Be a Good Media Role Model
Parents often complain that their kids watch too much TV and play too many video games.
It is easy enough to say that they should just turn off the TV, but that isn't going to necessarily motivate their kids to do something more constructive with their time....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 17, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Making it Easier to get the Flu
Most people are quite happy that we are over and done with the 2012-2013 flu season.
After all, this past year's flu season caught many people by surprise in that it:
started a little earlier than usual (so some people didn't have a flu vaccine yet)
was more intense than most recent flu seasons (it was described as the worst flu season in a decade by many flu experts)
caused the most flu deaths in kids ever recorded in one year (154 children died of the flu during last year's flu season) outside of the 2009-10 pandemic flu season, when 348 children died
...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 17, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Another Bath Seat Recall
Some parents will remember that about 40,000 baby bath seats were recalled last month from three different companies because they posed a drowning risk to babies.
Now, just a month later, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a new recall of baby bath seats....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 17, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Rubella in the News
A case of rubella in a student at Valparaiso University in Indiana is a good reminder that measles isn't the only vaccine-preventable disease that is reappearing these days.
The international student may have exposed other people to rubella, also called German measles, on the Valparaiso University campus and people at an area Target and 7-11 store on Sunday, July 7....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 13, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Saturday Safety Roundup
In this week's Saturday Safety Roundup, stories of a:
a 15-year-old in Edina, Missouri who died after he was unintentionally shot in the back of the head by a .22-caliber gun while hanging out with friends.
a 3-year-old in Youngstown, Ohio who died after he unintentionally shot himself in the eye.
a 3-year-old in Washington, D.C. who nearly died after he was found strangled in a window blind cord. A police officer who had quickly arrived at the child's home was able to do CPR and save the child's life.
a 4-year-old in Princeton, Minnesota who suffered a traumatic leg injury after his father unintentionally ran him ov...
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 10, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Listeriosis Outbreak
While reports of outbreaks linked to contaminated foods are "old news" these days, it isn't often that we get an outbreak of Listeriosis, which is caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacteria....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 6, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Saturday Safety Roundup
In this week's Saturday Safety Roundup, stories of:
a 15-year-old in Logan County, Oklahoma who is in critical condition after unintentionally shot himself in the mouth with a gun that he didn't think was loaded.
a 6-year-old in Hopkinsville, Kentucky who died after her 4-year-old brother unintentionally shot her in the face with a .38-caliber gun that their grandfather had set down to clean before stepping away for a second.
a 16-year-old in Springfield, Kentucky who died after he unintentionally shot himself in the stomach while cleaning his .22-caliber handgun in preparation for a shooting competition.
a 16-year-...
Source: About.com Pediatrics - July 2, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Fireworks Safety
Each year, members of the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks warn parents about the dangers of buying and using consumer fireworks....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 29, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Lightning Safety Week
Some recent incidents involving lightning strikes highlight the importance of teaching your kids about lightning safety.
Talking about lightning safety is especially timely as we wrap up Lightning Safety Week, a yearly observance of the National Weather Service....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 29, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Saturday Safety Roundup
In this week's Saturday Safety Roundup, stories of:
a 13-year-old in Clearfield, Utah who was unintentionally shot in the arm by her 15-year-old brother.
a 9-year-old in Jackson County, Ohio who died after he was shot in the head by his 12-year-old brother, perhaps unintentionally, who then shot and killed himself.
a 5-year-old in New Orleans, Louisiana who died after she unintentionally shot herself after finding her mother's gun.
a teenager in Randall, Wisconsin who was hospitalized after being hit by a car while mowing the lawn on the edge of a road.
a 14-year-old in Kingston, New Hampshire who suffered burns aft...
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 26, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Another Measles Update - Another Record Year
We aren't hearing much about measles this year.
That certainly isn't because it isn't around. So far this year, there have been 107 cases (118 provisional cases) of measles in the United States. That puts us close to where we were in 2011 at this time of year (118) and as many people remember, that ended up being a record year for measles outbreaks. With a year-end total of 220 cases, more cases were reported in 2011 than since 1996....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 25, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Hot Car Alert
We tend to see a rise in the same types of tragedies this time of year - more drownings, lawn mower accidents, ATV accidents, and falls from open windows, etc.
Perhaps the hardest for many people to understand though, are all of the kids who die in hot cars. Whether they are forgotten in the car when a parent gets out of their routine, or are left in the car intentionally, an average of 38 infants and children die in hot cars each year....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 22, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Saturday Safety Roundup
In this week's Saturday Safety Roundup, stories of:
a 9-year-old in Paris Township, Ohio who died while visiting relatives after he was unintentionally shot while examining a gun with his 14-year-old cousin.
a 12-year-old in Geneva, Indiana who died after he was unintentionally shot in the head by his 16-year-old brother with a rifle that he thought was unloaded....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 21, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Baby Bath Seats Recalled
Three different companies and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are recalling baby bath seats because the "the bath seats can tip over, posing a risk of drowning to babies."
Specifically, this bath seat recall includes:...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Pediatrics)
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 19, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
Ask About Guns - It can save your child's life
Each week, I write about gun accidents and tragedies, many of which involve a child finding a gun while visiting someone else's home.
Some recent tragedies include:
a 4-year-old in Prescott Valley, Arizona who unintentionally shot and killed his father, an Iraq War veteran with the Army Special Forces, while they were visiting the home of one of his father's friends, where the boy found a gun.
a 5-year-old in Denton, Texas who died after he was unintentionally shot in the head by an 8-year-old friend who had found a .22-caliber rifle in a bedroom at the younger child's home.
a 6-year-old in Amarillo, Texas who unin...
Source: About.com Pediatrics - June 19, 2013 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news
