All of the child safety seats and booster seats tested in this study properly restrained the children across a varied weight range. Almost 1,000 children ages 1 to 8 who were involved in vehicle crashes were included in this study conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention.

Researchers say the results of this study show that the current range of child safety seats accommodates a wide range of children’s body sizes, including those who are heavier.

Considering that car crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for all children and that almost 32 percent of kids in the United States are categorized as obese or overweight, researchers wanted to explore the interaction between these two threats to children’s health, said Dr. Mark Zonfrillo, an attending emergency physician at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Zonfrillos said the results of the study should help parents to see that their main  concern need only be following the American Academy of Pediatrics most recent car seat guidelines.

Current AAP guidelines call for children remaining rear-facing until at least the age of 2 or until they reach the height and weight limit for the rear-facing car seat.

Once they are moved to a forward-facing seat, children should be secured in a five-point harness until they reach the weight and  height limit set by the seat manufacturer. After that, children should then move up to a belt-positioning booster seat, which is the type of seat they should have until they are 4′9″ tall, a height usually reached  between ages 8 and 12.

Researchers say a good time to re-evaluate child safety seats is right after your children’s annual medical visits.

“Compare your child’s weight and height measurements to the manufacturer’s acceptable ranges on the seat’s labels or instructions,” says Zonfrillo, the father of a toddler. “There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all.’ If your older child moved to a booster seat at age 5, don’t necessarily assume it will be the same for his or her younger siblings.”

Pediatricians and family physicians also  play an important role in making sure children are well protected  as they ride in vehicles, the study’s authors say. When the children’s height and weight are evaluated during checkups, physicians should counsel the parents to evaluate their child’s measurements against their safety seat. Those with more complex questions should be referred to certified passenger safety technicians.

For more on child safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury attorney.

And that’s a big risk when you consider an estimated 40 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 could hit the trick-or-treat trails this Halloween, according to numbers form the U.S. Census Bureau. Other common Halloween injuries include eye injuries from sharp objects and burns from flammable costumes.

The nation’s emergency physicians want children and families to enjoy the holiday traditions safely and not experience any Halloween horrors that would include spending time in the emergency department. 

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Children should be out having fun and spending time with family and friends,” said Dr. Sandra Schneider, with the American College of Emergency Physicians, in a news release. “They should not have to spend Halloween in the ER because of some injury that could have been easily prevented.”

Emergency physicians recommend that children “trick-or-treat” at organized Halloween festivities, such as local churches, shopping malls or schools. This way children are not walking in the dark and it allows constant adult supervision.

The ACEP suggests that adults follow these tips for a safe and fun Halloween:

• Make sure your child stays on the sidewalks as much as possible (off streets) and obeys all traffic signals.
• Discuss the importance of staying together in a group. Require at least one adult to serve as chaperone during trick-or-treat gatherings.
• Make sure your child knows the potential dangers from strangers. Make sure they know never to accept rides from strangers or visit unfamiliar homes or areas.
• Avoid costumes that could cause children to trip, such as baggy pants, long hems, high heels and oversized shoes.
• Avoid costumes that obstruct the child’s sight or vision.
• Avoid masks if possible. If your child must wear one, make sure it is well ventilated.
• Make sure costume fabric, wigs and beards area made of flame-resistant materials, such as nylon or polyester.
• Keep candlelit Jack-O-Lanterns away from children so they can’t get burned or set on fire.
• Make sure costumes are visible at night: avoid dark colors. Add reflective tape to costumes so your child is more visible to motor vehicles.
• Make sure you see all of the candy before your child eats it. Avoid candy that is not wrapped in its original wrapper, as well as all fruit
• Take a flashlight while trick-or-treating as visibility decreases long before it gets really dark.
• Check accessories such as swords, knives, wands and other pointed objects. Make sure they are made from flexible materials and have dulled edges.

For more on child safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury attorney.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4. And while much attention is paid to water safety during the warm months, parents and caregivers need to know that drowning risks inside the house are ever present.

In fact, bathtubs are the second leading location, after pools, where young children drown. Buckets, other containers, and even landscaping features, also can present a danger of drowning.

A new report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission related to non-pool and non-spa products indicates that from 2005 to 2009, there were 660 submersion incidents involving children younger than five years old. There were 431 fatalities, 212 injuries and 17 incidents with unknown injuries.

The majority of the victims were younger than the age of two and most of the incidents involved bath or bath related products. CPSC’s analysis of the fatalities found that 92 percent occurred in residential settings.

“Young children can drown in just a few inches of water,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum in a news release.  “I urge parents and caregivers to constantly supervise young children around bathtubs, bath seats and buckets. There are simple steps that every family can take to prevent drownings in the home.”

Many of the reported incidents involved a lapse in supervision, such as a parent or caregiver leaving the bathroom while the child was in the bathtub to answer the phone or door, or to retrieve a towel. In other incidents, an older sibling was left to watch a younger sibling.

CPSC’s drowning prevention safety tips include:

• Never leave young children alone near any water or tub or basin with fluid. Young children can drown in even small amounts of water.
• Always keep a young child within arm’s reach in a bathtub. If you must leave, take the child with you.
• Don’t leave a baby or young child in a bathtub under the care of another young child.
• Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers are top heavy and they can fall headfirst into buckets and drown. After using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot reach it. Don’t leave buckets outside where they can collect rainwater.
• Consider placing locks on toilet seat covers in case a young child wanders into the bathroom.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when seconds count.

For more on child safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury attorney.

The most common reason mothers fed supplements and teas to their infants were to help with fussiness, digestion, colic and relaxation.

Although these parents fed their infants the products as a remedy, the products have not been evaluated by FDA to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

“Our study is the first to examine the prevalence of dietary botanical supplement and tea use among a sample of U.S. infants,” wrote the study’s authors. “The wide variety of dietary botanical supplements and teas given to infants increases the likelihood that some are unsafe.”

Results of the study are published online May 2 in Pediatrics. The report is scheduled to appear in the June print version of the journal.

Dietary botanical supplements and herbal teas don’t receive the same scrutiny that pharmaceutical products do, according to background information in the study. Use of such products can cause adverse reactions with other medications, and these products may be inherently unsafe themselves.

The study drew on surveys of 2,653 healthy mothers with term or near-term infants between 2005 and 2007.

The study found mothers who fed their infants dietary botanical supplements and teas were more likely to have used such products themselves, and were more likely to breastfeed.

Hispanic mothers were more likely to give infants these products than white mothers. Many of the supplements and teas were marketed and sold specifically for infants.

Some supplements may contain heavy metals or other contaminants, and infants are more susceptible to such toxins, according to the study. In addition, some dietary supplements have caused seizures and even death in previously healthy infants. One dietary supplement was recalled in 2007 because of microbiological contamination.

The most commonly used products were gripe water, chamomile, teething tablets and unspecified tea, according to the study. The most common reasons for giving these products were fussiness, digestion problems, colic and relaxation.

When asked whom they talked to for information about such products, only 27 percent said they talked to a health-care professional. Almost 28 percent  got their information from the media, and 30 percent talked to friends and family about botanical supplements and teas for their babies.

During the first four to six months of life, child health experts recommend that babies only be fed human breast milk or infant formula, according to the study.

For more on child health issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury attorney.

And almost two thirds of children who choke to death are three years of age or younger. Most of these deaths can be avoided. Understanding how to prevent choking, as well as what to do when choking occurs, can save a life.

CHOKING PREVENTION TIPS

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) offers these tips to help prevent incidences of choking:

“Supervise mealtimes for young children,” said Dr. David Vukich of ACEP. “Many choking cases occur when older brothers or sisters offer unsafe foods to a younger child. Some foods that can cause choking include hot dogs, nuts, chunks of meat, grapes, hard candy, peanuts, popcorn, chunks of peanut butter and uncooked vegetables.”

Avoid toys with small parts and keep other small household items out of reach of young children. Balloons are particularly dangerous.

TREATING CHOKING INFANTS

“If a child is choking, first find out if the child can breathe, cry or speak,” said Dr. Vukich. “A strong cough generally means little or no blockage, and the child may be able to dislodge the blockage by coughing. Only begin first aid if the child cannot breathe at all, or the child’s airway is so blocked that there’s only a weak cough and a loss of color.”

According to ACEP, the ways to properly treat choking victims, especially children under age four, are first aid that everyone should learn to help people breath easier.
For a conscious infant under 12 months of age, here are the first aid steps:

• Support the head and neck with one hand. Place the infant face down over your forearm, head lower than torso, supported on your thigh.

• Deliver up to five back blows, forcefully, between the infant s shoulder blades using the heel of your hand.
• While supporting the head, turn the infant face up, head lower than torso.
• Using 2 or 3 fingers deliver up to five thrusts in the sternal (breastbone) region. Depress the sternum 1/2 to 1 inch for each thrust. Avoid the tip of the sternum.
• Repeat both back blows and chest thrusts until the foreign body is expelled or the infant becomes unconscious.

For more on child safety, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury attorney.

These findings raise safety concerns, note the researchers. They point out the paucity of evidence supporting the efficacy of these medications to treat young children, their known adverse metabolic effects, and unknown long-term effects on the developing brain.

The rate of antipsychotic drug treatment among privately insured children, aged 2-5 years, rose from 0.78 to 1.59 per 1,000 children during the study period, and increased more for girls (148 percent) than for boys (94 percent).

Treatment with antipsychotic drugs rose significantly for children diagnosed with pervasive developmental delay/mental retardation (57 percent), disruptive behavior disorders (54 percent), and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (70 percent).

Antipsychotic drug treatment for children without a diagnosed mental disorder increased by 65 percent, although the rate per 1,000 children remained low. Over the same time period, the rate of nondrug interventions decreased or remained unchanged. The rate of mental health assessments for children treated with antipsychotic drugs remained essentially unchanged from 1999-2001 (40 percent) to 2007 (almost 41 percent).

While 50 percent of children treated with antipsychotic drugs in 1999-2001 had at least one psychotherapy session during a treatment year, this rate fell to slightly more than 41 percent by 2007.

These findings were based on analysis of service and pharmacy claims from the MarketScan Research Databases on privately insured individuals and their families from 150 United States employers. The study was funded in part by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to the Center for Education and Research on Mental Health Therapeutics at Rutgers University.

Despite increasing rates of antipsychotic use by very young children, provision of formal mental health services remains sparse, the authors note. These service patterns highlight a critical need to improve the availability of specialized and well integrated mental health care for very young children with serious mental health problems.

For more on child heath issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury lawyer.

But for 250,100 children in 2009, play time stopped being fun as they were treated for toy related injuries at hospitals, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That same year, 12 children died from toy-related injuries.

Most (46 percent) of the estimated emergency department treated injuries are classified as lacerations, contusions, or abrasions. Forty-five percent of the estimated injuries were to the head and face area, the most common affected area of the body.

The U.S. Home Safety Council says parents should check all toys to make sure they’re safe and age-appropriate for children.

The Council offers the following guidelines for toy safety:

• Use a toilet paper roll to gauge safe toy size. (Toys should be too big to fit into the child’s mouth.) If any of your young one’s toys fit inside the toilet paper roll, they probably are a choking hazard.

• Inspect toys to ensure there are no broken parts.

• Search your home for any tiny toys or parts that could pose a choking hazard.

• Store toys and games designed for older children out of reach of younger ones.

• Avoid toys with cords or strings that could become wrapped around a child.

• Keep latex balloons away from children.

• Make sure all toys have been safety-tested.

• Don’t let young children play with motorized or electric toys.

• Throw away packaging from new toys as soon as possible

For more on child safety issues, see the library or articles by Daytona Beach child injury lawyer.

Conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, the study examined such injuries among children younger than 2 years of age from 1990 through 2008.  During the 19-year study period, an average of 9,500 injuries and more than 100 deaths related to these products were seen in U.S. emergency departments each year.

According to the study, which was released online this  week and will appear in the March 2011 print issue of Pediatrics, the majority of the injuries involved cribs (83 percent) and the most common injury diagnosis was soft-tissue injury (34 percent), followed by concussion or head injury (21 percent). The head or neck was the most frequently injured body region (40 percent), followed by the face (28 percent). Two-thirds of the injuries were the result of a fall, and the percentage of injuries attributed to falls increased with age.

“Despite the attention given to crib safety over the past two decades, the number of injuries and deaths associated with these products remains unacceptably high,” said Dr. Gary Smith, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy. “Unlike other child products that require adult supervision for their safe use, cribs, playpens and bassinets must be held to a higher standard because we expect parents to leave their child unattended in
them and walk away with peace of mind.”

This is the first nationally representative study to examine injuries to young children associated with cribs, playpens and bassinets that were treated in United States emergency departments. Data for this study were collected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is operated by the CPSC.

“Educating caregivers about the proper use and potential dangers of these products is an important part of making cribs safer for children, but education alone is not enough,” said Dr. Smith, also a Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Innovations in product design and manufacture can provide automatic protection that does not rely on actions of caregivers to keep children safe.”

In recent years, organizations such as the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics have amplified their efforts to increase crib safety.  The CPSC has issued recalls of more than 11 million cribs and has prohibited the manufacture, sale or lease of drop-side cribs starting in June 2011. Continued strengthening and enforcement of crib safety standards will protect more young children from harm.

Despite the potential risks, cribs are still considered to be the safest location where parents can place infants to sleep.  There are several steps parents and caregivers should take when selecting a crib for their child:

Pay close attention to the crib you select.

Select a crib that meets all current safety standards, does not have a drop side and is not old, broken or modified.  Avoid cribs with cutouts or decorative corner posts or knobs that stick up more than 1/16th of an inch. Measure the slats to make sure they are not more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart. Visit www.recalls.gov to make sure the crib has not been recalled. Make sure the mattress fits tightly into the crib. If you can fit more than two fingers between the mattress and the crib, you need a bigger mattress. Frequently examine the crib to make sure it is in good repair and that there are no loose parts. Carefully read and follow all assembly instructions.

When putting your child in a crib to sleep, consider the following:

Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep. Remember that a bare crib is best. Do not add pillows, blankets, sleep positioners, stuffed animals or bumpers to the crib. Crib tents and mesh canopies are not safe to use over cribs. Children can become trapped or strangle in them if they try to get out. Avoid placing the crib near a window to prevent falls and possible strangulation from cords from window blinds or shades.

Monitor your child’s developmental milestones and make changes to the crib as needed:

Once your child can push up on his hands and knees or is 5 months old (whichever occurs first), remove all mobiles and hanging toys. When your child can pull herself up or stand, adjust the mattress to the lowest position. Having the crib sides at least 26 inches above the mattress can help prevent falls. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to know when your child will outgrow the crib.  This generally occurs when your child reaches 35 inches in height. If using a bassinet or playpen, make sure they have a sturdy, wide base and that your child meets all height and weight limits.

For more on child safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach child injury lawyer.

However, that importance seems to be lost on dentists, orthodontists and other specialists like maxillofacial surgeons. Misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of new cone-beam CT scanners is partly to blame, but dentists also continue to use outdated x-ray film requiring high amounts of radiation.

New cone-beam CT scanners emit substantially more radiation than standard CT scans so they can provide crisp 3 dimensional images. However, 3D images are not always better than standard 2D images according to experts. They say the increased clarity does not justify using the cone-beam on every one all the time like many orthodontists do.

The increased use of cone-beam scanners has been fueled by misinformation coming from several sources including scanner manufacturers themselves as well as dentists paid by manufacturers to give seminars, speeches and conferences.

In fact in an ethically compromised move last month, the Journal of the American Dental Association allowed one of the leading cone-beam manufacturers to underwrite an issue devoted entirely to cone-beam technology which included a favorable article equating a cone-beam CT with an airport scan. The truth is that a cone beam can produce hundreds of times more radiation.

Cone-beam technology can be useful in dealing with complex cases, but should be limited to such cases especially with respect to vulnerable populations.

Unfortunately, market forces are helping push cone-beam scanners. For example, a popular brand of braces requires the 3D images that cone-beam scanners provide. Orthodontists often opt for that method of obtaining 3D images over the safer digital camera method because the CT scanner is faster.

In addition, dentists can profit by charging more for 3D scans. “More profit per unit chair time,” promises a cone-beam manufacturer.

To be fair, the risk posed by a single cone-beam CT scan is small even in vulnerable populations. The real trouble begins when high radiation devices are used too often for unnecessary reasons.

Unfortunately, that is the path we are set on.

On an 80 degree day, your car interior temperature can shoot to 99 degrees in 10 minutes even with your windows cracked. In 30 minutes, it can rise to 114 degrees. Ominously, children have died of heat stroke in cars on a 66 degree day. Even with the windows partially rolled down on a hot day, car temperatures can increase to 125 degrees in minutes. A child’s core temperature rises 3 to 5 times more rapidly than an adult’s. It is almost never safe to leave a child in a car.

In the ten years from 1998 to 2008, more than 445 children or infants died from heat stroke in cars. About 30 percent involved unsupervised children playing around cars and getting locked in. Most of the remaining 70% died after their parents or caregivers unintentionally left them in the car. Heat related vehicular child deaths increased by a factor of 10 after safety guidelines moved child safety seats to the back seat. That combined with rear facing seats make it easier for parents to forget their children.

In addition to back seat safety seats, these tragic deaths are also the result of the lifestyle we lead today. Chronic rushing about, multi-tasking, overworking, and under-sleeping render our ability to concentrate, focus and remember ineffective.

What can you do to prevent a heat-related vehicular death?

• You will be doing yourself, your spouse, your child and your career a favor by getting the proper amount of sleep. You will be able to focus and concentrate longer and more effectively.

• Never leave a child in a car under any circumstances period – not if the air conditioning is on, not if the windows are cracked, not ever.

• Never leave your car unlocked for children to get into. About 30 percent of heat stroke death’s involving cars and children occur because an unsupervised child entered a car, got locked in unintentionally and could not get out.

• Make it a habit to keep you purse, wallet, briefcase, cell phone, laptop or other item you take with you in the back seat so you will be forced to look there where the child is before going to work.

• Give yourself a reminder – some type of visual cue. Always keep something like a toy in the car seat when your child is not in it and always put the toy in the front passenger seat when your child is occupying the car seat. That way, you will have a visual reminder that may catch your eye as you are exiting your car to alert you that your child is in her car seat.

• Have the person or facility that cares for your child while you are at work call you if your child does not arrive at the usual time.

• Have you spouse call you after dropping your child off before work.

• If you see a child alone in a car, break the window furthest from her. Remember, you may have just minutes before the temperature gets too high.