Family Health and Safety Basics (Supports SquidAid)

Falls can occur anywhere at any time, and children are capable of falling or hurting themselves at any age.

- No one can escape the force of gravity. Although many injuries from falls are minor, some will be severe or life-threatening, requiring emergency medical care or even hospitalization.

- Falls are the second leading cause of head injuries; more than 300 children die from falls in the United States every year.

- Indoor furniture, playground equipment, tripping and riding toys are frequently related to injuries from falls.

Prevention
Children are very physically active. They love and need to climb. Although it is impossible to prevent all falls, by making sure your home is safe and knowing what to do in an emergency, you can reduce the number and severity of falls and respond to injuries quickly.

- Check in and around your home for safety hazards that pose a risk for falls and other injuries.

- Always supervise young children at play.

- If you have outdoor playground equipment, make sure the surface underneath and around it is shock absorbent and soft. The surface should be covered with loose fill, materials such as hardwood mulch, pea gravel or sand; or you could install synthetic surfaces such as rubber tiles, mats or poured surfaces.

- Use child and playground equipment which are safe and well-maintained.

- Never leave babies or toddlers or infants unattended on beds, couches, changing tables or equipment.

- Use durable, balanced furniture that will not tip over easily.

- Do not allow children to climb on furniture, stools or ladders.

- Discourage running indoors.

- Secure or remove loose mats and rugs.

- Use skid-proof mats or stickers in the bath.

- Place safety gates at the top and bottom of all stairs.

- Pick up toys and other objects from the floor and clean up spills quickly.

- Install window guards on upstairs windows.

- Get rid of baby walkers.

- Remove a misbehaving child from play and explain how his/her actions could hurt someone.

- Teach your children how to play safely, involve them in making rules for active play, and enforce these rules consistently.

What to do in case of a serious injury

Most falls will result in only minor injuries needing minimal first aid. In the event of a serious injury, remember to keep calm and act quickly.

Assess the injury event, and follow these steps:

1. Survey the scene. Prevent injuries to the rescuer or messenger.

2. Check for injury. Do a secondary survey for specific injuries. Look, listen and feel, but do not move the injured child or person.

3. Find out what happened.
Who is hurt? How? What caused this?

4. Check for life-threatening problems.

5. Call the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system (9-1-1)for help if needed.

6. Comfort and reassure the injured person.

by A. Rahman Zamani, MD, MPH

1. Start early. Development starts at conception. The brain grows the fastest and lays down the architecture the child will need for learning, and for happiness, in the first three years of life.

2. Be positive, playful, warm and nurturing.
Emotions are contagious. What you are feeling and expressing to your child activates circuits in his brain that make him feel the same things that you are feeling. It is the emotional equivalent of a cold (Goleman, 2006). If you are feeling angry, disgusted, frustrated, your child will "catch" those feelings. If you feel those feelings all the time, your child's brain will "wear a path" for those negative feelings in his brain and the circuits, or pathways, in the brain for those feelings will be quick to activate.

3. Spend lots of time playing with your child. She needs a secure bond to you. Attachment takes time.

4. Pay attention to your child's moral development. Even simple games teach small children important lessons about what kind of people we want them to be. Taking turns, sharing toys and listening to others are skills that prepare children to get along with others, the most important skill your child will need for kindergarten. Meeting your child's emotional needs does not mean catering to her every whim. Have clear moral expectations from the beginning, model what you expect of your children and enforce your rules clearly but kindly.

5. Hug, touch, pat, cuddle and kiss your infant or toddler. Touch and physical experiences also program your child's brain in important ways both physical and emotional. Children who are not touched and held do not develop well emotionally and physically.

6. Talk to your child. "Talk" back when your infant coos and babbles. Wait for her to respond to you; that is, listen to her. Have a "conversation," even if your baby doesn't have words yet.

7. Use play, art and music to entertain your child instead of TV. These activities result in positive changes in the brain that are important for later problem-solving and learning.

8. Protect your child from stress, violence and trauma. A young child's brain is very sensitive to stress and trauma. Prolonged exposure of a child to trauma and violence will cause permanent changes in her brain.

9. Have family rituals! Read and sing to your child every day, starting at birth. Have a regular bedtime and bedtime ritual. Have family meal times with the TV turned off, and talk about what everyone did during the day and how they felt. Have a "special time" with your child after work.

10. Never use food to comfort or entertain your child, or they will learn to use food that way. Food is for nutrition, not for comfort.

References and Resources:
Goleman, D. (2006) Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, Bantam.
Zero to Three, Brain Wonders: Helping Babies and Toddlers Develop. Available at: www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/
by Vickie Leonard, RN, FNP, PHD

Children are very vulnerable to fires and burns because of their curiosity and ignorance of the danger of fire.

Hundreds of children in the United States die and countless others are disfigured every year as a result of burn injuries. Children ages five or younger are especially vulnerable to burns and have one of the highest fire death rates. They may be unable to leave burning buildings, and die as a result of smoke inhalation.

Hot liquids-not fire-are the most common cause of burns to young children. Hot liquids burn like fire and can cause serious and painful burns. However, fires caused by playing with matches and lighters are the number one cause of fire-related deaths among young children.

The risk of fire and burn injuries is related to the age and developmental levels of children.

- Infants may be scalded by drinking liquids or hot tap water.

- Toddlers may spill hot liquids and foods, or touch hot surfaces or electrical wiring.

- Preschool and early school-age children may play with matches or lighters.

Preventing fire and burn injuries

Most fire and burn injuries are preventable. The following tips will help you keep your children safe.

- Never leave small children alone.

- Do not drink or carry anything hot near a child.

- Do not allow children in cooking areas without supervision.

- Keep hot foods and drinks, electric hot plates or lit candles away from the edge of tables and counters; do not leave them on tablecloths that children can pull down.

- Use your stove's rear burners for cooking, and turn the handles of pots toward the rear or center of the stove.

- Test hot food before giving it to a child, especially if it has been heated in a microwave oven. Never warm baby bottles in a microwave oven.

- Install and regularly check smoke detectors.

- Keep the temperature of your hot water heater at 120ºF or lower.

- Children should sleep in non-flammable clothing.

Fire Prevention

- Plan a fire escape route and practice it.

- Train your children how to properly respond to a fire; teach them to know the sound of the smoke alarm and two ways out of every room. Teach them how to stop, drop and roll.

- Install and regularly check smoke detectors.

- Keep a fire extinguisher on hand, know how to use it, and refill it immediately after each use. Have it checked at the same time each year (perhaps when
you change your smoke batteries).

- Use safety devices to cover electrical outlets and avoid overloading electrical wiring.

- Store matches, lighters, chemicals and other hazardous items out of reach of children.

- Check for fire and burn dangers in your home, and make the changes necessary to keep your children safe.

- Put barriers around fireplaces, radiators and hot pipes.

- Never use portable, open flame or space heaters.

- Teach children to stay away from hot things and not to play with matches, lighters, chemicals and electric equipment.

by A. Rahman Zamani, MD, MPH