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.html

to 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 United States as having been abused or neglected. As you might imagine, that number represents only a fraction of the actual instances of child abuse and neglect taking place in the U.S. today.

 

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 - http://www.childwelfare.gov. Abused kids aren't able to protect themselves, and their only hope of escaping their abuser is if those around them are willing to act courageously. Please help.

In the broken record category, we had another major crib recall last week.  A company called Stork Craft Manufacturing, Inc. has recalled 2.1 million cribs.  The cribs were manufactured beginning in 1993, and have been sold by retailers such as Wal-Mart, BabiesRUs, K-Mart and Sears (among others).  Some of these cribs have the Fischer Price brand on them, and come in many different styles and finishes. For more information, go to the CPSC page on the recall, or go to the Stork Craft site via the link above.
 
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).

Being Safe in the Kitchen

Finding Out About Fireworks Safety

How to Be Safe When You're in the Sun

Dealing With Burns

Fireworks Safety

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.

Durel Juvenile Group and the CPSC is announcing a recall of approximately 31,000  Safety 1st stair gates.  Apparently, the hinges can break and give way, which creates a fall hazard if the gate is placed at the top of the stairs.  Here's what the gates look like:



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 United States, 20 children die as a result of preventable injuries.  This is higher than the number of deaths from all childhood diseases combined.  Go to the next page for other highlights.

It's the holiday season, and families are coming together from near and far.  Almost without fail, we all tend to congregate in the kitchen.   Certainly people are attracted to the wonderful smells and holiday treats, but it's more than that - the kitchen table instinctively seems to be a gathering place for friends and family. 

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.

Some hazards are obviously dangerous to kids - the Drano under the sink, a pot of boiling water on the stove, or a car backing out of the driveway.  Those are things we as parents intuitively know can be dangerous to our kids, so we take precautions such as cabinet locks and stove guards to protect them. 

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.

No matter how much we try to educate ourselves and our kids about health and safety, it's a sad fact of life that serious illnesses and accidents are going to happen.  When they do, we can only hope that a child gets the best health care possible.  One institution that has been singularly dedicated to children for more than 80 years is the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

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.