Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 08-10-2015 to 08-16-2015

Last updated on August 28th, 2015 at 11:04 am

twitter thumbWelcome 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 and Facebook 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 not on Twitter or FB (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 15 events & stories.

PedSafe Child Health & Safety Headline of the Week:
If Your Child’s Instagram Selfies Aren’t Private, This Site Might Sell Them To Total Strangers
http://t.co/3kE4Cy2GCR

August 18, 2015 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

How Can I Keep My Baby Safe During Hot Weather?

Last updated on July 31st, 2018 at 06:16 pm

Mom and baby in poolBabies and young children can become ill during very hot weather. Their health can be seriously affected by:

Try these summer safety tips for keeping your child happy and healthy in the heat.

Sun Safety

Keep your baby cool and protect them from the sun.

  • Babies less than six months old should be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour and provides some protection from the sun.
  • Older infants should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly in the summer and between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest. If you go out when it’s hot, attach a parasol or sunshade to your baby’s pushchair to keep them out of direct sunlight.
  • Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to your baby’s skin. Make sure the product also protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Many brands produce sunscreen specifically for babies and young children as these products are less likely to contain additives that might irritate the skin. Apply the suncream regularly, particularly if your child is in and out of the sea or paddling pool.
  • Make sure your child wears a sunhat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back, to protect their head and neck from the sun.

Avoid Dehydration

Like adults, babies and young children need to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated.

  • If you’re breastfeeding your baby, you don’t need to give them water as well as breast milk. However, they may want to breastfeed more than usual.
  • If you’re bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby cooled boiled water throughout the day. If your baby wakes at night, they’ll probably want milk. If they’ve had their usual milk feeds, try cooled boiled water as well.

You can be creative when trying to keep your child hydrated. If they’re over six months old and they get bored with water, try giving them a combination of very diluted fruit juice, ice cubes and homemade fruit juice lollies throughout the day. For older children, plenty of fruit and salad will also help keep their fluid levels up.

Keeping Cool

Follow the tips below to help keep your children cool and safe during hot weather.

  • Playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool. Keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times.
  • Run them a cool bath before bedtime.
  • Keep your child’s bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains. You can also use a fan to circulate the air in the room.
  • Keep nightwear and bedclothes to a minimum. If your baby kicks or pushes off the covers during the night, consider putting them in just a nappy with a single well-secured sheet that won’t work loose and cover their face or get entangled during the night.
  • A nursery thermometer will help you monitor the temperature of your baby’s room. Your baby will sleep most comfortably when their room is between 16C (61F) and 20C (68F).

Further information:




August 12, 2015 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 08-03-2015 to 08-09-2015

Last updated on August 28th, 2015 at 11:03 am

twitter thumbWelcome 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 and Facebook 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 not on Twitter or FB (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 20 events & stories.

PedSafe Child Health & Safety Headline of the Week:
Who establishes your child’s digital identity?
The avg parents will post almost 1000 pix before their child is five   http://t.co/yVCoxgAkXG

August 11, 2015 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

Summer Hazards Part II – They Bite and They Sting

Last updated on September 4th, 2015 at 08:49 pm

Summer Hazards Part I – Watch Out for the Sun focused on counteracting the effects of the sun:  remaining well hydrated during the time of the year when fluid loss through activities can cause significant problems and minimizing the potential harm that can be caused by direct exposure to the sun.  Part II focuses more on the pests that come around in the summer months – the insects, spiders and snakes – and the problems that often come along for the ride.

Insect bites: Most insect bites are benign unless one is allergic to that particular insect. Unfortunately it is not possible to tell who is allergic prior to the first episode of reaction, however, most reactions are of a minor nature, e.g.: hives, general itchiness and red itchy eyes. These can easily be treated with an antihistamine by mouth such as Benadryl and cold compresses to the skin or the eyes. Of course the more serious reactions (usually due to vespids- bees, wasps and hornets) can be fatal but fortunately they are rare, and usually do not occur with the first reaction. If you are one of the unfortunate few who are known to have serious reactions you will carry with you medicines that can significantly change the outcome of the reaction, e.g.: epipen or epipen jr. which is a form of epinephrine injected just under the skin for maximum (what can be life saving) effect.

Other insects known to produce reactions or painful side effects include spiders and small insects such as ants. There are certain species of ants, such as fire ants, that are responsible for painful bite that usually occurs after someone has stepped on a nest. Cold water or ice on the area along with such antihistamines as Benadryl, will help the stinging sensation. Certain large black ants can also bite but are usually not found in this country.

Only 2 spiders in this country should be avoided: Black widow, notable for an hour glass orange imprint on the abdomen, is responsible for a very painful bite that can cause muscle spasm notably in the abdomen- usually not deadly but very painful. The other spider of note is the brown recluse spider which although looking very benign to the naked eye yields a very painful and tissue destroying toxin that can cause problems over the next several weeks. Ideally, the best treatment is avoidance as is true of everything discussed prior to this point.

Snake bites also tend to occur when a human being inadvertently steps on or disturbs the animal. Although most snake bites are non venomous in this country all bites can be painful and if you plan to spend any prolonged time outdoors (camping etc.) it would be well worth your while to study up on types of snakes and animals indigenous to the area and be prepared for a plan of action if an incident occurs. In general, an imprint consisting of two rows of teeth are usually from a non venomous snake while 2 prominent puncture wounds are produced by a fanged snake usually producing a toxin of some kind. These bites tend to be very painful from the onset and only get worse with time. Other side effects can be very nasty and at times life-threatening. This person needs medical attention as promptly as possible.

August 10, 2015 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

10 Tips for Better Child and Family Health

Last updated on August 12th, 2015 at 10:27 am

Any changes to your child’s diet and lifestyle are much more likely to be accepted if they involve the whole family.

Use these 10 tips to help the whole family embrace a healthier lifestyle:

1. Eat at the table together – studies show that families who have regular meals at the table with no distractions (such as television) are more likely to be a healthy weight.

family bicycle safety2. Include children in family activities – such as walking the dog, washing the car, mowing the lawn, a trip to the zoo, or a family bike ride. They won’t see it as exercise, just fun. Here are more ideas for free family activities.

3. Ban “sweetened” drinks from the home – and persuade your children to drink water instead. Fizzy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks, milky drinks to which sugar’s been added, and even 100% fruit juice are high in calories. Children tend to drink fewer sweet drinks when they’re not freely available in the home. Find out more about healthy drinks for children.

4. Make sure the whole family eats breakfast every day. Children who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day. If time is an issue, choose speedy yet healthy items such as peanut butter on wholemeal toast, or porridge and fruit. For inspiration, here are five healthy breakfasts.

5. Decrease screen time – and put physical activity in its place. Drag the kids away from the TV, computer and games console and instead get active as a family by walking, cycling, going to the park or playground or swimming together. Here are 10 ways to get active with your children.

6. Get active on holiday. It’s the perfect opportunity to get fit and have fun. You could try a specific activity-focused break such as cycling, hiking, pony trekking or sailing, or choose a destination where you can do a variety of activities.

On a budget? Camping holidays are affordable and most children love being outdoors. There’s lots of scope for activity for children of all ages, from putting up the tent to nature hikes. Read more about family activity holidays. Use this activity planner to get children active during school holidays at home.

7. Prepare more meals at home. It takes a little longer, but this way you can control what you put in food. You can read food labels, use healthier ingredients and control how much sugar and salt you use. Here are some tasty, quick and healthy recipes that are ideal for midweek evening meals.

8. Have healthier takeaways. You don’t have to give up takeaways completely, just make smarter choices. For instance, have mushy peas with your fish and chips and don’t eat all the batter around the fish. Order lower-fat pizza toppings like vegetables, ham and prawns instead of salami and four-cheese. And with Indian takeaways, go for tomato-based sauces such as madras instead of cream-based kormas and massalas. Read more about healthier takeaways.

9. Avoid over-sized portions. Portion sizes have increased over the years and it’s one of the reasons children become overweight. Start meals with small servings and let your child ask for more if they are still hungry. Avoid giving adult-sized plates to younger children – it can encourage them to eat too much.

10. Walk for charity. Doing regular charity walks is a great way for the whole family to get fit. Events are held across the country and are aimed at all ages, levels and abilities. Google “charity walks” to find local events.

August 5, 2015 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Child Health & Safety News Roundup: 07-27-2015 to 08-02-2015

Last updated on August 12th, 2015 at 10:27 am

twitter thumbWelcome 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 and Facebook 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 not on Twitter or FB (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of the past week’s top 15 events & stories.

PedSafe Child Health & Safety Headline of the Week:
Campus Suicide and the Pressure of Perfection http://t.co/r6GH3p7Pmo

August 4, 2015 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment