Do your summer plans include plans to protect your kids from the sun? 1. Summer vacations increase sun exposure. (So do winter vacations in snow country.) While you may be savvy about protecting your kids from everyday sun-related hazards, summer vacations add numerous factors to contend with: more hours of sun per day, more time […]
Winter Driving / Safety / Infants / Car Seats
Comments on our most recent article: Winter Driving/Safety/Infants/Car seats We have the greatest readers – and they keep us on our toes! Many are experts on various aspects of keeping kids healthy and safe for travel and outdoor activities, which is our focus. Within eight hours of posting our latest article, we heard from three […]
Update: protecting kids from the sun
(After you read the article, test your knowledge. Look at each picture and ask yourself what the parent could have done better to protect the child from the sun. Answers are at the end of the article.) Just when you thought that you knew all you have to know to protect your kids from the […]
Infants and young children/Sunglasses
Hey Mom! Make room in your already bulging diaper bag for one additional item, sunglasses. For your infant. The earlier children begin to wear “shades” the less likely they are to have cataracts and other eye problems when they become grandparents. 1. Any old shades won’t do. Infants’ eyes are especially susceptible to the sun. […]
Swimming/Children/Intestinal illnesses
You need not travel halfway around the world to acquire “travelers’” diarrhea. A short trip to your neighborhood recreational water facility may suffice. But if indeed someone does become ill, don’t panic. Hold off on treating. Most cases get better by themselves, while medication may cause harm – especially for children. 1. All recreational water […]
How to Choose & Use the Right Insect Repellent for Kids
There are more than a million known species of insects and, according to experts, millions more waiting to be identified. And it seems as if there are almost as many insect repellents, with new ones popping up frequently, some containing new ingredients and safety warnings aimed at young children. Here is the latest: 1. The […]
Children/Sunscreens – an update
To protect your kids from the sun it would be helpful if you were a dermatologist and a chemist. If you are not, you should read this article. (Some readers complained that my previous posting, “The sun does to kids’ skin what tobacco smoke does to adult’s lungs was “unnecessarily scary.” Click here to read […]
THE SUN DOES TO INFANTS’ SKIN WHAT TOBACCO SMOKE DOES TO ADULT’S LUNGS
1.The younger the child, the greater the risk. Young children burn rapidly. Their skin contains less melanin to neutralize the sun’s rays. Severe sunburns early in life increase the chances of cancer in later life. Children spend much time outdoors and with increasing longevity have ever more years of exposure ahead of them. 2. Rethink […]
Kids/Winter/Sunglasses
Having your kids wear sunglasses when the ground is covered with snow is as important as having them wear them on a summer day at the beach – perhaps even more so. Wearing the right winter sunglasses prevents snow blindness and, more important, helps prevent cataracts in later life. 1. “Snow blindness” is not exactly […]
Children/cars/heat stroke
Where’s the Baby? Look Before You Lock. This is the slogan for National Heatstroke Prevention Day (July 31), a program designed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSC) and HealthyKids to increase awareness of young children becoming trapped in cars in hot weather. Here is what you should know: 1. Parked cars can be […]