Flat screen TV sets in all sizes and prices line the isles at the big box stores. They are replacing the old, boxy style cathode ray televisions at a quick rate, especially around the holidays.
But what to do with those old models?
A Cathode Ray Television (CRT)
A new study in the journal Clinical Pediatrics found that injury rates from toppling televisions are up, and it could be due to where we put these old TV sets.
Around 53% of consumers now own flat screen TVs, according to Megan Pollock, of the Consumer Electronics Association, as reported by the Associated Press.
That often relegates the old models to dressers, old stands or unstable shelves in bedrooms or guest rooms.
It’s easier for young children to pull over one of these old-style TVs because the weight of the set is in the front.
We spoke with Pam Goslar, safety expert at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center for a story on toppling furniture in May 2009. She listed safety tips to help parents scan the house for items that could fall and cause injury to kids, as well as some tips on how to prevent this from happening.
It’s a timely reminder, too, for families who will travel over the holidays with young children. Make sure to survey all rooms for safety hazards that could cause a toppling injury.
You’ve probably played this game before. Your child comes down with a fever, complains of pain, suddenly begins acting out at school, needs a vaccination.
So you take to the internet, and begin googling symptoms, questions, key words – anything you can think of — in search of answers.
Here’s a site to check first: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just launched HealthyChildren.org, a site filled with pediatrician-approved health information.
The site is clear, clean, free of advertising. The search tool feature is far better than clicking on the Parenting Corner tab on the AAP site. HealthyChildren.org replaces this tab.
A few of the sections you’ll find:
Ages and Stages: Information on the health issues of infants through adolescents, including interactive content on developmental milestones.
Healthy Living: Up-to-date guidance on fitness, sports, oral health, emotional wellness and nutrition.
Safety and Prevention: Preparing for health scenarios that occur at home, school and on the go, as well as in-depth information on the immunizations children need to stay healthy.
Health Issues: An exhaustive, A-to-Z list of more than 300 health care topics.
What we like about the site is that the content is developed and reviewed by leading child health experts and reflects the latest scientific research. That is exactly what we strive to do at Raising Arizona Kids magazine, and for our web site.
There is so much noise and speculation out there, especially about health issues- thumbs up to the AAP for cutting through the noise with concise, accurate health information for parents.
Check the Consumer Product Safety Commission notice if you bought a crib at BJ’s Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 costing between $100 and $400.
The cribs can cause entrapment and suffocation. They feature drop sides. If you have questions about whether your crib is included in the recall, call Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or visit their website.
As cooler temperatures and holiday guests begin finding their way to the Valley, many families will prepare to gather around the new spot to build a campfire: the backyard. Fire pits have become more popular in recent years. You can find a variety of choices at local department and home-improvement stores. They are available in a wide variety of price ranges.
But a word of warning: firepits can spell danger for children without adult supervision.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children ages 5 and younger sustain the majority of the 120,000 child and adolescent burn injuries requiring emergency room care and treatment each year. Researchers suggest thermal burns caused by heat and fire accounted for nearly 60 percent of all child injuries.
Parents need to make sure to supervise kids around firepits. Two Valley children were reported to have been injured last month when aerosol can thrown into a fire pit exploded.
Never leave children unsupervised around open flames, whether the fire pit is propane or wood. After the fire has been extinguished, the area will remain hot and require adult supervision
Do not allow foreign objects into the fire, including glass, cans, paper (the ashes can blow out of the fire and cause injury) or trash.
No rough play around or near the fire pit.
Keep the size of the fire small and controllable. Only adults should start the fire, and add wood to it.
Ensure that your fire pit is stable. A freestanding fire pit might tip over, causing injury.
When roasting marshmallows or hot dogs over the fire, supervise children closely, ensuring that safe materials are used – a metal stick with a wood handle should be used.
Children should always know the rules around a fire whether home or visiting.
Extinguish the fire completely when you are finished using it.
The new number, up from 129, is due to the factoring in of deaths not explicitly identified as due to the virus. This could be because of testing errors or because the cause of death was initially recorded as resulting from an infection that came after the patient was diagnosed with flu.
And in the meantime, watch a music video aimed at helping kids learn about how to protect themselves from getting sick. It’s courtesy of DocRap, who’s actually Dr. Mache Seibel, a physician who teaches at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Cigna HealthCare partnered with Dr. Seibel because they figured music might be a good way to help kids remember to sneeze into your elbow and use hand sanitizer -and more.
Cell phones haven’t been around for that many years. But scientists continue to study how the radiation emitted from the devices might affect children and adults.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the findings are beginning to show that wireless emissions might cause serious health problems, such as brain or gland tumors. High doses of the radiofrequency radiation can penetrate and damage sensitive tissues.
And since kids seem to be using cell phones at a younger age, and will likely use them far longer than adults of the current generation, parents might want to add radiation levels to the equation when choosing a cell phone. The EWG compiled a list of the best and worst phones in terms of radiation output.
The EWG suggests several tips on how to make cell usage safe, including using a headset to talk, holding the phone away from the body and using the speaker phone, or just taking advantage of the texting feature, which keeps the phone away from the brain.
Maybe the fact that kids and teens tend to use a phone to text their friends more often than they make a phone call will actually be healthier in the long run.
Riding All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) on back country trails and wide open deserts can be great fun for families.
But ask any emergency room doctor around the Valley about preventable childhood injury, and the accidents that can happen while riding these four-wheeled motorized vehicles will top the list.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that unintentional injuries from ATVs are becoming a major public health problem, especially among children under age 17.
They report that between 2003 and 2008, the rate of deaths from ATV accidents increased by 89%. In 2007, 1,223 Arizona children were hospitalized or visited an emergency room for non-fatal ATV injuries.
Nine children died –six of whom were not wearing helmets.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 16 years should not be allowed to operate ATVs.
How do you know if your child is ready?
Phoenix Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Specialist Susan Bookspan says that parents should take a good look at whether a child has developed proper decision-making skills, eye-hand coordination, and strength before they are permitted to operate an ATV.
ATV Safety Tips
Follow minimum age recommendations on the ATV warning label.
If you chose to allow children to ride on an ATV, only allow them to do so with adult supervision.
Make sure that the child wears a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear.
Do not allow children to ride double as most ATVs are designed for only one rider.
Only ride off-road as ATVs are less stable on paved roads.
Children should never ride adult-sized ATVs because they cannot properly reach the throttle, gear shift or brakes.
Plan your trip. Carry identification, know the route, and check the designated trail for hazards.
Do not ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
How you approach parenting may determine how safe your teen will be behind the wheel.
The 2006 National Young Driver Survey gathered data on the association between parenting style and driving behaviors of 5,665 ninth-, 10-, and 11-grade student. Parents were separated into four groups based on how teens described them: authoritative (high support and high rules/monitoring), authoritarian (low support/high rules), permissive (high support/low rules) and uninvolved (low support/low rules).
Teens with authoritative parents reported half the crash risk and were 71 percent less likely to drive while intoxicated compared to teens with uninvolved parents. They were also 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving.
Teens with authoritative or authoritarian parents used seat belts twice as often and reported speeding half as often as teens with uninvolved parents. The authors determined that while teens are ultimately responsible for their own behavior, parental involvement that includes both rules and support can effectively foster safer driving practices.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Results of the institute’s study, “Associations Between Parenting Styles and Teen Driving Safety-Related Behaviors and Attitudes,” were reported recently by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The families of Raising Arizona Kids magazine were saddened to learn that an Arizona college student took his own life on campus today. We’ve put together a list for readers who want to learn more about suicide prevention. At times like these, our connections to one another and to our community are especially powerful and poignant. Suicide can happen in the lives of children, teens, adults and older Americans. Please seek help if you or someone you know may be struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide. And please let us know of other resources that might benefit Arizona families.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-TALK (8255) • suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Directs callers from all states to local suicide prevention resources.
If you purchased a Baby Einstein DVD between June 5, 2004, and Sept. 5, 2009, the Walt Disney Company will issue a refund of $15.99 for up to four “Baby Einstein” DVDs per household. Find out the details on how to return the materials here.
In 2006, the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood filed a complaint against Baby Einstein for making false and deceptive claims about the educational value about the products. New studies in the Journal of Pediatrics show that the videos do not live up to the claim that the DVDs make babies smarter.
Educators now know that a baby’s brain undergoes tremendous growth during the first years of life. In fact, by age 3, 75 to 90 percent of brain growth is complete. That’s why the first few years of development are crucial. To help build a strong foundation for learning, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center and New Directions Institute, with sponsorship from Arizona Public Service, offer “Wired for Success,” a brain development workshop for parents and caregivers.
You can find a variety of choices at local department and home-improvement stores. They are available in a wide variety of price ranges.
