With wishes for a Happy 4th of July…a message from Safe Kids USA

Summer memories often include lighting sparklers and watching fireworks during 4th of July celebrations, however, hundreds of children are injured by fireworks each summer.

Fireworks can cause serious burn and eye injuries.  In 2010, 3,400 children under age 15 were injured by fireworks.  Of these injuries, over 70% occurred in the weeks surrounding the 4th of July.

The safest choice is to leave fireworks to professional use.

• Children should never play with or light fireworks or sparklers.

• Adults who use fireworks should not use them around children.

Have a safe 4th of July!

Few things are as much fun for young children as water play.

Few things require the constant, undivided attention of parents and other adults as children playing in water whether it is in a backyard pool or public pool, a lake, the ocean, or even the home bathtub.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) water is one of the most ominous hazards your child will encounter. Young children can drown in only a few inches of water.

The AAP used to advise against swimming lessons for children ages 1 to 3 because there was little evidence that lessons prevented drowning or resulted in better swim skills, and there was concern parents would become less vigilant about supervising a child who had learned some swimming skills.  In light of new evidence showing  that children ages 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction, the AAP has changed its position and now recommends that parents should decide whether to enroll an individual child in swim lessons based on the child’s frequency of exposure to water, emotional development, physical abilities, and certain health conditions related to pool water infections and pool chemicals.

The AAP suggests following these rules when your child is near water:

1. Be aware of small bodies of water your child might encounter, such as bathtubs, fishponds, ditches, fountains, rain barrels, watering cans—even the bucket you use when you wash the car. Empty containers of water when you’re done using them. Children are drawn to places and things like these and need constant supervision to be sure they don’t fall in.
2. Children who are swimming—even in a shallow toddler’s pool—always should be watched by an adult, preferably one who knows CPR. The adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision” whenever infants, toddlers, or young children are in or around water. Empty and put away inflatable pools after each play session.
3. Enforce safety rules: No running near the pool and no pushing others underwater.
4. Don’t allow your child to use inflatable toys or mattresses in place of a life jacket. These toys may deflate suddenly, or your child may slip off them into water that is too deep for him.
5. Be sure the deep and shallow ends of any pool your child swims in are clearly marked. Never allow your child to dive into the shallow end.
6. Backyard swimming pools, (including large, inflatable above-ground pools), should be completely surrounded with at least a 4-foot (1.2 meters) high fence that completely separates the pool from the house. The fence should have a self-closing and self-latching gate that opens away from the pool, with the latch at least 54 inches high. Check the gate frequently to be sure it is in good working order. Keep the gate closed and locked at all times. Be sure your child cannot manipulate the lock or climb the fence. No opening under the fence or between uprights should be more than 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Keep toys out of the pool area when not in use so that children are not tempted to try to get through the fence.
7. If your pool has a cover, remove it completely before swimming. Also, never allow your child to walk on the pool cover; water may have accumulated on it, making it as dangerous as the pool itself. Your child also could fall through and become trapped underneath. Do not use a pool cover in place of a four-sided fence because it is not likely to be used appropriately and consistently.
8. Keep a safety ring with a rope beside the pool at all times. If possible, have a phone in the pool area with emergency numbers clearly marked.
9. Spas and hot tubs are dangerous for young children, who can easily drown or become overheated in them. Don’t allow young children to use these facilities.
10. Your child should always wear a life jacket when he swims or rides in a boat. A life jacket fits properly if you can’t lift it off over your child’s head after he’s been fastened into it. For the child under age five, particularly the non swimmer, it also should have a flotation collar to keep the head upright and the face out of the water.
11. Adults should not drink alcohol when they are swimming. It presents a danger for them as well as for any children they might be supervising.
12. Be sure to eliminate distractions while children are in the water. Talking on the phone, working on the computer, and other tasks need to wait until children are out of the water.

As parents we know the importance of protecting our children against sun exposure, especially in the summer months. Protecting preschoolers, who fuss at wearing hats  and being slathered in protective lotion can be a daily challenge, but Dr. Perry Robins,  President of the Skin Cancer Foundation encourages parents to make this daily ritual an ongoing activity no matter the struggle as it will save lives in later years.

In his comments on the Skin Cancer Foundation website (www.skincancer.org) Dr. Robins shares, saying, “Unfortunately, 54 percent of children burn or tan in their second summer and 22 percent burn in their first, according to one US study. Children should not be getting sunburned at any age, especially since there are a range of very effective sun protection methods that can used.”

Dr Robins offers the following advice for keeping young children safe:

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the best way to prepare eggs for an egg hunt is as follows:

• Only use eggs that have been refrigerated, and discard eggs that are cracked or dirty.

• When cooking, place a single layer of eggs in a saucepan. Add water to at least one inch above the eggs. Cover the pan, bring the water to a boil, and carefully remove the pan from the heat. Let the eggs stand (18 minutes for extra large eggs, 15 minutes for large, 12 minutes for medium). Immediately run cold water over the eggs. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, place them in an uncovered container in the refrigerator where they can air-dry.

• When decorating, be sure to use food-grade dyes. It is safe to use commercial egg dyes, liquid food coloring, and fruit-drink powders. When handling eggs, be careful not to crack them. Otherwise, bacteria could enter the egg through the cracks in the shell.

• Keep hard-cooked Easter eggs chilled on a shelf inside the refrigerator, not in the refrigerator door.
• Hide the eggs in places that are protected from dirt, pets and other potential sources of bacteria.
• Remember the two hour rule, and make sure the “found” eggs are back in the refrigerator or consumed within two hours.

Remember that hard-boiled eggs are only safe to eat for one week after cooking.

 For parents who are new to picking a camp, I would like to share what I know about providing a safe, enjoyable summer camp experience.

I ran a community day camp for several years. In addition to knowing how your child will be spending his or her time at camp, the following list includes other things that you will want to consider when picking out a day camp.

• Transportation Personnel -Who are they? What is their background?  Our camp policy was to have a staff person ride in each of the vehicles for the first two weeks of camp to insure that the drivers were responsible and that they had patience with the children. Given the age of the children, we expected the transportation company to provide an attendant to ride in each bus.
• Water Personnel – Are swim instructors, life guards and counselors who accompany the children in water activities trained in water safety? Have they passed first aid training including resuscitation?
• Group Leaders -Are they teachers, recreation personnel or other  mature adults with specialties in arts and crafts, music or other specialties such as cooking,  sports, dance?
• Counselors – Are they trained in first aid including CPR? Do they have experience with young children?
• Does the camp do a background check on all personnel?
• Is their an orientation/training  for staff prior to the camp opening for the season? What is covered in this training?
• Is there a day when families can visit and see what the children are doing? Can the view a play or a skit or a music/dance demonstration?
• If children must bring their lunches, how are they kept cool? If the camp provides lunch and snacks, what do they provide?
• Are play areas, toys, jungle gyms, etc clean and in good condition?
• Is there a nurse on staff?
• What is the policy when a child is injured or gets sick?
• If the camp has outdoor space, is it fenced in?
• Is the ration of staff to children 1 to 4 or 5?
• Does the camp have a favorable listing with the American Camping Association or KidsCamps.com?

It is hard enough to send our little ones off on a camp bus for the first time. Parents need the peace of mind of knowing that the camp their child is going to is a safe, secure, clean place for summer fun.