A new, small study of parents in Colorado reveals another potential roadblock to child passenger safety: youngsters unbuckling themselves while the vehicle is moving.

Such incidents are alarming as restraining children inappropriately in a vehicle more than triples their risk for serious injury in a collision.

While previous studies have looked at potential obstacles to getting a child restrained safely, none has assessed how frequently youngsters unbuckle themselves, or the age at which children are able to do so.

In this study, researchers led by Dr. Lilia B. Reyes, clinical fellow in the Department of Pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, surveyed parents with children younger than 6 years to find out the age at which children begin to unbuckle themselves from vehicle restraints and how frequently this occurs while the car is moving.

Parents at five urban and suburban pediatric offices also were asked to describe what they do if their child unbuckles.

Results from 378 parents showed that 51 percent reported that at least one of their children self-unbuckled. In addition, 75 percent of children who unbuckled themselves were 3 years of age or younger, and unbuckling was reported as early as 12 months of age. More boys unbuckled themselves than girls (59 percent vs. 42 percent, respectively).

Of the children who unbuckled themselves, 43 percent did so when the car was moving. The majority of parents reported that when this happens, they pull the car over, reprimand the child and re-buckle him or her.

“This pilot study elucidates another potential safety hazard in child motor vehicle restraint that needs to be addressed,” Dr. Reyes said. “Most importantly, it makes parents aware of the fact that their child may have the motor capability of self-unbuckling without having the full cognitive understanding of the consequences of this behavior.”

Future research should look at which restraint devices would be safer, Dr. Reyes concluded. “Keeping precious cargo safe is our duty.”

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

Think it could never happen to you? Think of these possible scenarios, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic.

■You’re in a hurry. You might unwittingly give your child too much acetaminophen if you don’t take the time to carefully measure the medication — or if you don’t realize that another caregiver has already given your child a dose of medication.
■You combine medications. If your child has various cold symptoms, you might combine acetaminophen with a cold remedy. But this can be dangerous because many cold medications already contain acetaminophen.
■You use the wrong formulation. You might cause an overdose if you give your child adult acetaminophen tablets instead of the children’s formulation. Even the children’s versions of acetaminophen come in many different formulations, and the dosage varies for each one.
■You decide that more is better. If you’re not satisfied with the performance of the recommended dosage, you might increase the dosage and cause an accidental overdose.
■Your child mistakes the medication for candy or juice. Overdoses
often occur when a child mistakes acetaminophen for something safe to
eat or drink.

If your child ingests more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen but not enough to cause a toxic reaction, medical care may not be necessary.

Be cautious, however. If you’re concerned about a possible acetaminophen overdose or notice early signs or symptoms of an
overdose — nausea, vomiting, lethargy and abdominal pain within 24 hours — call your local poison control center at 800-222-1222 or seek emergency care.

Left untreated, a serious acetaminophen overdose may be fatal within a few days, according to the Mayo Clinic. Careful use of acetaminophen and prompt treatment in case of an overdose can help prevent a tragedy.

For more on child safety issues, see the child injury library articles by Ormond Beach personal 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.

Paul Scott exposes the child marketing industry’s unethical practices and harmful effects in his outstanding article in Children’s Health.

He warns parents that child marketing is everywhere, not just in the 30 second TV ads that we typically think of as marketing. The child marketing industry seeks to influence your children every chance it gets. The results are a quiet disaster. From the internet to cell phones, corporate brands are using every tool in the book to move your child “from brand awareness to investigation, from investigation to selection, to repeat purchase, to loyalty and ultimately to advocacy.”

If you’ve ever heard your child ask you for a brand, he or she has become that brand’s advocate and is now working for that company as part of its sales force. Seizing children’s brains is like shooting fish in a barrel it turns out.

Research has shown that children younger than 7 or 8 are unable to tell whether something or someone is trying to persuade them to do something. That, coupled with with proven damage that marketing to children causes, is why an organization no less prestigious than the American Psychological Association considers advertising to children under 7 to be unethical. In fact, it is illegal in Norway and Sweden and many other countries severely restrict it like we restrict cigarette and alcohol advertising.

Scott’s article lists the many harmful effects marketing has on children from higher body mass index to lack of creativity, and points out that the increasing sexualization of marketing to girls is particularly harmful. The American Psychological Association found “ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects on cognitive function, physical and mental health and healthy sexual development.”

These findings would not be so scary if our country’s children ages 8-18 did not spend 44.5 hours a week exposed to media and marketing. What can you do to fight this flood? Scott has some answers in his Princess Diatribes.

He also recommends toys that stimulate a child’s imagination and intellect. Hint: no branded toy can. Try PlanToys, Magna-Tiles, Gustafer Yellowgold, Back to Basics Toys, Thames & Kosmos, and TRUCE Toy Action Guide.

One such death was that of 13-month-old Aiden Truett who stopped eating and began vomiting. Doctors attributed the symptoms to a viral upper respiratory infection, but were forced to re-evaluate after treatment only led to worsening symptoms.

X-rays revealed the baby had swallowed a button battery, which was quickly removed surgically. Two days later, however, the baby started coughing blood and soon died.

Before doctors could remove the small battery, it had already burned a hole in the baby’s esophagus and damaged his heart. In the past, such batteries were not strong enough to cause such massive damage, but today’s batteries are supercharged for their small sizes and have caused a sevenfold increase in serious injuries and death since 1985.

Deaths are still very rare, fewer than 10 since 2004, but 3,500 button battery ingestions occur annually and today’s stronger batteries are causing more serious injuries. Every organ that encounters a button battery is a risk.

Vocal chords have been damaged, leaving children suffering from a lifelong whisper. Digestive tract injuries have caused children to undergo multiple surgeries and require feeding tubes. Children are not the only population at risk for these injuries. Our elderly have mistaken the buttons for candy and medication.

The worst offenders are batteries that begin with the number 20. They measure 20 millimeters and are the strongest of today’s tiny power plants. Batteries numbered 2032, 2025, and 2016 cause more than 90 percent of serious injury.

In 60 percent of child injuries, the child has removed the batter from an electronic device, not found it loose. Store your battery powered devices in a safe place.

Read the full article here.

Staying off busy roads is not enough. More than half the 135 children who die in bike-related car accidents are killed on minor roads or in residential areas. They don’t have to – bike helmets reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 88 percent.

Make sure you set a good example for your child. You are a role model whether you like it or not. Your approach cannot be “do as I say, not as I do.” Children are always watching you for what is acceptable behavior.

Use hand signals in traffic and always ride responsibly. Ride on the right side of the road with traffic. Don’t let your child be one of the 75 to 85 percent of children who ride bikes without helmets. Show them that using a helmet is the only way to bicycle.

Even though you may be riding responsibly, sometimes injuries occur due to the fault of others. Helmets significantly reduce your risk of needing a Daytona Beach personal injury lawyer.

Shoulder dystocia describes a birth in which the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the mother’s pubic bone, thus preventing the baby’s delivery. If the shoulder is not freed in a timely manner or is freed in a negligently manner, serious injury and death will occur. In fact, 20 percent of births involving shoulder dystocia result in the baby suffering serious injury. Examples include birth asphyxia, fractures of the humerus or collarbone, cuts, bruises or damage to the brachial plexus nerves, which can lead to paralysis of the arm and hand.

However, if a baby is determined to be at high risk for shoulder dystocia, preemptive c-sections can be performed to avoid the dangers associated with delivering a baby with shoulder dystocia. CALM is the tool of choice to predict this dangerous condition and give expecting parents some peace of mind about at least one aspect of birth. In making its prediction, the program weighs such factors as maternal history including previous shoulder dystocia and gestational diabetes, gestational age, estimated fetal weight, maternal weight and maternal height.

Though not perfect, CALM is the best tool we have to predict shoulder dystocia and can provide a measure of ease to expecting parents.

They can’t tell us what’s wrong so our fears are left unchecked. To make matters worse, symptoms that we would easily recognize in older children and adults are often different in babies.

Here’s your chance to learn about the most common medical conditions that are difficult to spot in children younger than 2, and help your pediatrician make the right diagnosis.

Type I Diabetes

The early signs of type I diabetes often mimic symptoms of common illnesses like the flu or can even be mistaken for healthy, thriving behavior. Parents are likely to consider increased thirst and appetite a great sign that healthy growth is proceeding as it should. More frequent urination can also be chalked up to a side effect of that “growth spurt.”

Children with type I diabetes are often tired, but then again, most babies are. And what about the fruity-smelling breath that’s another sign? Parents are likely to delight in that. Lastly, your child will not be able to alert you to the blurring of her eyesight.

The best way to diagnose type I diabetes may be the proactive step of requesting a blood sugar or urine sugar test before your suspicions are aroused. Even if your baby begins showing more serious signs of type I diabetes, they can often be misdiagnosed with pneumonia or gastroenteritis leaving the diabetes untreated which can cascade out of control leaving your baby in the intensive care unit.

Keep an eye out for the early warning signs and note any changes in your baby’s behavior. Type I diabetes does not run in families so you can not use that as a predictor. Most of the time, no known relative has the disease.

Head Injuries

If you see your baby fall and then later develop vomiting, that’s an undeniable sign of a brain trauma which needs medical attention. New research reveals most children with head trauma should not receive an immediate CAT scan but should be watched closely. However, head injuries accompanied by vomiting should at least be looked at by a doctor.

But what if you don’t see your baby hit her head? What if it happened while a caregiver was watching her while you were at work and you were not notified? Vomiting can be quite normal for young children. What you want to look for are changes in your baby’s pupils, lethargy, sensitivity to light, increased emotional displays, confusion and whether or not your baby continues to move normally.

No one knows your baby better than you, if you suspect she’s just not herself and displaying a combination of the above symptoms, tip your doctor off that a head injury should be considered.

Epilepsy

Think epilepsy is a no-brainer diagnosis? Think again. In babies, symptoms are different. A common type of seizure in young children involves nothing more than staring.

It can appear as if your baby is just zoning out. The key factor is whether or not you are able to snap your baby out of it. If you can snap your fingers and she responds, then that is normal.

However, if nothing distracts her from the staring behavior, a neurological examination is likely a good idea. If you can, video tape the staring behavior so your doctor can have as much information as possible with which to make the diagnosis. Use a phone video camera if necessary, even a short video can help immensely.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Kids with pertussis cough so hard they can vomit. However, the characteristic whooping sound is rare in babies younger than 6-months-old which makes their symptoms look very much like those of pneumonia, asthma, croup or a viral upper-respiratory infection.

To make matters worse, babies with pertussis may not even cough at all and babies younger than 6 months are the most at risk of serious complications from pertussis.

Signs of serious pertussis are enough to send any parent to the emergency room, but it does not have to get that far. The best way to protect your baby from pertussis is for you and all other caregivers to get a booster vaccination.

Today’s researchers are now finding that many things that we traditionally thought of as innate human traits such as happiness and talent are actually more a result of nurture instead of nature. That means that we have control over how happy or talented we are. It’s a mistaken belief to think that some people are born more talented or happy than others. Studies show that talented and happy are the way they are because of their actions and behaviors, not any innate trait.

I recently read a fascinating review by Nancy Shute of USNews.com of the latest book to show us that there are many steps we can take to make ourselves happier parents. The book, Raising Happiness, was written by Christine Carter, a sociologist who studies happiness and also a mother.

Carter’s advice to parents is founded on solid science and provides often simple solutions such as why praise is a much more powerful tool to promote good behavior than punishment or nagging.

The book review mentions two simple steps to more familial happiness. You determine when you are happiest with your kids and what part of your normal day with your family routinely causes suffering. Step two is to structure your day so that you routinely get those happiest moments every day and so that you eliminate those routine pain points.

The review gives the example of bed-time reading being the favorite time of day for the author, but she couldn’t always be home at that time so she switched the bed-time reading to after-school reading so she could be sure she would have that time.

Another thing the author did at that bed-time reading session was to talk with her children about three good things that happened that day. This is another simple but powerful technique that research has shown makes significant improvements in happiness and self-confidence.

The review said that Raising Happiness is full of simple, powerful steps you can take to increase your happiness as a parent and the happiness of your children. It comes well-recommended.

Right now, they’re giving away free car seat IDs. Now is your chance to be better safe than sorry. Car seat ID tags may not seam very important now, but in the event you happen to be involved in a car wreck, truck accident or other type of traffic injury, a car seat ID will provide potentially life saving information to emergency responders, not to mention family contact numbers.

All car seat IDs from My Precious Kid come with self sealing lamination and a luggage loop. To be eligible to receive one of the free IDs, you must currently be pregnant or have given birth or adopted a baby on or after August 1, 2009. If you are not eligible, the IDs are available for sale also.

In addition to this offering, the blog boasts great information like how to obtain free stuff (diapers, etc) for your baby, and insightful product reviews. I recommend a visit to all my parent readers.