Recently in the General Discussion Category
Recently, autism and developmental disabilities in children have been in the forefront of the news. Parents of children afflicted with autism agonize over how best to care for an autistic child and wonder what may have caused autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their children. Learning the signs of what your children should be doing at certain milestone ages is key to the knowledge that your baby is developing safely and healthfully. Making sure you check with your pediatrician regularly is important to getting the kind of help your child may need to assure safe and healthful development.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that "an average of 1 in every 110 children in certain parts of the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)." There are data which indicate that the average age at which children are diagnosed with an ASD is 4-1/2 years, but CDC says an early diagnosis when possible is more helpful in managing the care of children with autism. So it is extremely important for parents to be aware of how their child is developing.
CDC says that there are common milestone indicators in a child's development which let you as a parent know your child's development is on track. To make sure you know the signs of healthy child development, you can check with your pediatrician, and at the same time, you may want to check the CDC website:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.htmlto learn the signs for healthy child development at 3 and 7 months and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. There are check-lists you can print to help monitor your child's development noting the milestone activities your baby should be able to do by a certain age.
For example, according to CDC, at 3-months old, a baby should:
- Begin to develop a social smile;
- Enjoy playing with others;
- Become more expressive, communicating not only with facial expressions but with their body too;
- Imitate facial expressions and movements;
- Raise its head and chest while lying on its tummy;
- Support upper body with arms while lying on its tummy;
- Stretch legs outward and kick while lying on its tummy or back;
- Open and shut hands;
- Push down on legs when feet are placed on a firm surface;
- Bring hand(s) to mouth;
- Try to touch or grasp dangling objects;
- Grasp and shake hand toys.
A 3-month old baby's vision and hearing also play significant roles in their development, so be sure to note whether your 3-month old focuses on and watch faces intently and whether their eyes follow moving objects and recognize familiar objects from a distance. Your 3-month old may also smile at the sound of your voice, have begun to babble and imitate some sounds, and will be turning their head in the direction of a sound.
In the very exciting world of experiencing the joy of a new baby, there is so much for a parent to learn and do. It's gratifying that CDC's child development milestones are available for new parents to learn and to make sure their baby is developing safely and healthfully!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In a 2007 study, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 794,000 children
were confirmed by Child Protective Services in the
Tragically, most cases of child abuse and neglect are not reported and
child abuse remains a major problem for our society in 2010. Studies have shown
that child abuse can alter or adversely affect brain development in the very
young. It can also lead to permanent physical and mental disabilities as well,
such as visual, cognitive and motor impairments. Child abuse also is now
regarded as a possible cause for the onset of heart, liver and lung diseases
later in adult life.
As a parent, family member, caregiver, babysitter or friend, how much do
you know about child abuse? You probably do know that all child abuse injuries
are not visible. Child abuse frequently can leave long-lasting emotional scars,
such as anxiety and depression. Children who are abused often become wary of
forming friendly relationships with other children and adults and distance
themselves from others. But there is help--and the critical first step is to
report potential child abuse or neglect if you are suspicious that it is
occurring.
If you suspect that a child has been abused, please report it to your state
child abuse hotline or call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
(1-800-4-A-CHILD). You can also visit your state's child abuse website can help
you understand your state's child abuse reporting laws. If you know a child is
in imminent danger, call 911. For more information, please visit the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Child Welfare Information Gateway
website maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -
This is not one of those recalls where a potential safety problem was discovered, and the recall occurred before anyone was hurt. Here, four infants died, including a six month old in West Virginia. These deaths are absolutely senseless. First, it appears that this company has had hundreds of complaints about these cribs - why did it take so long for this recall to occur? Second, why is it so hard to design a safe crib? The hardware used to assemble these cribs is cheaply made, and therefore breaks easily. This permits the drop side component of the crib to become loose, and enables a child to become entrapped between the drop-side and the mattress. Once that happens, a baby can suffocate. There are numerous crib designs that address this potential hazard, and in my opinion this company decided to cut corners to increase the profitability of the cribs.
As an aside, I have raised four babies, and each had a crib with a drop-side. I don't think I ever actually used this feature, and my wife has only done so a couple of times. If I were purchasing a crib now, I would consider buying one without a drop-side - it introduces a movable part into the crib, and as a result there is an increased opportunity for malfunction.
Today's topic is preventing scald and burn injuries in children. Most accidents occur in the home, and scalds and burns
to children almost always occur in the kitchen or bathroom of the home. For
the most part, these are preventable injuries. Burns, especially
scalds from hot water and, cooking liquids, are some of the most commonly
occurring accidents to children. Babies
and young children are most vulnerable because they're small and have
sensitive skin that requires greater protection than adult skin.
While minor
burns ("first-degree" burns) can often be safely treated at home, more serious
burns (second- and third-degree burns) require immediate medical care. Most
parents are aware that the causes of burns range from scalds, to contact with
flames or hot objects, chemical burns (from chemical spills of home cleaning
items like bleach, drain cleaner, dishwasher detergent, etc.), to electrical
burns from hot appliances or frayed electrical cords, to burned skin from
over-exposure to sun. Medical
professionals caution parents that all burns need to be treated as soon as
possible to lower the temperature of the burned area and minimize damage to the
skin and underlying tissues (in the case of severe burns).
Loma Linda Children's Hospital in Loma Linda, California, advises parents that toddlers are at greatest risk of scalds and burns as they begin to walk, climb, and reach, while children under age 5 are at greatest risk when fire strikes, as they may panic and hide in closets or under beds. Some children are needlessly burned because they think clothes protect them from flames. In children ages 3 to 8, curiosity about matches and lighters is normal. But, sadly, more than one-third of the burns to these children are the result of playing with matches.
Go to the jump for tips on how to prevent these dangerous and painful injuries.


I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween. For safety tips while trick or treating, please see my post from last year.



This gate has a motion sensor which lights up when someone approaches. The model number for the gate is 42111, and the number is printed on a sticker under the handle panel. This gate was manufactured between January 2005 and July 2009, and was sold in many big box stores, including Toys R Us, WalMart, and other retailers. Shockingly, the gate was made in China.Consumers should stop using the gate immediately and contact Dorel Juvenile Group (the importer) at (866) 690-2540 or to their website. While there, check out the company's numerous other recalls, including the 100,000 of these gates that have previously been recalled.
The CDC has released a report on child injuries which is
fascinating and very instructive. I'll
write on this in greater detail over the next few weeks, but I highly recommend
that parents take a look at the report for themselves. One very sobering statistic - every day in
the
It's also a fun place for kids. Sweets are often there for the taking, and it's fun for children to help out with cooking and baking projects. Cooking with Jane and Libby is one of my favorite activities to do together, and they are having fun learning a skill that they can enjoy for a lifetime (and they also get to taste the sugar). In addition to making our time in the kitchen fun, there are a few simple precautions that can keep them safe, as well. Go to the next page for a few tips on how to keep kids safe while they're in the kitchen.
Not all hazards are so obvious, but they can be just as dangerous. Window blinds are a great example. They seem innocent enough, and it certainly doesn't seem like a child could hurt himself (or herself) if left alone with one. Yet, the cords on certain window blinds can present a serious strangulation hazard to young children. Over the years, hundreds of boys and girls have been seriously injured and even killed by becoming entangled and then strangled by window blind cords.
On Thursday, the CPSC issued two recall alerts. Popular furniture maker IKEA is recalling its IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds, and Green Mountain Vista Inc of Williston, Vt. is recalling its Insulated Black-Out Roller Shades and Insulated Roman Shades. This past April, a one year old girl in Greenwich, Ct.tragically died as a result of strangulation by the cord of an IKEA blind. She was found in her playpen with the cord from a nearby fully lowered blind wrapped twice around her neck. This past June, a two year old girl from Bristol, Ct, was nearly strangled by a Green Mountain Vista blind when she placed a cord loop around her neck and then fell. Luckily, she was saved by her brother.
I'm writing about the Shriners because I had occasion to speak with one of their doctors last week -- one of the preeminent pediatric burn doctors in the nation. I can only imagine what this doctor sees on a day-to-day basis, and it brings up the larger point about what Shriners does and how they do it. Shriners has 22 hospitals, all dedicated to taking care of children. They treat children up to age 18 for serious orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries (SCI) and cleft palate and lip conditions. And the amazing thing -- they do this all at no charge and without regard to financial need.
