripe ones will fall right in.
• Raspberries and strawberries Gently tug them off the branch. If they don’t come off easily, they aren’t ripe. Lower them into your container and be sure not to crush them by packing too densely.
• Corn Use a downward motion to snap off the ears, then twist and pull them off the stalk.
• Tomatoes These are easiest to pick when slightly underripe. They will continue to ripen on your counter at home. To avoid bruising, hold the tomato with one hand and twist it gently off the vine.
• Green beans Look for the green, firm ones. Snap them off the plant right below the stem.

911 Nine Years Later

Today marks the anniversary of the attacks on US soil; marks the anniversary of the fall of the twin towers and marks a line in time when our lives were forever changed. For a child, nine years is a long time, for some a life time. They will never know a time before the attack. It is said that history repeats itself. What if we don’t want it to? What if we don’t want our children to continue to live in such a world or to endure such fear and suffering?

We teach peace. We teach acceptance. One reason for the attack was not accepting differences, not valuing variety- variety in appearance, in speech, in custom and in belief. At some level the attacks may well have been based on some fear of the unknown. For some reason we seem to notice and pay more attention to differences than we do to similarities. Sure we may be black, white or brown. We are male or female and there is even some gender confusion. We are Protestant, Muslim, Catholic, Jewish or Agnostic. Some are rich, others poor. One may be blind and another deaf. But consider:

We are all human. We had parents- we were born. We all enjoy some language and if we try can communicate with each other. We all are sometimes right and other times wrong. We all endure the raging hormones of puberty- we all will feel attraction to another. We eat. We breathe. We laugh and we love. We share the same planet. We will all suffer the passing of another and each of us will one day die. We are all human and as such will all make mistakes.

If we don’t want history to be repeated we should teach our children to recognize the many and varied things we have in common with each other- that all humans share. When we are able to do this we will have achieved acceptance and the cycle of war will end.