Child Health & Safety News 10/30: CHIP Funding Vote Next Week

In this week’s Child Safety News: Forgetting a Child in a Back Seat Can Kill. Cars May Soon Warn You nyti.ms/2iBm8Uz

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 overlook something, but overall we think we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping you informed. Still, quite a bit happens every day – so to make sure you don’t miss anything, we offer you a recap of this week’s top 20 events & stories.

• How air quality affects your children’s health on.today.com/2hiB46v 2017-10-29
• Kidney transplant in kids — 5 things to know bit.ly/2hi5YvG 2017-10-29
• “Survey finds wide regional variation in availability of services, with waiting times as long as 16 months reported” bit.ly/2yZTaUj 2017-10-28
• The Truth About Trying to Make Kids Happy (and what we can do instead) bit.ly/2hgWukq 2017-10-28
• My Little Pony: The Movie is Sensory Friendly tomorrow at AMC bit.ly/2yPRARw 2017-10-27

PedSafe Child Health & Safety News Headline of the Week:
House to vote on funding for Children’s Health Insurance Program next week bit.ly/2hhjnnI

• Hawaii – Longer Sports Seasons leading to Pediatric overuse injuries bit.ly/2gNw24K 2017-10-27
• The 2nd Issue of Pediatric Safety’s new project – Kids Who Care http://ow.ly/CDGU30geS8N 2017-10-27
• Healthy Alternatives to Halloween Candy – Thurs Time Capsule bit.ly/2xA75vR 2017-10-26
• Protecting teen drivers from the greatest threat to their safety https://atxne.ws/2z2fhHX 2017-10-26
• Dells fire, police departments receive help to ‘REACH-A-Child’ bit.ly/2yQXGEN wonderful outreach! 2017-10-25
• Video: How to Care for Your Child When They Have a Fever zpr.io/nt5Gq 2017-10-25
• 4 Rules For Rear-Facing Car Seats To Maximize Your Baby’s Safety http://bit.ly/2iOYx2B 2017-10-24
• Lead Poisoning Prevention Week focuses on kids’ health http://bit.ly/2yhyl7O 2017-10-24
• The Pros and Cons of Letting Kids Go Barefoot bit.ly/2yBcFCJ 2017-10-23
• Learning To Care For My Newborn Was A Humbling Experience – by Dr Mom n.pr/2yBI1cw 2017-10-23
• Sensory Friendly Screening of Geostorm Tomorrow Night at AMC zpr.io/ntKhs 2017-10-23
• Should You Worry If Your Child Grinds Their Teeth? zpr.io/ntKhj 2017-10-23

#MeToo in the Special Needs Community

The #metoo movement has brought the issue of sexual harassment and abuse out of the darkness. Many people are finally finding the courage to speak up and speak out. But what if you can’t speak? Some communication boards are now including pictures that will allow non-verbal children to explain what has happened. Anatomically correct dolls are another way a child can report an event without words.

What if you don’t want to speak up because you depend on the abuser for care? What if you are unaware that what is being done to you, or what you are being made to do, is inappropriate? Individuals with special needs of all ages and all genders are among those being victimized, but are not always included in the crime statistics. While the abuse may happen at the hands of another child, often it is an adult who is taking advantage of someone with a disability such as drivers, aides or anyone who comes into contact with the child, especially in a one-on-one setting.

While we all try to shield children from some of the upsetting realities of the world we need to give them at least enough information to be able to realize what is not okay. They also need to know who to tell if something is making them uncomfortable.

Just as the Harvey Weinstein case has brought out something that was going on for a very long time and was almost considered “business as usual,” individuals with special needs deal with sexual assault and abuse so much it may seem part of the norm especially in institutions and group homes. It is important that we all agree that it should not be overlooked or shrugged off.

As parents or caregivers of someone with special needs we are already vigilant, and we should also be looking out for signs of this sort of mistreatment.

SIGNS

• The child gets anxious or reacts negatively around a certain person or setting
• Bruises anywhere in the areas of hips, thighs and buttocks
• Bleeding anywhere in the underwear area
• New behaviors that seem inappropriate or new interest in sexual topics
• Suddenly spending a lot of one-on-one time with someone, such as a coach or an older friend
• Being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease

For more statistics and information, go to http://cirinc.org/catta/pdf/FactSheet.pdf

Video: How to Care for Your Child When They Have a Fever

Editor’s Note: Video Highlights

Keep a close eye on temperature:

• Babies under 28 days: check with an underarm thermometer
• Older Children: check in the ear. Do not use forehead strips
• Fever is >38°C (*100.4°F) . It is a normal response to an infection

How to treat it?

• Lowering temperature will not shorten the illness or treat the cause of it. It will simply ease your child’s discomfort.
• Can manage pain with paracetamol (*acetaminophen) or ibuprofen. Do NOT use both at same time. Start with one and if it doesn’t work, try the other.
• Dosage is on the package. Only use while your child to treat your child’s distress and don’t exceed the maximum daily dose.
• Do not over or under-dress them

Avoid dehydration

• Children with a fever need to drink more to prevent dehydration
• Signs of dehydration
  • Dry Mouth
  • Decrease in urination (fewer wet nappies / diapers)
  • Fewer or no tears
  • Sunken eyes
  • Sunken fontanelle (soft spot on top of baby’s head)
• Encourage drinking – less, more often
• Breastfeeding moms – make sure to avoid becoming dehydrated yourself
• If diarrhea or vomiting – drink more frequent, less often, avoiding fruit juice or carbonated beverages
• Oral rehydration solution (ORS) – can help the body absorb fluids

Antibiotics are not regularly prescribed as most childhood infections are viral, and antibiotics only treat bacterial infections.

Additional simple things you can do

• Check child for response to your touch during the night. If they don’t respond as they typically would, wake them and check symptoms
• Keep them home and notify school or nursery of their absence
• Maintain home hygiene

When to get help

• Contact your GP (*doctor) or NHS 111 if you have concerns about your child’s condition
• Contact 999 in the UK (*911 US) in an emergency or if they exhibit any of the signs of Sepsis mentioned in the video

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

Child Health & Safety News 10/23: Why So Many Women? #MeToo

In this week’s Child Safety News: Almost 1/2 US school-age kids have experienced at least 1 severely traumatic event bit.ly/2hXbnrn

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 overlook something, but overall we think we’re doing a pretty good job of keeping you informed. Still, quite a bit happens every day – so to make sure you don’t miss anything, we offer you a recap of this week’s top 20 events & stories.

• With 4,000 families possibly losing health insurance after Irma, state may ask for help hrld.us/2xWZYxV 2017-10-22
• All predators were children once — how do we stop the cycle? bit.ly/2l5WAiV 2017-10-22
• Ebola’s Legacy: Children With Cataracts nyti.ms/2l8IfTd the virus survives in their eyes 2017-10-21
• A parent’s guide to allergy testing for children bit.ly/2yBsNE3 2017-10-21
• Child smartwatches ‘vulnerable to hacks’ bbc.in/2xPqmJX 2017-10-20
• 4 Things That Will Help Your Child Develop Early Reading Skills zpr.io/ntpMk 2017-10-20

PedSafe Child Health & Safety News Headline of the Week:
This Is Why We Need To Stop Saying ‘Not All Men’ And Start Asking ‘Why All Women?’ https://buff.ly/2xRyFVG

• Lawmakers to unveil child safety alarm act to help prevent hot car deaths bit.ly/2yyoh8W 2017-10-19
• NO! My Child Will Not Participate In Your Ridiculous School Fundraiser bit.ly/2yx8y8w 2017-10-19
• Helping Your Child in Emotional Pain – It’s Not So Easy – Thurs Time Capsule 11/11 bit.ly/2z0pgME 2017-10-19
• How Can Parents Discipline Kids Without Raising Their Voice? bit.ly/2ytx1vh 2017-10-18
• Department of Health ends funding for Oklahoma Child Abuse Prevention contractors bit.ly/2igI1Z2 2017-10-18
• Winter is Coming: What You Need to Know About Kids and Colds zpr.io/ngWF4 2017-10-18
• What Your Teen Could Be Facing Online and What You Need to Know bit.ly/2ypWeqz 2017-10-17
• The Best Shows That Tweens and Teens Should Watch This Fall and Beyond bit.ly/2yrwR7P 2017-10-17
• How to Make a Sticker Chart to Motivate Behavior Changes that Really Works With Your Child bit.ly/2xJfFsm 2017-10-17
• Parents could face fine, jail under city’s anti-bullying law bit.ly/2yrbrb0 parents accountable for kids’ actions… 2017-10-16
• Shame Nation: Choose To Be Part Of “The Solution” zpr.io/ngSCt 2017-10-16
• Mom uses infant’s death to warn new parents of simple sleep mistake – her baby suffocated on a blanket bit.ly/2xI8uAM 2017-10-16

Should You Worry If Your Child Grinds Their Teeth?

Teeth grinding, formally known as bruxism, is more common in children than most parents realize. Bruxism involves grinding, clenching, or gnashing of the teeth during the night, often leading to headaches, earaches, facial pain, jaw problems, and tooth damage. Two out of every ten children experience bruxism sometime in their lives.

Although bruxism does not have a clear cause, bruxism in children usually stems from a misaligned bite, anxiety, stress, hyperactivity, cerebral palsy, inner ear pressure, or a reaction to common medications. Diagnosing bruxism with your child can be difficult, as the warning symptoms can often be mistaken as other minor health issues. If you think your child may be suffering from bruxism, be sure to monitor his or her behavior while he or she is sleeping.

Do you see faint movement or hear strange noises coming from your child’s mouth at night? Have you noticed any wear, tear, or unusual “shortening” of your child’s smile? Has your child complained of morning headaches, a sore jaw, or pain associated with chewing food? Whether your child’s smile consists of primary teeth, permanent teeth, or a mix of the two, it is important to identify bruxism, as it can lead to chipping and wearing of the enamel.

The good news? Most children outgrow bruxism, and the majority of pediatric cases do not require treatment. Grinding often decreases between ages 6-9, completely disappearing by age 12. However, it never hurts to schedule a consultation to discuss your child’s symptoms. If your child’s smile is visibly deteriorating from bruxism, a mouth guard may be prescribed by your dentist.

Sensory Friendly Screening of Geostorm Tomorrow Night at AMC

AMC 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 Geostorm, 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 Geostorm sensory friendly tomorrow, Tuesday, October 24th at 7pm (local time). Tickets can be as low as $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 in November: Thor: Ragnarok (Sat 11/11) and (Tues 11/14); COCO (Sat 11/25); Justice League (Tues 11/28)

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Editor’s note: Geostorm has been chosen by AMC and the Autism Society for a Tuesday Sensory Friendly “Mature Audience” screening. Parents should be advised that it is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for destruction, action and violence. 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.