Video: How to Protect Young Children from Poisoning

Last updated on January 23rd, 2017 at 01:14 pm

In this 2-minute video, Katrina Phillips of the Child Accident Prevention Trust talks about what you can do to protect your child from poisoning.

https://youtu.be/yWHCJJR8ykA

 

Editor’s Note: Video Highlights

  • Protecting young children from poisoningThe most common culprit for child poisoning is everyday painkillers
    • It’s important to put them somewhere where a small child can’t be tempted by the bright colors and where they can’t reach them
  • The other common cause of poisoning for young children is household cleaning products
  • Note that child safety caps on medicines and cleaning products can slow young children getting them open, but they’re not actually childproof
    • Some three and four year-olds can open those caps in seconds, so it’s important not to rely on child safety caps to keep young children safe from poisoning
  • There are other things around your home that you wouldn’t suspect could be poisonous to small children but are – including:
    • Perfume on your dressing table
    • Aromatherapy oils that you might have in your bathroom
    • Small amounts of alcohol, like the dregs left in the bottom of a glass
  • You need to think about what might be harmful to a small child and put it somewhere where they can’t see it and where they can’t reach it
  • Also, get your gas appliances serviced every year – and fit a carbon-monoxide alarm that will sound a warning if levels of the poisonous gas are too high in your home
  • Finally, if you think your child has swallowed something poisonous, it’s important to get immediate medical advice and help





January 11, 2017 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

Child Health & Safety News: Wk 2 “Fake News -A Classroom Crisis”

Last updated on January 13th, 2017 at 12:09 pm

twitter thumbIn this week’s Children’s Safety News: Millions of Students Skip School Each Year Because of Bullying https://t.co/3IotCKNUIw

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 social media to communicate relevant and timely health and safety information to the parents, medical professionals and caregivers who follow us. Occasionally we miss something, but overall we think we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping you informed. But for friends and colleagues not on Twitter or FB (or who are but may have missed something), we offer you a recap of this past week’s top 15 events & stories.

PedSafe Child Health & Safety Headline of the Week:
Fake News Isn’t Just an Internet Problem, It’s a Classroom Crisis. A New Push for Media Literacy   https://t.co/NLWvhTJ0fy

January 10, 2017 | Filed Under Awareness | 2 Comments 

Helpful Car Shopping Tips for Special Needs Parents

Last updated on March 2nd, 2018 at 12:12 pm

woman_car_shoppingCar shopping overwhelms me. In many ways it’s exciting, but I am not good with all the little details. I also do not need every single bell and whistle – I just need a reliable, safe vehicle to load up with my kids and putter around town or occasionally go somewhere a bit farther. Also it should get excellent gas mileage and offer an affordable monthly payment, of course.

Every parent of a special needs child will have a unique list of requirements and requests, just like every driver likes things a certain way. For me, a dark cloth seat is important. My special needs child tends to spill things a lot, so something easy to clean that doesn’t show all the mess is key. Also, lots of cup holders will help avoid some spills. Lots of plugs and ports will also help avoid meltdowns on long rides. We don’t need ramps or lifts, but whatever your needs are you can find an adapted vehicle or have your vehicle modified in many ways.

With three rapidly growing kids in my brood I felt a third row seat was important. Also, my special needs child sometimes needs to stretch very dramatically, although this is less about being a special needs kid and more about just being a kid in general – especially a kid who has siblings. She also occasionally has muscle spasms that can be very painful for her (as well as for the person next to her when an arm or leg suddenly shoots out on its own) so giving the kids enough interior space was a high priority for me.

The tricky part for me is not to get distracted by how I want my life to be and to stay focused on the reality of my life. Sure, I would love to have the ginormous family vehicle with ample cargo space and seats for eleventy three for all those road trips and beach outings…but the fact is that we rarely do those things. I would love to plan detailed vacations where we shuttle from place to place exploring cultural and historical locations in areas near and far…but I am not all that good with all the little details, as I said earlier. So really, why pay for the tank-sized truckster every day when we might only use it for its true purpose once?

If your family needs a new vehicle, do your research. Be good at the little details, unlike me. There are so many packages and options available, find the one that suits your family’s special requests. If your special needs child is very sensitive to cold you might want the option to turn on the engine and the heater from inside your house via your smartphone. If you need to carry medication with you then an air conditioned glove compartment might be an absolute necessity for your family.

For more information on vehicles and special needs, check out this brochure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

January 9, 2017 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment 

See Hidden Figures Sensory Friendly Tomorrow Evening at AMC

Last updated on January 13th, 2017 at 12:53 am

New sensory friendly logoAMC Entertainment (AMC) has expanded their Sensory Friendly Films program in partnership with the Autism Society. This Tuesday evening, families affected by autism or other special needs have the opportunity to view a sensory friendly screening of Hidden Figures, a film that may appeal to older audiences on the autism spectrum. 

As always, 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! Imagine …no need to shhhhh your child. No angry stares from other movie goers. Many parents think twice before bringing a child to a movie theater. Add to that your child’s special needs and it can easily become cause for parental panic. But on this one day a month, for this one screening, everyone is there to relax and have a good time, everyone expects to be surrounded by kids – with and without special needs – and the movie theater policy becomes “Tolerance is Golden“.

AMC and the Autism Society will be showing Hidden Figures tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10th at 7pm (local time). 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 (note: to access full list, please scroll to the bottom of the page).

Coming Soon: Sing (Sat, 1/14), xXx The Return of Xander Cage (Tues, 1/24) and Monster Trucks (Sat, 1/28)

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Editor’s note: Although Hidden Figures has been chosen by AMC and the Autism Society for a Tuesday Sensory Friendly screening, we do want parents to know that it is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for thematic elements and some language. As always, please check the IMDB Parents Guide for a more detailed description of this film to determine if it is right for you and your family.

January 9, 2017 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

Babies Should Get Peanuts Early to Cut Allergy Risk

Last updated on July 20th, 2017 at 03:37 am

New guidelines issued yesterday by experts from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend introducing peanut-containing foods to babies as early as possible as a way to lower their risk of developing a peanut allergy.

The recommendations reverse previous advice to add peanuts later, but are driven by new scientific research that showed early introduction of peanuts could cut allergy development by 81%. The guidelines are tailored for a child’s risk for peanut allergy, as follows:

  • babies should get peanuts earlyInfants at HIGH risk for peanut allergy (have severe eczema, egg allergy or both)
    • Add peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months
    • Consult with health care provider prior to adding peanuts – specialized testing may be needed
  • Infants with mild or moderate eczema
    • Add peanut-containing foods around 6 months
  • Infants without eczema or any food allergy
    • Add peanuts to infant diet as appropriate/desired
  • IN ALL CASES, start babies on other solids before adding peanut-containing foods

If you have specific questions or concerns about introducing your child to peanuts, speak to your pediatrician or family doctor.

 

January 6, 2017 | Filed Under Awareness | Leave a Comment 

How to Help Your Family Eat Healthy in 2017: Processed Foods

Last updated on January 13th, 2017 at 12:53 am

Processed foods aren’t just microwave meals and other ready meals. The term ‘processed food’ applies to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way, either for safety reasons or convenience. This means you may be eating more processed food than you realise.

Processed foods aren’t necessarily unhealthy, but anything that’s been processed may contain added salt, sugar and fat.

One advantage of cooking food from scratch at home is that you know exactly what is going into it, including the amount of added salt or sugar.

However, even homemade food sometimes uses processed ingredients. Read on to find out how you can eat processed foods as part of a healthy diet.

What Counts as Processed Food?

Most shop-bought foods will have been processed in some way.

Examples of common processed foods include:

  • Breakfast cereals
  • Cheese
  • Tinned vegetables
  • Bread
  • Savoury snacks, such as crisps (*potato chips)
  • Meat products, such as bacon
  • “Convenience foods”, such as microwave meals or ready meals
  • Drinks, such as milk or soft drinks

Food processing techniques include freezing, canning, baking, drying and pasteurising products.

How to eat healthy - processed foodDietitian Sian Porter says: “Not all processed food is a bad choice. Some foods need processing to make them safe, such as milk, which needs to be pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria. Other foods need processing to make them suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil.

“Freezing fruit and veg preserves most vitamins, while tinned produce (choose those without added sugar and salt) can mean convenient storage, cooking and choice to eat all year round, with less waste and cost than fresh.”

What Makes Some Processed Foods Less Healthy?

Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and to prolong their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the food’s structure, such as salt in bread or sugar in cakes.

This can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts for these additives, as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. These foods can also be higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them.

Furthermore, a diet high in red and processed meat (regularly eating more than 90g a day) has also been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. Some studies have also shown that eating a large amount of processed meat may be linked to a higher risk of cancer or heart disease.

What is Processed Meat?

Processed meat refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives. This includes sausages, bacon, ham, salami and pâtés.

The (*UK) Department of Health recommends that if you currently eat more than 90g (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day, that you cut down to 70g a day. This is equivalent to two or three rashers (*strips) of bacon, or a little over two slices of roast lamb, beef or pork, with each about the size of half a slice of bread.

However, it’s important to remember that the term “processed” applies to a very broad range of foods, many of which can be eaten as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

How Can My Family Eat Processed Foods as Part of a Healthy Diet?

Reading nutrition labels can help you choose between processed products and keep a check on the amount of processed foods you’re eating that are high in fat, salt and added sugars.

Adding tinned tomatoes to your shopping basket, for example, is a great way to boost your 5 a day. They can also be stored for longer and cost less than fresh tomatoes – just check the label to make sure there’s no added salt or sugar.

Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging.

These labels include information on protein, carbohydrate and fat. They may provide additional information on saturated fat, sugars, sodium and salt. All nutrition information is provided per 100 grams and sometimes per portion.

How Do I Know if a Processed Food is High in Fat, Saturated Fat, Sugar or Salt?

There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high or low in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar. These are:

Total Fat

High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g (*rougly half an ounce per 3oz)
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g (*about a tenth of an ounce per 3oz)

Saturated Fat

High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g  (*100g is about 3.5oz)
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g

Sugars

High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g  (*a little under 3/4 of an ounce per 3 oz)
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g

Salt

High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)

For example, if you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, try to limit the amount of foods you eat that have more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.

If the processed food you want to buy has a nutrition label that uses colour-coding, you will often find a mixture of red, amber and green. So, when you’re choosing between similar products, try to go for more greens and ambers, and fewer reds, if you want to make a healthier choice.

However, even healthier ready meals may be higher in fat and other additives than a homemade equivalent. That’s not to say that homemade foods can’t also be high in calories, fat, salt and sugar, but if you make the meal yourself, you’ll have a much better idea of what’s gone into it. You could even save yourself some money, too.

When Cooking Food at Home…

For tips on how to eat healthily on a budget, read our healthy recipe ideas and check out the Eat4Cheap challenge.

Editor’s Note: *clarification provided for our US readers.





January 4, 2017 | Filed Under Community | Leave a Comment