On March 10th, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is Sensory Friendly
Once a month, AMC Entertainment (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities ”Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings“ – a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite “family-friendly” films in a safe and accepting environment.
The movie auditoriums will have their lights turned up and the sound turned down. Families will be able to bring in snacks to match their child’s dietary needs (i.e. gluten-free, casein-free, etc.), there are no advertisements or previews before the movie and it’s totally acceptable to get up and dance, walk, shout, talk to each other…and even sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden®” policy will not be enforced during movie screenings unless the safety of the audience is questioned.
Does it make a difference? Absolutely! “It can be challenging enough to bring a child to a movie theater” says Special Needs Parenting Expert Rosie Reeves “they are dark, the sound is very loud, there are tempting stairs and rails and they are expected to sit still and stay quiet”. For a parent with a special needs child attempting an outing like this may seem overwhelming. And yet getting out, being with the community and sharing in an experience with an audience can be invaluable for just such children”.
On January 7th at 10am local time, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax will be screened as part of the Autism Society “Sensory Friendly Movie Screenings” program. Tickets are $4 to $6 depending on the location. To find a theatre near you, here is a list of AMC theatres nationwide participating in this fabulous program.
Coming April 7: Pirates! Band of Misfits
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Editor’s note: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for brief mild language. As always, please check the IMDB Parent’s Guide for a more detailed description of this film to determine if it is right for you and your child.
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PLEASE NOTE: If you are following Pediatric Safety with Google Friends Connect: As of March 1, Google Friends Connect will be discontinued for any non-Blogger blogs, which includes this one. If you “follow” Pediatric Safety using that feature, you will no longer be able to do so. I encourage you to subscribe either with RSS feed or via email. You can find both options on the right of the sidebar. (Click on the orange icon for RSS feed or the envelope icon for email subscriptions.) Alternately, you can subscribe to the feed by clicking on “Join Our Community” on the top right of the sidebar. That also gives you the option of posting in the forum. Please email me if you have questions or need help!
PedSafe Weekly Tweet Roundup: 02-20-2012 to 02-26-2012
Welcome to Pediatric Safety’s “Weekly Tweet Roundup”– a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news from around the world.
Each day we strive to tweet relevant and timely health and safety information for parents, medical professionals and other caregivers. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing pretty well at keeping you informed. But for our friends and colleagues who are not on Twitter (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 20 tweet-worthy events.
- How to Identify a Green Cleaner; Giveaway! | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/CvrEthFS 2012-02-23
- AAA Southern New England’s annual traffic safety message competition is open to kids from k-12 http://t.co/WExFHFS8 2012-02-23
- Congenital heart defects in children are scary, but treatment vastly improved http://t.co/Bldupzli 2012-02-22
PedSafe Tweet of the Week:
Due to avail of explicit content on YouTube, Club TUKI has launched TUKI TV, a Kid-Safe version of YouTube http://t.co/YUd5RGUf
- School buses nearly 8x safer for children than riding in parents’ cars -Nat’l Hwy Traffic Safety Admin http://t.co/c715fIMB 2012-02-22
- #parenting #parents #kids #youth 2012-02-21
- Yesterday & today: multiple studies, multiple stories on transgender kids: their #’s are rising and they are often targets of abuse 2012-02-21
- Transgender kids get puberty-blocking drugs, sex-changing hormones; MDs say numbers are rising http://t.co/WCZweMau 2012-02-21
- Children who are gender nonconforming at greater risk of abuse: new Harvard study http://t.co/Nggh9UVu 2012-02-21
- Children w Gender Identity Disorder Are at Serious Psychiatric Risk – study by Children’s Hosp Boston http://t.co/OYNzLfCc 2012-02-21
- Save that macchiato for Mama, baby | Confessions of a Dr. Mom http://t.co/jtrNRTjn reminder – decaf does not mean no-caff 2012-02-21
- Arsenic Scare in Formulas and Foods Using Brown Rice Syrup | http://t.co/QHO4cPMx http://t.co/Ton2iVZG 2012-02-21
- Unsafe levels of lead still found in California kids http://t.co/aEYxCBjq 2012-02-21
- KU researchers to test a male partner for “The Pill” http://t.co/I66VEJbo 2012-02-21
- Home Visits for Asthma: A win for Both Patients and Payers http://t.co/RdqPaVYN 2012-02-21
- Teach your kids safety; man in Eastern Ontario trying to lure children http://t.co/nwk4K08Y these are great tips for ALL of us! 2012-02-20
- Safety from Children: Baseball Bat Warning http://t.co/qpYnPjSW cute 🙂 2012-02-20
- China’s first charity pediatric hospital offering free surgery to children w/ cleft lips plans to open in June http://t.co/N5CQ9i7o 2012-02-20
- Due to avail of explicit content on YouTube, Club TUKI has launched TUKI TV, a Kid-Safe version of YouTube http://t.co/YUd5RGUf 2012-02-20
- Healthy Child Healthy World: Reduce Chemicals to Increase Male Fertility http://t.co/4McCLCyx 2012-02-20
- Looks like today’s the day to talk about pacifiers, teethers and Kids Companion for Special Needs http://t.co/P9gyGjJe 2012-02-20
- How Should I Choose Pacifiers and Teethers? | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/dyEuwsmW 2012-02-20
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PLEASE NOTE: If you are following Pediatric Safety with Google Friends Connect: As of March 1, Google Friends Connect will be discontinued for any non-Blogger blogs, which includes this one. If you “follow” Pediatric Safety using that feature, you will no longer be able to do so. I encourage you to subscribe either with RSS feed or via email. You can find both options on the right of the sidebar. (Click on the orange icon for RSS feed or the envelope icon for email subscriptions.) Alternately, you can subscribe to the feed by clicking on “Join Our Community” on the top right of the sidebar. That also gives you the option of posting in the forum. Please email me if you have questions or need help!
How Do I Prepare My Child for Surgery?
The best approach to prepare children for surgery is to be honest and reasonably direct in describing what will happen. Maintain a constant upbeat, optimistic tone during these discussions. Younger children have many different levels of maturity and understanding, both intellectually and emotionally. The amount of detail you include in your explanation should take that into account. Emphasize that the doctors and nurses will do everything possible to minimize the pain and discomfort in preparing for surgery. But be honest in mentioning that there may be a little irritation or discomfort when they draw blood or insert an IV. Above all, repeatedly stress that you will be with your child every step of the way, doing your best to protect her from any problems. If there are any questions that you feel uncomfortable answering, consult her doctor.
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PLEASE NOTE: If you are following Pediatric Safety with Google Friends Connect: As of March 1, Google Friends Connect will be discontinued for any non-Blogger blogs, which includes this one. If you “follow” Pediatric Safety using that feature, you will no longer be able to do so. I encourage you to subscribe either with RSS feed or via email. You can find both options on the right of the sidebar. (Click on the orange icon for RSS feed or the envelope icon for email subscriptions.) Alternately, you can subscribe to the feed by clicking on “Join Our Community” on the top right of the sidebar. That also gives you the option of posting in the forum. Please email me if you have questions or need help!
Homemade Cold Remedies to Soothe Your Family
Nothing cures the common cold, so the best you can do is relieve the cough, sore throat and stuffy nose that come with it. But you don’t need to buy over-the-counter products — and shouldn’t in the case of children, who may have serious, even life-threatening reactions. The jury is still out on zinc and Vitamin C, but many of the homemade cold remedies your grandmother used to push really do help relieve cold symptoms. Here are a few to try the next time you get stuffed up:
Hot Drinks
A nice cup of tea is more than just soothing when you’ve got a nasty cold. It can provide immediate and lasting relief from all of the major cold symptoms — runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chills and fatigue — according to a 2008 study from Cardiff University’s Common Cold Centre.
Liquids
Drinking fluids won’t flush the cold virus out of your system, but it will help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration, according to the Mayo Clinic. Water, juice, clear broth, and warm lemon water with honey are good options.
Honey
Research has shown that honey has properties that fight bacteria, but it works wonders on viral cough symptoms, too. A 2007 study by Pennsylvania State University’s department of pediatrics found that children with coughs due to colds experienced less coughing and better sleep when they ate small amounts of honey before bedtime. (Note: Honey is not safe for children under 2.)
Salt Water
Gargling three times a day with warm salt water can temporarily reduce sore-throat pain, according to a study in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (It also cuts your chance of getting a bacterial infection by 40%.) Dissolve 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water.
Spicy Food and Antacids
Dishes that contain hot peppers or horseradish may help clear sinuses, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. And if they should happen to give you indigestion, a teaspoon of liquid antacid can do double-duty as another of our homemade cold remedies. In addition to soothing your heartburn, it can help soothe sore throats due to post-nasal drip by coating the throat and neutralizing the acids in mucous.
Chicken Soup
Yup, it works … and science has discovered why. Chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties that stop the movement of white blood cells called neutrophils. Neutrophilic activity causes the release of mucous, according to research by University of Nebraska Medical Center. So it’s no wives’ tale that Grandma’s favorite recipe really does soothe sore throats and other cold-related ailments — at least as well as anything from the store would.
PedSafe Weekly Tweet Roundup: 02-13-2012 to 02-19-2012
Welcome to Pediatric Safety’s “Weekly Tweet Roundup”- a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news from around the world.
Each day we strive to tweet relevant and timely health and safety information for parents, medical professionals and other caregivers. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing pretty well at keeping you informed. But for our friends and colleagues who are not on Twitter (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 25 tweet-worthy events.
- Recalls this week: Slides, teapots, chainsaws http://t.co/TyZPog7A 2012-02-19
- In wasting children, a richer India sees “national shame” ow.ly/9a3gr 2012-02-19
- The Facts About Periodontal Disease – Leslie Loves Veggies http://t.co/yim72Avx terrific post! 2012-02-19
- More than 150 UK Paediatricians Say Health And Social Care Bill Damaging For Children’s Health http://t.co/Zd2bbX06 2012-02-19
- The American Dental Association (ADA) has declared February as National Children’s Dental Health Month http://t.co/h5DiUctd 2012-02-17
- Pregnancy, Pain, and Prenatal Exercise DVDs | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/q0PH7WiE 2012-02-17
- UK Children ‘watch same level’ of junk food ads despite TV rules http://t.co/lz0CrJVw they’re not just watching children’s programs… 2012-02-17
- Health News – Rethinking paediatric brain cancer http://t.co/i6CQWV0E 2012-02-16
- Low vitamin D in womb tied to poor language skills – New Australian study http://t.co/u12vBauj 2012-02-16
PedSafe Tweet of the Week:
Chemo in 2nd and 3rd Trimesters May Not Harm Unborn Baby http://t.co/e4qGAN48
- Obese children outgrowing kids’ clothing and furniture http://t.co/fkTb8Tnh Even classroom seating becomes difficult 2012-02-16
- Claire McCarthy, M.D.: Five Ways You Can Help Your Child Have a Healthy Heart for Life http://t.co/3aigOFL1 2012-02-16
- Making sense of your child’s health numbers – height, weight and body mass index (BMI) http://t.co/KcIyP4E9 2012-02-16
- Children’s bed-wetting, daytime accidents not the end of the world, doctors say – http://t.co/BW0z5sCp http://t.co/ohIvajHg 2012-02-15
- Keep Home Safe For Children and Pets During Cold Winter Months http://t.co/eJ4XnfWu 2012-02-15
- Australian Children suffer too as dental waiting list pain starts to bite | http://t.co/QBgn06vG 2012-02-15
- What you can do about the longest local dental care waits for the poorest CA children http://t.co/5P7XDHlw 2012-02-15
- No Mom Is an Island | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/UBRIcGHx 2012-02-15
- Bright Future International – Because Children Deserve a Bright Future Leslie Loves Veggiesow.ly/95oME 2012-02-15
- Reduce Chemicals to Increase Fertility | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/RFmYVSF1 2012-02-15
- Baby love: soothing your fussy and gassy baby | Confessions of a Dr. Mom http://t.co/4zRfW57m terrific post!! 2012-02-14
- Is My Baby’s Nursery Toxic? | Healthy Child Healthy World http://t.co/YRFATF7v 2012-02-13
- The health reform law’s biggest threat: 30,000 too few doctors http://t.co/buVIL8CX 2012-02-13
- Secondhand Smoke An Unwelcome Passenger In Cars With Kids http://t.co/2mWNpzBt 2012-02-13
- Chemo in 2nd and 3rd Trimesters May Not Harm Unborn Baby http://t.co/e4qGAN48 2012-02-13
- Is Cadmium as Dangerous for Children as Lead?: Scientific American http://t.co/MIwjR77s 2012-02-13
5 Phases Hybrid Glass Baby Bottles
With the arrival of one of life’s most precious gifts, we as parents find ourselves paying a little more attention to the world in which our children will grow. We naturally find ourselves wanting to give them the safest and best of everything. After the birth of our second child my eyes were opened and I became educated about how chemicals in the environment are affecting us, especially our children. I share my story to hopefully make people realize, we need to make some changes.
After years of disappointment from unsuccessful infertility treatments and multiple miscarriages we finally had a viable heartbeat from our baby. But the smiles were short lived when during a routine ultrasound our doctor informed us our baby could possibly have a birth defect. After numerous tests the defect was confirmed but did not appear to be genetic. There was no certainty on the cause but this particular birth defect was on the rise. In the mid 1980’s approximately 1 in 350 babies were born with this birth defect. By the time our baby was born, the numbers had increased to a staggering 1 in 125. I questioned many times what I could have done to prevent this from happening. It wasn’t until a few years later that I had an idea about the possible cause.
In April 2007, I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about plastic baby bottles, and the hormone disrupting effects of BPA and phthalates. These chemicals leach from plastics into our foods and are found in products we use daily. After further research, I discovered studies have shown that even very small doses of these hormone disruptors have been directly linked to early puberty, malformed genitals, infertility, reproductive disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Those most vulnerable are pregnant women and infants. When I read these chemicals were leaching from plastic baby bottles into our babies milk I was mortified and thought there has got to be a way to get parents back to using glass baby bottles. I found, with the increasing concerns of using plastics, many parents wanted to use glass but feared them breaking. I am an airline pilot. I never thought of myself as an inventor, but I felt the need to help new parents by giving them a better alternative for feeding their babies. Starting from a drawing on a paper napkin and over 4 years of product development I finally launched my hybrid glass baby bottles in December of 2010.
So what exactly is a hybrid glass bottle and how is it different from traditional glass bottles? 5phases bottles are a unique combination of glass and plastic that helps the glass resist shattering, but if shattering occurs, will keep both the broken glass and liquid contained with no mess. The removable and interchangeable glass inserts add convenience and affordability and make an excellent storage solution for pumped milk and formulas. They are also microwavable and freezer safe. This unique design earned us the 2011 JPMA innovationaward at the ABC show.
After everything we had experienced, chemicals and safety were our greatest concern when developing our bottles. 5phases glass bottles were inspected and tested by a third party for known toxic and harmful chemicals. This third party is recognized in the US by the FDA, Canada and in the EU for product safety and quality control. Our bottles passed rigorous infant safety and chemical testing.
People are becoming aware of the hazards of certain plastics. Studies have shown throughout its lifecycle, plastics can continually leach chemicals. Of most concern are plastics labeled #3 polyvinyl chloride, which contain phthalates, #6 polystyrene and #7 polycarbonates which contain BPA. However, there are still concerns associated with ANY plastics leaching chemicals when in contact with food, even BPA free plastics. Experts agree, the better alternative for baby is glass.
So why not just breast feed? I am a true advocate of breast feeding and there is nothing better or more natural than “mom “, but certain circumstances can prevent a mother from breastfeeding. Both of my children had protein allergies and the only solution was a prescription formula called Neocate. Our bottles simply provide a better alternative for moms who are unable to breastfeed and want to use glass.
There is a definite movement towards green living. We live in a world filled with chemicals, and in many instances avoidance proves to be impossible. For this reason we owe it to ourselves, and to our children, to minimize exposure to toxins whenever possible. My dream is one day, we as consumers will demand our products be safe without having to read the fine print on labels. Knowledge is power and with knowledge we can make a difference.
HEALTHFUL HINTS
Helpful Bottle Feeding Hints:
- Disassemble and sterilize new bottles by boiling for 5 minutes prior to use
- Avoid overheating and test temperature in bottle before feeding
- Keep baby propped up while feeding
- Avoid putting child to bed with a bottle; tooth decay may occur with prolong liquid contact
- Replace nipples regularly for normal wear and tear
- Bottle feed baby under adult supervision only
- Always transport glass bottles (and 5phases glass inserts) inside a protective sleeve to help prevent breakage
Note: Studies have shown heating breast milk and formula in microwaves may destroy important nutrients