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!

February 29, 2012 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

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.

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

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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!

    February 28, 2012 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

    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!

    February 27, 2012 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

    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.



    February 22, 2012 | Filed Under Community | 3 Comments 

    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.

    PedSafe Tweet of the Week:

    Chemo in 2nd and 3rd Trimesters May Not Harm Unborn Baby http://t.co/e4qGAN48

    February 21, 2012 | Filed Under Awareness | 2 Comments 

    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

    February 17, 2012 | Filed Under Innovations, Novel Ideas | 1 Comment