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A new book from the Chief of Infectious Disease at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia attempts to make consumers more aware of the dangers of alternative medicine and dietary supplements.  The author wrote “Do You Believe in Magic?  The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine” so that people could begin to understand that regulation of alternative medicine is far sparser than the drug industry and that the entire alternative medicine industry rakes in $34 billion a year, far from the small-scale, mom-and-pop operation many might think of.  A representative from California is one of the lawmakers who would like to see more regulatory control of such substances, but he acknowledges the push-back from that same industry.

Follow this link for more about the book.

We’re not even into summer yet and already large swaths of the country have been impacted by storms.  If you live in an area prone to such weather, you may find yourself investing in a generator so that you can be sure you’ll have power even during disasters.  If so, then consider some of the safety information provided in a new article from Consumer Reports.

First, figure out if your home will benefit more from a portable or stationary generator.  The latter is somewhat easier to maintain.  After a dealer comes out and installs the unit, you’re pretty much good to go, as the unit will typically come with a propane or natural gas tank.  Such models also start on a regular schedule so that tests can be run and their abilities can always be assured.

With portable generators, you have to be willing to invest the time and preparation necessary to ensure safety.  You must have a safe storage area available with which to keep fuel.  You also have to conduct regular maintenance, otherwise you could find that the unit doesn’t start when you need it to.

With either type, avoid carbon monoxide poisoning at all costs.  Both models should be kept a sufficient distance away from the home, and at no point should a portable unit be brought inside or even in an area that is anything but completely open.

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.

As medical devices become more and more complex, they also may become open to hackers looking to gain access to the device.  Such is the fear of the Food and Drug Administration, which has just released a report to Congress seeking to stress the importance of cyber security.

In particular, the FDA worries that oversights in cyber security could prompt a patient to suffer from an illness or be privy to injuries or even a fatality.  Many devices are being developed and introduced which use wireless networks and internet connections in order to operate and transfer medical information, but with this comes the same risks posed to things like computers and smartphones.

The FDA is urging companies to start taking security measures into consideration while developing medical devices.  At the same time, though, the agency doesn’t want devices to become so complex that they would be hard for consumers to get a grasp on in order to use properly.

The hope is that security can be beefed up by investing in better password protection.  All models of a device should not come with the same basic password from the outset, and changing the password should be simple for users.  Biometric security and the usage of a smart card might further bolster safety.

With warmer weather here to stay, many people are going to do whatever they can to seek solace from the heat.  But an increase in the number of air conditioners on at any given time and people engaging in water-based activities can pose electrical shock hazards that must be understood and overcome.  You can do so by consulting a few tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

This will be the time of the year that you try to get your money’s worth out of air conditioning, but you have to be careful if the unit breaks down.  Air conditioners and other large appliances contribute to one out of every five shock injuries, and you don’t want to fall prey to such circumstances.

So if you’re going to be fixing things up yourself, you should turn off power to the unit before you do anything.  Flicking the correct circuit breaker or fuse is essential to safety.  Once you’re able to verify that power has been cut to the air conditioning by using a circuit tester, make sure other persons in the home understand that they’re not to turn the power back on.  You can even put up a large sign near the fusebox explaining the danger.  And if you’re not comfortable in your ability to repair the unit safely, call a professional to fix the issue.

Ground fault circuit interrupters are a great thing to have around the house, especially in bathrooms or outdoors if you have a pool or your patio contains power outlets.  When a surge is imminent, these devices will cut power so that you electrocution can’t occur.

If you do have a swimming pool, you must keep all cords and appliances a sufficient distance from the water so that the shock risk is mitigated.  When power outlets aren’t being used, you should place covers over them so that water can’t seep in.  And when you exit a swimming pool, you need to give yourself ample time to dry before using any kind of electrical device.

One instant when you never want to be around a pool is during a storm.  Being near water greatly increases the risk that a bolt of lightning will strike you, a situation that the National Weather Service says kills one in ten people and leaves 70% with longterm side effects.  And you shouldn’t cut it close if a storm is imminent, as lightning can travel up to ten miles from its source.

Finally, understand what to do if water makes its way into your home because of a storm.  Hopefully you unplugged electronics prior to the storm so that the shock threat is decreased.  You don’t want to plug back in or otherwise turn on these items until your house has been properly dried out.

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.

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about sunscreen and its proper usage.  The Food and Drug Administration recently altered labeling requirements of such products so that consumers could be better informed of what they’re actually getting when they buy a product, but there still exists myriad mistakes that an individual could make when it comes to sun protection.  To make sure you don’t fall into that trap, you might disabuse yourself of some of the faulty notions described in a new report.

Far too many people put themselves at risk for skin cancer by either not putting on sunscreen at all or not coating their skin with adequate levels of sunscreen.  Understand that there’s no tried and true amount of covering that will do the trick for everyone.  A child has far less surface area to cover than a six and a half foot tall adult male, and thus you can’t apply the same amount of sunscreen to each individual.  Make sure that you’re applying an ample amount to every inch of exposed skin.

Still more people will make the mistake of only putting on sunscreen one time, figuring that an application near the beginning of a trip will be enough to offer protection.  But the truth is that even the best sunscreens offer protection for only a couple of hours.  And depending on your level of activity, you should be applying the sunscreen at even shorter intervals; for instance, if you’re exercising or swimming.

Don’t think that sunscreen is only necessary for a trip to the beach or the pool.  If you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, then you should apply sunscreen to exposed patches of skin no matter the activity.

What’s surprising to many is that this rule doesn’t just pertain to sunny days.  Serious sunburns and skin damage can accumulate even when the skies are overcast.  Clouds aren’t necessarily an impediment to UV rays, and you want to make sure to protect your skin even when the sun struggles to peek out.

Don’t count on a sunscreen with a great SPF to do all the work.  The higher the SPF, the better, but no SPF offers complete protection from all of the sun’s rays.  Protecting your skin will depend on your willingness to put on sunglasses, a hat, and other clothing that can offer the shade needed to avoid rays.  And instead of just sitting outside baking all day, you should take breaks and go inside during times when the sun is at its apex.

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.

Airbag issues continue to plague automakers.  On the heels of a 1.8 million vehicle recall issued by Chrysler and Toyota, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now opened an investigation into 320,000 Honda Odyssey Minivans of the 2003 and 2004 model years.  Complaints to the agency suggest that the airbags on these vehicles can deploy without a crash necessitating said deployment.  At least six incidents involving these vehicles have come to the attention of the NHTSA, including at least one that took place while the vehicle was in park and three that reportedly involved injuries of some sort.  The NHTSA hopes to determine whether or not a recall is warranted, and they will be taking into account those complaints and 41 others in which an airbag warning light came on.

Click here for more about the investigation.

We’ve brought you plenty of news dedicated to Chrysler’s recent refusal to comply with a voluntary recall of Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles requested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  As a new report shows us, even though this move isn’t without precedent, a victory by Chrysler could call into question the NHTSA’s authority over recalls in general and lead more automakers to make similar moves.

A previous NHTSA administrator explains that a victory will bolster the NHTSA’s reputation and ability to oversee recalls.  But she also believes that a Chrysler court victory could lead to future challenges to the agency’s powers.  Other automakers might think that, if the NHTSA failed in its investigative duties or exceeded its authority once, such a thing might happen again.

The report goes on to show that Chrysler might actually benefit financially from fighting the recall even if they go on to lose the case.  A former attorney with the NHTSA explains that a lengthy public court battle would decrease the number of potential vehicles on the road, and if the company is eventually compelled to issue a recall, there would be far fewer vehicles to fix, especially considering that older model years date back to 1993.

However, the spat would take place in the public eye, something that another former NHTSA administrator explains could also take its financial toll on the agency.