Child Safety -

Temperatures are going to keep rising around California, and with that in mind, we’d like to post a reminder about the danger posed by hot vehicles.  It’s imperative that you don’t underestimate the hazardous situation created when a child is left in a vehicle in the sun.  Even on relatively cool days, it might only take a few minutes for the interior to heat up to an unsafe degree.

Take the steps necessary to protect not just your kids but those of others.  If you’re ever going about your day and you spot a child who has been left alone inside a vehicle, then dial 911 at once.  If the circumstances are such that the kid in question already appears as if they’re succumbing to heat exhaustion or heatstroke, then you’re within your bounds to safely gain access to the vehicle and remove the child.  However, if you do this, be absolutely certain that what you’re looking at is indeed a child and not an empty carseat.

An empty carseat is exactly what tends to trip parents up and make them forget that they’ve even placed their children in the back.  If parents switch off daycare drop-off duties, for instance, or one parent fills in for the other for some reason, it’s easy to forget that a child is in the back, especially if that child has fallen asleep.

To make sure your child is never victimized by a simple memory lapse, get in the habit of placing something you can’t go without in the backseat, like a cellphone or wallet.  That way you’re always looking back.  You can also keep something like a stuffed animal in the carseat while not in use so that when a child does use the carseat, you can place that object next to you as a sign that your child remains in the back.

As stated above, it takes hardly any time at all for the car to heat up, and thus even running into a gas station or store for a quick errand could prove hazardous, especially if you get held up.  Take your child with you if you have to leave your vehicle or else considering delaying the activity altogether.

You also need to take steps to ensure your kids aren’t going to get into your vehicle when you’re not around.  Stress to your children that an automobile is not a plaything and keep the doors locked and the keys out of their grasp at all times.  That way, they won’t accidentally lock themselves in a trunk or otherwise put themselves in danger.

Does your yard contain a trampoline?  During winter months, that piece of play equipment might go largely unused, but with school out for the summer, many children will be looking for ways to pass the time, and they may look to the trampoline as a solution.

But this piece of gear can pose serious safety hazards if kids and their parents aren’t careful.  Even with proper usage, a jump can go awry and an injury could take place.  Parents need to take the steps necessary to protect their kids from harm on a trampoline.  A few months back, the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics featured a report on trampoline injuries and how to prevent such, and with summer upon us, it’s important to revisit that information.

It should come as no surprise that insurance companies call trampolines and things like swimming pools “attractive nuisances.”  Among the under-14 set, trampoline injuries and swimming injuries are pretty even with one another.  Such features of a home can tempt a child to play without the supervision of adults.  Largely because of this, insurance companies will place exclusions for trampolines and the like in contracts.

Before you purchase a trampoline or let your kids use it, you should speak with your insurance company to figure out what kind of coverage you have.  That way, you won’t be in for a nasty surprise when you attempt to file a claim.

You also need to lend your supervision to trampoline usage at all times.  When you keep an eye on things, you can interject when your child looks like they’re about to engage in a dangerous activity.  Also take the time to ensure that kids from around the block won’t be tempted to enter your yard just to use the trampoline while you’re away.  Toward this end, you might invest in an enclosure around the trampoline and adequate fencing around your home to keep curious kids away.

Enclosures, though, are no guarantee against personal injury.  Although they should keep a child from falling off the trampoline, injuries can still take place on a mat.  And i you don’t have the trampoline enclosed by netting, then you must make sure that any potential hazards are suitably far from the trampoline so a child thrown off the mat won’t come down on them.

To reduce injuries that take place on the mat, place the trampoline on a level surface and limit usage to one person at a time.  The injury risk rises dramatically when two or more people use a trampoline at once.  Discourage your children from doing flips or other feats of daring, and make sure they understand that they’re not to use the trampoline when you’re not there.

A new report explains that 21 million trips to the hospital and almost 20,000 fatalities take place every year because of an incident in the home.  To make sure your family is safe, especially if you have young children, then you might consider the tips on offer from that same report.

Your first step could be to reduce the potential for typical fall hazards which can crop up around the home.  Keep paths clear of debris that an inattentive individual might miss.  This is particularly important on staircases.  Then, if you have any area rugs in your home, make sure they’re not going to skid by using a rug-liner or buying a unit with a non-skid back.  And if you ever spill something, clean it up promptly so that no one will slip.

If you have kids, you’ll also want to eliminate typical poisoning threats.  Medications and household chemicals should remain in their original containers and they should be placed high enough up that a child can’t get to them.  You should further protect the contents of cabinets by installing child-resistant locks.

When you’re through using such potentially poisonous products, be sure you’re also disposing of the items appropriately, taking pains to ensure your kids won’t be able to access the remaining stock in the trash.  Many communities have chemical and medication disposal services you might take advantage of.

This month’s issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons features research which takes a look at standards regarding child safety seats and the adherence to those benchmarks among parents.  The study has some important information for those looking to ensure the safety of their kids.

Although children up to the age of 8 should be placed in some kind of supplemental protective device, few parents actually understand this is the case.  Once a child hits the age of four, an estimated 46% parents mistakenly believe that they could sit their kids in a regular seat without the assistance of a booster unit.  Not only does putting a kid in a normal adult seat too soon put their safety at risk, but the children become more privy to hip contusions, spinal damage, and pelvic fractures.

When parents neglect to put kids under five years old in a child restraint, the results can be catastrophic.  Researchers looked at available fatality data and found that 46% of those kids younger than five who died in a crash were not restrained in any way.

So what can parents do to protect their kids?  Kids younger than eight should be seated in the center backseat.  They should be in a rear-facing unit until they’re two years old and 20 pounds, at which point a transition can be made to a front-facing unit.  Boosters should then be used until a kid is eight and at least 60 pounds.

The Hauppauge, New York-based Country Life has announced the recall of around 1,100 Target-Mins 25 mg iron supplement bottles because of the lack of child-resistant packaging.  This brings the 90 tablet bottles from Lot 13A866B out of compliance with the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.  The worry is that children might be susceptible to an injury or even a fatality if they are able to access and consume too many of the iron tablets in the bottle.  Thankfully, no such incidents have been reported at this time, and to ensure that continues, owners are being asked to remove the bottles from anywhere kids would be able to get to them.  A new bottle or refund can be obtained from where the item was bought.  The products were on sale around the country between January and May.

Click here for more about the recall.

Safety is an ever-important topic, especially in the summer months when young kids are out of schools and playing in and around neighborhoods.  You might not be used to a kid darting out in the street to retrieve a baseball in the winter, but such occurrences are common in the summer months.  To ensure kids, your own included, throughout your area are kept safe, consider the tips provided in a new report out of Marietta, Ohio.

First, be particularly cautious when driving through residential areas, especially if you notice kids playing in the area.  Don’t just obey the speed limit; consider going even slower than normal so that you can react promptly if a kid crosses your path.  Be particularly cognizant of kids when passing cars parked next to each other, parks, and stopped ice cream trucks.

Of course, if you have kids who are going to be playing outside, you must also do what you can to protect them.  Constant supervision can go a long way toward protecting your kids, but even before they go out to play, you should explain the importance of sticking to parks and not heading out into the street.  If crossing a street is necessary, your child should know to look both ways and only use corners and crosswalks.

You might also keep your kids busy by engaging in summer activities like trips to the zoo, museum, or something similar.  Staving off boredom can go a long way toward making sure your kids won’t take part in an activity that could be deemed dangerous.

12,000 or so Sweet Lambie Crib Bumpers are being recalled by Pottery Barn Kids.  The company, itself a division of the San Francisco-based Williams-Sonoma, is recalling these bumpers because of the possibility that stitching on the embroidered lambs, grass, and trees found on the items can become loose.  When this occurs, a baby positioned in the crib could be entangled by the thread, a hazard that can’t be underestimated.  Already, one child has reportedly had the thread wrapped around its neck, although thankfully, he or she wasn’t hurt, nor was a child involved in another reported entanglement incident.  Owners are advised to cease using the cribs if the bumper’s tag has a date between April 2009 and July 2012.  Get in touch with Pottery Barn Kids for recall directions.

For more about the recall, click here.

Many injuries incurred by children during the summer take place right in the child’s own backyard.  Safety threats lurk in places you might not expect, and as a parent, it’s your duty to ensure that your children’s immediate environment doesn’t pose any unnecessary hazards.  Thus, it’s imperative that you take into consideration some of the tips offered by Consumer Reports in a new piece.

If your child has never received a bug bite or bee sting, it’s pretty much impossible to know how they’re going to react.  They might be allergic to bee stings, and thus it’s imperative that you protect your kids by taking steps that might limit your child’s exposure to insects in the area.

When your child gets past the age of two months, it’s admissible to apply insect repellant that contains DEET, but make sure that the level of DEET is under 30%.  What you shouldn’t put on kids is scented perfumes or soaps, as these can attract insects, as can bright clothing that bugs could get confused with flowers.  You might also consider removing a bird bath, where stagnant water can collect and attract insects.

Should your kid actually get stung by a bee, take a look at the affected area to see if you can find the stinger.  If you can, take something like a credit card or even your fingernail and scrape across the skin at a horizontal angle to remove the stinger.  Be on the lookout for an allergic reaction and seek prompt medical attention as needed.

Flowers not only might attract insects, but they can create their own hazards.  Many types of plants could create a poisoning threat to your kids, especially if your child is five or younger and tempted to swallow the plants.  Get in touch with a local Poison Control authority to find out what types of poisonous plants are typical in your area of California, and clear those plants from your yard if possible.  If you can’t remove them, at least fence off your yard from any plant that could be deemed dangerous.  These include Lily of the Valley, oleander, foxglove, and more.

Also be careful with the pesticides that get applied to plants.  According to the EPA, 50% of houses place some form of pesticide in an unlocked cabinet that kids would have access to.  Don’t make that mistake.  Store pesticides in a proper locked cabinet that a child is unable to reach.  Make sure you keep the chemicals in their original containers rather than some type of cup that a child might confuse for actual food or drink.

If you spray your yard, keep kids away for a couple days, and make sure you’re not accidentally applying the pesticide to any toys outdoors.  To really cut down on danger, you might opt for a non-chemical product.

Although summer doesn’t officially start for another few weeks, the passage of Memorial Day in California signals the unofficial start of the season.  Kids across California are itching to get out of school, and thus it’s going to be up to parents to provide constant supervision to ensure safety during outdoor activities.  A new report out of Georgia provides some important tips to help you protect your kids.

When your children head to local parks, go with them and keep an eye on all play activities so that you can put a stop to anything that could prove injurious.  Make sure your kids wear appropriate clothing that won’t create a snagging or entrapment hazard.  Drawstrings are inadvisable, as is anything else that can catch on a structure.

Hard surfaces that could cause impact damage should be avoided; instead, your kids should play on or near playground equipment made up of and surrounded by rubber, sand, or wood chips.  All equipment should be regularly inspected by local officials responsible for such, and if you suspect checks aren’t being conducted, consider getting in touch with the appropriate authorities and avoiding that area until maintenance is carried out.

As the weather warms up, make sure your kids stay hydrated and covered in sunscreen.  It should be reapplied every couple hours, and hats might be worn to further reduce the skin damage risks posed by direct sunlight.

The New York City-based H & M is issuing anew a recall of children’s water bottles because of a potential choking threat posed.  The spouts on these items can potentially break off while in use, and because the spouts are small enough to be swallowed, the danger thus makes itself known.  One instance of the defect taking place in England has been reported. The bottles were available between last July and this past March at H & M children’s departments across the country.  Owners of the 2,900 estimated bottles are being asked to get in touch with H & M to obtain a prepaid mailer for the item.  Once shipped back, H & M will send customers a refund and a gift card.

For more about the recall, follow this link.