Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 05-07-2012 to 05-13-2012

Welcome to Pediatric Safety’s weekly “Child Health & Safety News Roundup”- a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news headlines from around the world.

Each day we use Twitter to communicate relevant and timely health and safety information to the parents, medical professionals and other caregivers who follow us. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing a pretty good job of 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 news-worthy events.

PedSafe Headline of the Week:

We need safer drugs for our kids http://t.co/fpRSG0ms 4 of 5 kids hospitalized in the US are treated w/drugs not tested for kids!

May 15, 2012 | Filed Under Awareness | 2 Comments 

“Ask the Advocates” Guide to the Special Needs Educational System

If you are a special needs parent with a newly diagnosed child or if you have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting coming up you might want to do a little homework. Some parents bring a child advocate to meetings, but you can be your child’s best advocate if you are prepared.

Parents and child advocates Aisla and Bev put together an affordable e-book called Ask the Advocates to help others get the most out of the educational system. The book addresses both general questions such as how to request assessments and services for your child, as well as very specific issues like behavioral support in school. The authors offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied and include free resources lists. Read more about the book and the writers here.

May 14, 2012 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Should We Follow Sleepaway Camp Advice on Meningitis Shots?

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the brain that could lead to serious complications, including permanent brain damage and even death. Each year, there are about 2,600 cases of this very contagious disease in the U.S., mostly in adolescents and infants. Camps usually suggest the vaccine because closed environments – like college dormitories or camp cabins – mean there’s a risk of a severe breakout.

There are two major vaccines available for prevention, and while they won’t stop 100 percent of cases, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the known side effects, which can include headache, diarrhea and muscle pain. Experts recommend that all children receive the shot routinely starting at age 11. If your child has not previously been immunized against meningitis and he’s leaving for overnight camp, boarding school, college or another group living situation, I would recommend vaccinating against meningitis.

Talk it over with your pediatrician and decide what is right for you.



May 11, 2012 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Keeping Your Child Healthy on Airplanes

Many cold and flu viruses are transmitted when you touch surfaces. And when you’re on airplanes, you’re touching armrests and tray tables that may not be very clean. Since so many people are touching the same surfaces, it’s all too easy to pick up germs on your hands.

So always have your child wash hands thoroughly before and after using the bathroom on a plane. And when you can’t get access to a sink and soap, use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60 percent alcohol. If you’re worried about the drying effects of alcohol, use a hand sanitizer that has added moisturizers, like aloe.

And since the air on planes is so dry and uncomfortable, you might also want to bring along some saline nasal spray, which you can use to help keep both yours and your child’s nasal passages well moisturized.

It’s also important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water — that goes for you and your child.

Finally, try to avoid sick people when possible. If you’re sitting next to someone who’s coughing and sniffling and the flight is not full, speak up and politely ask a flight attendant if you can move to different seats.



May 9, 2012 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 04-30-2012 to 05-06-2012

Welcome to Pediatric Safety’s weekly “Child Health & Safety News Roundup”- a recap of the past week’s child health and safety news headlines from around the world.

Each day we use Twitter to communicate relevant and timely health and safety information to the parents, medical professionals and other caregivers who follow us. Occasionally we may miss something, but we think overall we’re doing a pretty good job of 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 news-worthy events.

PedSafe Headline of the Week:

No more nipple confusion: Study says pacifiers may help breast-feeding http://t.co/qinn3osh 2012-05-04

May 8, 2012 | Filed Under Awareness | 4 Comments 

How to Be a Better Dad

The bond between mother and child gets a lot of attention, but what about the ties between fathers and their children? Research out of Pennsylvania State University and the University of California has shown that father-child interactions are central to everything from a child’s ability to regulate emotionally to the capacity to maintain strong, fulfilling social relationships later in life. Here, simple ways for dads to get closer to their sons and daughters.

Show Your Love

Mothers and fathers provide different kinds of physical stimulation and comfort, and those differences help kids stretch their capacities both emotionally and physically. But physical connection isn’t just about wrestling on the floor or playing catch; it’s about showing your child how much you care. Hugs and kisses for younger kids, arm around the shoulder or pat on the back for older ones — physical contact make kids feel loved. “Saying I love you is not enough,” says child psychologist Steven Richfield, author of The Parent Coach: A New Approach to Parenting in Today’s Society. “Demonstrating that in heartfelt ways — with tangible physical displays of affection — is very important.”

Develop Rituals

Engaging in a ritualized activity with your child day after day, month after month, lets your child feel loved and special. Ethan Barker of Farmington, Mich., plays a pretend game he calls “Let’s Go” with his daughter most nights before he puts her to bed. “She became interested in the globe in her room, and so we made up a game where we spin it and pretend we are going to go wherever our finger points when the globe stops spinning,” he says. “We have a make-believe suitcase, and talk about what we’d like to bring and what we might do when we get there. She really gets excited about it each night, and so do I.”

Find Your Inner Child

“Fathers can have closer relationships with their kids if they’re willing to regress in the service of the relationship,” says Dr. Richfield. “They need to have a real capacity to enter the child’s world.” With younger kids that may mean playing make-believe or singing silly songs; with older ones it might be playing video games or watching music videos. It’s not enough to stand back and watch; you need to get involved in whatever’s capturing your child’s attention and imagination.

Hit the Books

While mothers purchase upwards of 90 percent of the parenting literature, fathers could benefit from some book learning as well. “You have to do a little reading. I think fathers are in the dark, especially during the first six or so years,” says Dr. Richfield. “You have to become educated to develop a bond with your child. Learning what boys and girls need at any given age — and these needs are pretty much the same for both sexes when they’re young — helps fathers become closer to their kids. To be able to give them what they desire, you really have to know about their world.”



May 4, 2012 | Filed Under Community | 1 Comment