Stay Safe and Sound at Home & Around Town

** home ** shopping ** playground ** travel **

Home

1. Child proofing

• Regularly conduct a complete safety walk-through of your home. Approach each room from the level of your child. Consider age & developmental milestones. What can you get into? What pretty shiny things do you see? Are cabinets unlocked? Cords dangling? Outlets exposed? What can you reach / pull over? What's in the trash can... razors, cleaning solutions, batteries? After completing the walk-through, make the necessary adjustments to your baby's environment.
• If you must keep a firearm in the house, keep it unloaded and locked in a case. Lock ammunition in a separate location. If your child plays in other homes, ask if guns are present there, and if so, how they are stored.

2. SIDS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Because as many as 90% of SIDS deaths are caused by unsafe sleep practices, it is important that you and everyone who cares for your baby consistently follow SIDS prevention guidelines.

• Make sure everyone putting your baby to sleep knows to place him on his back, not his belly or even his side. Everyone, every time.
• Your baby's crib should be safety approved with a firm mattress and fitted sheet.
• Remove bumpers, blankets, pillows and toys from the crib.
• Babies should sleep in a crib separate from siblings and parents.
• Don’t over dress your baby. Use a sleep-sack instead of blankets.
• Offer a pacifier at nap time and bedtime throughout the first year of life.
• Provide daily tummy time which helps strengthen neck muscles.
• For more information on SIDS, visit Firstcandle.org

3. Crib Safety

• Tighten all the screws, bolts, and other hardware securely to prevent the crib from collapsing.
• Strangle risks- Never hang anything with strings or ribbon over cribs and make sure the crib has no raised corner posts or cutouts.
• The slats on the crib should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart to ensure baby's head doesn't get caught in between.
• Use a mattress that fits snugly in the crib so your baby cannot slip in between the sides of the crib.

4. Fire Safety

• Install smoke alarms outside every bedroom and on every level of your home, including the basement. Buy alarms with long-life lithium batteries. Standard batteries should be changed every year. Test alarms every month to make sure they are working properly.

I know we've all heard the fire safety/smoke alarm message since grade school, right? Well, I really want you to hear it today like it's the first time you have heard it. I feel passionate about smoke detectors more than ever after last fall... when it comes to "relaxed fire safety" I was one of the worst offenders. The smoke alarm would go off while cooking (frequently actually when I think about it!) & I would take the alarm down to stop the God forsaken noise & forget to put it back up. A day or two later, I would remember & replace it. Everything I felt about fire safety changed last October. My mother was visiting & we had just returned from my sister's in DC. To our credit, we actually had 3 smoke detectors in our apartment that night, the problem was 2 of them were in the hall closet awaiting new batteries and one was in the kitchen, on top of the refrigerator (umm...cooking episode). When I drug my exhausted 6 month preggy body into bed that night to sleep I had no idea I would wake to the sounds of NYFD firefighters banging on our door. In my confused sleepy haze I heard the banging & yelling, stumbled to the door to find 5 firefighters standing there. It was then that I realized our apartment was completely full of smoke. The apartment below us was on fire & smoke was tumbling in through our windows, floors & doors. We had no idea. We had no working smoke detector. We had taken our safety for granted. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the NYFD for keeping us safe. They did their part and I am now 100% committed to making sure I do mine.

Shopping

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents & caregivers follow these guidelines when shopping with children.

• Never place an infant carrier on top of the shopping cart.
• Never allow a child to ride in the basket.
• Never allow a child to ride on the outside of a cart.
• Never allow an older child to climb on the cart or push the cart with another child inside.

That's a lot of nevers! Over cautious? It seems not. Most shopping injuries occur when a child falls from a shopping cart, the cart tips over, the child becomes entrapped in the cart, or the child falls while riding on the outside of the cart, according to the policy statement, "Shopping Cart-Related Injuries to Children." Each year, children are seen in the Emergency Room with shopping cart- related injuries. Head and neck injuries account for 74 percent of shopping cart-related injuries among children younger than 15.

To avoid injury on your next shopping trip, try the following alternatives:

• Get another adult to come with you to watch the children while shopping.
• Put children in strollers, wagons, or frontpacks instead of in shopping carts.
• Ask older children to walk and praise them for behaving and staying nearby.
• Leave children at home with another adult.
• Shop online if local stores offer shopping on the Internet.

Playground

You've heard it, "it's all fun & games 'til somebody gets an eye poked out... 'til somebody gets a bloody nose... 'til somebody cracks their head open...

You can help keep the fun & games going for your kiddo's just by checking a few key things.

• Is the equipment the right size for your child?
• Can children reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body part?
• What's underneath the equipment? The best way to prevent serious injuries is to have a surface that will absorb impact when children land on it. This is especially needed under and around swings, slides, and climbing equipment.
• Is wooden play equipment free of splinters and nails or screws that stick out?
• Is the slide hot? Metal slides can get very hot from the sun and burn a child's hands and legs.
• Are there rocks, glass, sticks, toys, debris, or other children at the base of a slide?
• Are there other children swinging? Use caution in swing areas to prevent collisions.

Travel

Many Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAPs) are happy to see children who are traveling to their city. Here's a great link!

Finding a Pediatrician When Traveling- http://tinyurl.com/2g2h4fm

For more travel tips see our August blog post, Vacation Emergency Survival Guide.

1. Airplane

• Supervision in a busy airport is a must, especially for the newly mobile little one.
• When traveling by plane, place baby in a car seat or hold tightly in your lap during turbulance.
• Avoid hot drinks on the plane such as tea & coffee which could burn your baby if spilled.
• Watch baby's head! This unfortunately is a personal addition to the list after a trip to Missouri in August with sweet Vivienne. I totally hit her head on the overhead compartment when standing to exit... uggh, Mommy's sorry!

2. Car

• Read about the specific features, how to install & use your particular car safety seat.
• Check straps / harnesses with each car ride to ensure your little one is securely restrained.
• Don't give your child snacks while she's in her car seat.
• Remember to take your child with you when you get out of the car. I know it sounds obvious but every year children die from hyperthermia after being left in their car seat in the car.
• See the AAP guide below:

Age Group	Type of seat	General Guidelines
Infants	Infant seats and rear-facing convertible seats	Infants should ride rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their infant-only seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible seat.
Toddlers/preschoolers	Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harnesses	It is best for children to ride rear-facing as long as possible to the highest weight and height allowed by the manufacturer of their convertible seat. When they have outgrown the seat rear-facing, they should use a forward-facing seat with a full harness as long as they fit.

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CC Your Sitter: Pantry Perils

Being a sitter often means you're responsible for feeding your charges. If you don't have kids yourself, and you're NOT a medical professional like the people you babysit for (um, that would be me), then you might not know about all of the potential dangers hidden in the kitchen pantry. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates at least one child in the United States dies every five days from choking on food. The academy rates choking as the leading cause of death among children 14 and younger (keep in mind for every choking-related death, there are more than 100 visits to U.S. emergency departments for choking episodes). How's that for scary statistics? It's facts like these that have me cutting up Oliver's grapes into sixteenths. (Kidding, kind of.) Now I know the top food choking hazards for kids, and it's a good idea to make sure your sitter does too.

• Hot dogs (especially cut into a coin shape), meats, sausages, and fish with bones
• Popcorn, chips, pretzel nuggets, and snack foods
• Candy (especially hard or sticky candy), cough drops, gum, lollipops, marshmallows, caramels, hard candies, and jelly beans
• Whole grapes, raw vegetables, raw peas, fruits, fruits with skins, seeds, carrots, celery, and cherries
• Raisins, dried fruits, sunflower seeds, all nuts, including peanuts
• Peanut butter, especially in spoonfuls or soft white bread
• Ice cubes and cheese cubes
• Foods that clump, are sticky or slippery, or dry and hard textured
• Food size and shape, especially round or a shape that could conform to the shape and size of the trachea (windpipe). A small child's trachea is approximately 1.25 inches in diameter.

Does this mean that you can never give your toddler a raisin again? Of course not, but use common sense and a lot of caution. Meal and snack-times should be calm, seated, and relaxing, not rushed and on-the-go. Make sure to supervise children when eating, and cut up food into small pieces. Remember, even if you know this already, don't assume your sitter does! Reminders never hurt.

~Zoey, sitter to Nicholas, Oliver, and Vivienne

P.S., Check out this article from CNN Health...

Labels urged for foods that can choke kids

- CC Your Sitter: Sitting Off-Site

As a sitter, one of the perks of the job is sometimes getting to travel along with the family on their vacations! I've done it a few times, and have picked up a few tips from experience that just might make your next vacation a little less stressful and a lot safer!

1. As always, make sure everyone is wearing her seat belt (and in an approved and properly installed child safety seat, if required) in cars at all times.

2. If your little one gets motion sickness in a car or on a plane, it's a good idea to bring an extra set of clothes, lots of wipes (useful any time, really) and have a plastic bag at the ready. (Just make sure the bag is kept away from babies at other times!)

3. On a plane, have a bottle ready and a pacifier on hand for when the pressure in the cabin becomes uncomfortable for baby. Sucking will help their ears pop, thus helping the Eustachian tube equalize the pressure on either side of the eardrum. Older kids can enjoy snacks--anything that they can chew and swallow. Yawning also helps.

4. If the kids aren't vomiting, they'll probably be whining. I like to play 'I Spy' with Oliver. Older kids can play the spelling version: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter "G", and younger ones can guess by color: "I spy with my little eye something blue." Cell phones can also provide hours of entertainment, even without apps. Oliver loves flipping my cell open and pushing random numbers.

5. Most importantly, the same rules that apply at home should apply on vacation too. Always make sure kids are supervised near any bodies of water, and keep the lines of communication open between parents and sitter. On a vacation, in a different location, it's easy to lose track of who's in charge of whom. So double check! Is Oliver with his mother in the back yard or should I be watching him? Who's got the baby? Sometimes it's easy to assume that just because there are several adults on the premises that the kids are automatically being supervised, but that's not necessarily so. Decide--verbally--who's in charge, so that there's no confusion. It's not a bad idea to use a clock to designate shifts. Mom and Dad are watching the kids from 2 to 3, and then the sitter takes over until 6, for example. This way, you and your sitter can both relax and enjoy the vacation!

Hope these help!

Zoey, sitter to Nicholas, Oliver, and Vivienne

-Vacation Emergency Prep 101

Before You Leave Home

*Create an emergency information pack:
(use your baby MEDBASICS pack, a bag or envelope but make sure you pack this in your carry on luggage- don't check it)

1. A list of current medications with dosage and an extra copy of prescriptions.

2. A list of allergies.

3. Phone number for family doctor.

4. Insurance company phone number and insurance identification cards. Call your insurance company to verify their policy for emergencies and doctor visits specific to your particular destination.

5. A few basic childproofing items for the hotel/guest room (outlet plugs, cabinet locks, cord rollers, etc).

Travel Day

1. Carry your own emergency care guide on airplane (baby MEDBASICS). Yes, you will have flight attendants but no you won't have 911. Ultimately you are accountable for your baby's safety so be prepared and don't leave it up to someone else.

2. *Carry the emergency information pack you so carefully created before leaving home (see above)

3. If your child has a severe allergy or medical condition place a medic-alert bracelet on your child.

4. Carry a portable first-aid kit and small bottle of alcohol-free hand sanitizer.

5. Pack 1 more diaper than you think you need (after your third flight delay... this, my friend, could be the biggest emergency you encounter).

When You Arrive

1. Make note of emergency numbers (not always 911) as well as your vacation address and the location of the closest hospital. You can ask a family member, friend or concierge for this information.

2. Suitcase dangers- Sometimes the biggest vacation dangers are actually packed in your suitcase. Make sure all medications, vitamins, cigarettes and cosmetics are out of reach from your little one. Ziplock bags are a start but don't qualify as child proofing. Lock medications in the room safe and place all items high on a shelf out of reach.

3. Hotel room/guest room dangers- Get down on your hands and knees and crawl around the room. See what your baby sees and make the adjustments as necessary. Are there dangling cords? Exposed outlets? Matches? Irons?
Check the temperature of the hot water as you don't know the hot water heater setting. By childproofing the room from the start you will make your life a lot easier and your baby's a lot safer. According to the National Safety Council, the number two cause of injury-related death among children is drowning so make sure to take precautions regarding any swimming pool, lake or ocean. Prevention + Attention saves lives.

4. Sun damage- Take extra care to make sure baby is covered up as you most likely be spending more time outside than usual. Apply sunscreen (at least 30 spf) every 2 hours and after swimming. Remember that your baby's skin is thinner than yours and therefore burns more quickly than adult skin.Bring hats and umbrellas for shade. Offer plenty of fluids and watch for signs of heat exhaustion/ heat stroke. Symptoms of heat stroke include a body temperature above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, red, hot, dry skin (no sweating), quick pulse, confusion, dizziness, headache, nausea and unconsciousness.

5. Resort babysitting- Only hire babysitters from a trusted source. Make sure a background check has been completed and that a copy of his/her current drivers license is on file. Trust your gut. If your sitter arrives and you don't have a good feeling either call for another sitter or cancel your evening. (I personally love sittercity.com) After your sitter arrives, allow time for your baby (and you) to adjust. I recommend leaving at least a 30 minute window. Make sure you provide the sitter with your baby MEDBASICS emergency care guide, a first aid kit with emergency information and your cell phone number.

There you have it, my crash course in vacation emergency preparation. Now, relax and enjoy (as much as you can...)

Boo or BooHoo?

Knock. Knock.
Who's there?
BOO.
BOO WHO?
WHY ARE YOU CRYING?


Thank you Nicholas (my 10 year old) for that Halloween knock knock but the truth is safety is no joke. Know the best way to make sure your little one's BOO doesn't turn into BOO-HOO this Halloween? You got it... Prevention, Prevention, Prevention.

Your Top 5 Halloween Injury Prevention List

1. Bleeding Prevention
- Carving Jack-o-lanterns is super fun but can also be super dangerous if not properly supervised. Walk with me through the scene- Pumpkins? Check. Excited children? Check. Large sharp knives and saws? Check. Of course your kid wants to help carve and of course he thinks he's big enough to do it without your help. Not to don my Grinch costume but the truth is small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife or saw (at all) and older children should only be allowed to with close supervision (one adult:one child). I suggest buying one of the many kits available that come with tiny saws rather than using the family butcher knife. They are safer than knives although you can be cut by them as well. Little ones can still have lots of fun cleaning out the pumpkin and drawing a face on it, which you can carve for them. I'm not promising you won't have a small boo-hoo when you announce that you will be carving and not them, but I will promise that kind of boo-hoo won't send you to your local Emergency Department.

- Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.

2. Allergy Prevention
- If you're hosting a Halloween party this year check and see if anyone attending the party has food allergies to peanuts, dairy, shell fish to name a few. Many children with severe allergies carry epi (epinephrenine) pens. Make sure you know where the pen is kept and how to use it just in case. If you don't feel comfortable make sure the child is accompanied by a parent or caregiver who is.

- Avoid any candy with peanuts in your "give away" bowl.

- Instruct your children not to eat any treats until they bring them home to be examined by you. When your child is little, supervision of "candy eating" is important for multiple reasons- to insure the candy has not been tampered with as well as to oversee potential allergic reactions and choking episodes.

3. Poisoning
- Dry Ice is wonderfully spooky for parties. It's recommended however if using dry ice in a punch bowl, make sure you keep any dry ice chips out of drinks as it can cause severe injury if ingested. I recommend not putting the dry ice in the punch bowl (makes sense to keep the poison out of things my children are drinking). You can still use the dry ice for effect, just put it in it's own cauldron and instruct children not to touch.

4. Burns
- Outdoor Jack-o'-lanterns with lit candles should be kept away from where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o'-lanterns should be kept away from anything that could be ignited- decorations, window treatments, coats, etc.

- Your child's costume should be fire resistant and free of loose flowing materials that could potentially brush over candles and catch on fire.

5. Pedestrian Accidents
- Make sure your child carries a flashlight, glow stick or has reflective tape on their costume to make them more visible to cars.

- Check that the eye holes on costumes and masks are large enough for good peripheral vision.

- Teach your kids basic everyday safety and remind them how the following rules apply to Halloween nights as well as daily living.

Don't get into cars or talk to strangers.
Don't run out into streets.
Do watch both ways before crossing streets.
Do cross only when the lights tell you to.
Do walk on sidewalks rather than on the street.
Do hold the hand of an adult when crossing busy intersections.

- Small children should never be allowed to go out alone on Halloween.

Btw, still looking for your own halloween costume? If you follow these tips, you can proudly announce that this Halloween you are going as the "safest Mom in the neighborhood". Share your knowledge and help keep this Halloween SAFE and HAPPY for everyone.

Wednesday's Results...

Which two are true and which one is not?

1. Babies can drown in only 1 inch of water. True

Unbelievable but believe it! One inch of water is enough water for your baby to drown. When it comes to water safety think beyond pools, lakes and bath tubs... think toilets, buckets of water, coolers, mop water. Do not leave your baby alone around water even briefly. We've all been tempted by the ease of "it'll just take a minute and I'll be right back, but many a drowning story started just like that. Don't risk it, take your baby with you or stay with your child.

2. Pools are where most infant drownings occur. False

Pools can pose a significant drowning risk but are not where most infant drownings occur (see #3). If you have a pool or are visiting somewhere with a pool here a few ways to keep your baby safe. Seemingly simple but make sure you know where your baby/toddler is at all times. Most pool drownings occur at residential pools and parents report not knowing their child was anywhere near the pool at the time. Safety gates are only safe if they remain closed. Make sure you and everyone who uses the pool closes the gate. Start teaching pool safety rules early and have baby where a life jacket. Designate one adult at a time to be a vigilant "lifeguard". Trade shifts as often as necessary but be clear who is responsible for what amount of time because inevitably on a busy fun summer day we all think someone else is watching.

3. Bathtubs are where most infant drownings occur. True

More than half of infant drownings occur in the bath tub. Once again, don't leave your baby alone in the bathtub ever, ever, ever. Make sure that you and everyone who cares for your baby follows this simple lifesaving rule.

know more. worry less.

Tuesday's Two Truths and a Non Truth

Today's topic- Drowning

Which 2 are true, which one is not?

1. Babies can drown in only 1 inch of water.

2. Pools are where most infant drownings takes place.

3. Bathtubs are where most infant drownings takes place.

Want to make a guess? I'll post the answers tomorrow.