Summer Safety: Pools

A GAP reader requested that I post this story and information.  I was torn, because while I know it's vital safety information (it's summertime and drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in children under the age of 5 and the number two cause in children under 18), it is so tragic that I find it difficult to even think about.

Warning: child death mentioned. 


Three year old Joanie Logan drowned on one of my favorite days of the year: opening day for outdoor pools.  In the 95 degree heat on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Joanie wandered away from her parents chatting with friends and slipped into the 3-4 foot depth pool at St. Alban's Swim Club in Newtown Square.  She drowned as kids swam around her, adults sat right nearby, and a lifeguard watched the pool.  Just an unspeakable tragedy.  I have a similarly curious and brave three year old who will jump into any body of water she sees.  I can't begin to fathom the loss and pain her parents are enduring.

I was also a lifeguard for 15 years.  When I was 18 years old, I witnessed a near-drowning of a toddler at the un-guarded baby pool during a pool party while I was tasked with watching the big pool.  She ended up surviving, but the scene, the panic, and the "almost" was awful.  As a result, I have always been hyper-aware of toddlers at crowded pools and social events.  But while I knew that drowning was a huge risk for young children, I did not know that 1 in 5 or more of all drowning deaths occur in pools supervised by a lifeguard (Drowning Prevention Association).  Many sources listed the incidence as even higher.

Drowning is almost always quick and virtually silent. Preschoolers are the most likely age group to drown, and they succumb very quickly to submersion.  The doctor in the E.R. last Memorial Day weekend was overheard saying that a child Joanie's size can drown in '18 seconds.'  A young child can become unconscious and sink in the water very quickly.  Here's a very informative article on what drowning actually looks like (hint: not at ALL how it's portrayed on TV/movies).  Please check it out.  I promise you'll learn something new:

"The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind".
http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

So yes, this is a safety post.   A reminder to watch children very carefully at pools, even when there is a lifeguard present.  A reminder to check and double check which adult is in charge of a young child at all times near pools or water.  And a plea to learn the true signs of drowning so that you can recognize when someone is in danger.

For more on the story, here's a video from Larry Mendte, local newscaster and Joanie Logan's uncle:

Tip of the Week: New AAP Car Seat Recommendations

The American Academy of Pediatricians has increased their recommendations for toddlers in car seats.  The old recommendations called for children to ride rear facing until they reached both 1 year and 20 pounds.  The new guidelines call for children to remain rear-facing until age two.  Both guidelines have the caveat "or until they reach the maximum height/weight guidelines of the seat".  But the fact is, rear-facing is simply safer, particularly for young children.  In a rear-facing seat, the force during a crash is distributed across the entire back of the seat.  In a front-facing seat, the force during a crash weighs heavily on the young child's neck.  Here's a video to show the difference in a front-end collision (the most common and the most serious).  While it's in German, I promise you won't need a translator to understand the point:



The questions most people ask about rear-facing are "What about their legs, won't they break in an accident?  Isn't it uncomfortable?"  Children are generally perfectly comfortable sitting with their legs folded.  It is also unlikely that their legs would break in an accident, but if the alternative is severe force absorbed by the neck, a broken leg is a far less dangerous choice.

Here is a wonderful resource for tons of information about "extended" rear-facing:

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

There are many seats on the market right now which allow rear-facing up until 30 to 45 pounds, and then convert to front-facing seats for higher weights afterwards.  Some of the more popular models among parents and car seat safety technicians alike include: Cosco Scenera, Evenflo Triumph 65, Graco My Ride 65, Britax Marathon 70, and Sunshine Kids Radian.  With the increasing number of seat options allowing extended rear-facing, many parents are now opting to keep their children rear-facing as long as the seat allows, which, while not necessary, can be up until the age of 6 for smaller children.  Many car seat safety technicians set a goal of three to four years and 30-40 pounds as the marker to turn a child forward, but ultimately, it's a family decision.

Other recommendations from the new guidelines: after rear-facing, the child should ride in a front-facing harnessed seat as long as the height/weight guidelines allow.  Once a child outgrows a harnessed seat by weight and/or height, the child should remain in a booster seat until they reach a height of 4'9", and ride in the back seat until they reach the age of 13.  All passengers are 40% safer riding in the back, and the center of the back seat is considered the safest spot in the vehicle.  So when installing a seat, the middle of the back is the best spot.  If you have more than one child, a good rule of thumb is to put the least protected (by a car seat) child in the middle spot... so typically, the oldest should ride in the middle... I know, tell that to the oldest, right?  


7 out of 10 car seats are incorrectly installed.  This could be disastrous in a crash.  To get your seat checked locally by a certified safety technician, type your zip into this website:
http://www.seatcheck.org/

Tip of the Week: Fire Safety

So yesterday brought our much needed extra hour of sunlight.  Too bad it also stole an hour of sleep... I'll still take it.  But did you do as the firefighters recommend?  Did you check, clean, and/or replace your smoke alarms?

Recommendations:

1. Make sure you have smoke alarms on every floor and close to sleeping areas.

2. If you have regular batteries (as opposed to a ten-year battery) in your smoke alarm, change the batteries each fall and spring when you change your clocks.

3. Did you know you should also clean out the dust from the smoke alarm?  A vacuum attachment usually does the job for this.

4. How long have you been in the home?  How long have the smoke detectors been there?  Smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years.

5. Make an escape plan with two escape routes and PRACTICE it.  Choose a visible spot outside to all meet once you're safely out.  This may feel like overkill as you practice, but it is the only way to have everyone, even young children, knowing what to do if the alarms ever do go off.

6. Know that young children will often sleep right through an alarm.  Be sure to incorporate that possibility into your plan, or consider adding a voice-activated alarm close to where children sleep.
link to alarm

Have your kids check out the Philadelphia Fire Department's Kid Zone.  They have sections for both readers and non-readers:
http://207.36.233.204/kidzone/selection.html

Booster Seat Recommendations from the IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently rated popular booster seats as best and worst bets based on how well they fit children.  In order for a booster to support a child well in a crash, the belt should go across the child's lap and mid-shoulder (rather than across the child's abdomen and neck).

http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr090810.html

good fit:

BEST BETS

Britax Frontier 85 (combination highback)

Chicco Keyfit Strada (dual highback)

Clek Oobr (dual highback)

Cosco Juvenile Pronto (dual highback)

Cybex Solution X-Fix (highback)

Eddie Bauer Auto Booster (dual highback)

Evenflo Big Kid Amp (backless)

Evenflo Maestro (combination highback)

Graco TurboBooster Crawford (dual highback)

Harmony Baby Armor (dual highback)

Harmony Dreamtime (dual backless)

Harmony Dreamtime (dual highback)

Harmony Secure Comfort Deluxe (backless)

Harmony Youth Booster Seat (backless)

Maxi-Cosi Rodi XR (dual highback)

Recaro ProBOOSTER (highback)

Recaro ProSPORT (combination highback)

Recaro Vivo (highback)

Recaro Young Sport (combination highback)

Safety 1st Boost Air Protect (dual highback)

The First Years Pathway B570 (highback)

GOOD BETS

Britax Parkway SG (dual highback)

Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual backless)

Combi Kobuk Air Thru (dual highback)

Evenflo Symphony 65 (3-in-1 highback)

Graco TurboBooster Sachi (dual highback)

Graco TurboBooster Wander (dual highback)

Maxi-Cosi Rodi (dual highback)

poor fit:

NOT RECOMMENDED

Eddie Bauer Deluxe (combination highback)

Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 (highback)

Evenflo Express (combination highback)

Evenflo Generations 65 (combination highback)

Evenflo Sightseer (highback)

Harmony Baby Armor (dual backless)

Safety 1st All-in-One (3-in-1 highback)

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (3-in-1 highback)

Tips for Car Seat Safety in PA

Pennsylvania requires all children under the age of four to ride in a certified child restraint, children between ages four and eight to ride in a car seat or booster seat, and children from eight to eighteen to use a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle.  In addition, it is recommended that children under 13 ride in the back seat.  But those are basic, minimum guidelines.  There are some nuances to car seat safety that might keep your child safer, and that could be very important... motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children under age 18.  

Tip #1: Although the tradition has been to turn children front-facing after their first birthday (provided that they’ve reached 20 pounds), it is now recommended by safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatricians to keep the child rear-facing as long as the seat will allow.  Rear-facing is by far a safer position in the vast majority of crashes... the spine is fully supported and the head and neck are not thrust forward the violent way they are when facing front.  


If you need more convincing, watch the crash test dummy videos of rear vs/ forward facing crashes:

vs.

Some infant "bucket" seats rear-face to 30 pounds, and most convertible(infant to toddler) seats rear-face to 33 or 35 pounds.  Children in many European countries ride rear-facing until kindergarten age, with far fewer serious injuries than in the US.  

Tip #2: Car seats typically expire after 6 years from the date of manufacture (regardless of how long they were used).  You can check your individual brand, but due to advances in technology and the breakdown of materials, expired car seats should be thrown away with straps cut so that no one else tries to re-use them. 

Tip #3: Though many booster seats have age 3 or 30 pounds listed as the minimum weight, virtually every certified child safety technician disagrees with this guideline.  Three years is generally considered too young to be positioned correctly in a booster for an entire ride; children that young, even if big enough, are typically not mature enough to position their body safely in a booster over time.  There are now many five point harness seats with very high weight limits to continue the benefit of 5 pt. harnessing well past the toddler years.  (Why do you think race car drivers have 5 pt. harnesses?)

Tip #4: If you are in a crash, whether your children are in their seats or not at the time of the collision, the seats may need replacing even if they look fine, depending upon the severity of the crash.  Guidelines differ based on manufacturer, but replacement is often covered by car insurance.  It’s recommended to call or check the website of your car seat manufacturer after a crash.  

Tip #5: Over 80% of people who stop to have their car seats checked for proper installation have installed them incorrectly.  Although L.A.T.C.H. has streamlined installation a bit, it is still a challenge to get seats properly installed in every vehicle.  Please have your car seats checked by a certified safety technician.  Here is a link to local car seat safety checks:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/FindFitting.cfm

Safety Post: Baby Sling Recalls

Disclaimer: I type this as a mom who survived parenting newborns largely because of her baby slings.  I type this as a mom who LOVED wearing her babies close to her, loved the way it felt, loved how soothed my babies were by it, and just treasured he experience of “baby wearing” (though I don’t quite love the term).  I type this, not wanting to scare any new parents.  So I type this with hesitation, but feel that the information could be very important for parents of young infants. 

Though the tradition of wearing babies has been popular around the world in cultures all over the globe for ages, “babywearing” has become much more popular across the US over the last decade.  Once primarily seen cruising by in car seats and strollers, now more babies have another option for travel: being “worn” by a parent or caregiver.  This is often great news for both baby and caregiver... hands are freed, nursing is simplified, and baby is often soothed by the closeness.  However, as more and more unregulated products for “babywearing” hit the market, young babies can be at risk for suffocation in certain types of positions and particularly in “bag” type slings (photo below).

Two slings have recently been recalled by the CPSC for safety: 

The Infantino Sling Rider and Wendy Bellissimo slings:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10177.html

and the Sprout Stuff Infant Ring Sling:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10254.html

If you have either of these slings, the CPSC recommends that you discontinue use immediately.

Since babies around the world are carried safely in slings, there are generally agreed upon ways to enjoy the benefits of using slings or any baby carrier while avoiding the dangers of improper use:

*Make sure your child’s face is visible at all times.  It shouldn’t be covered by any fabric.

*Be able to see your child’s entire face when he or she is in a sling.

*Make certain your child isn’t hunched over so that his or her chin touches the chest.

*Make sure your child’s face is not pressed tight against you.

*Have the baby “close enough to kiss”.

*Be vigilant about checking on your child while he or she is in the sling.

“Bag slings” are currently the focus of recalls and warnings, but the chin touching the chest, a newborn being in too “folded” a position, and material covering the baby’s mouth and nose appear to be the biggest risk factors when either carrying or wearing babies.  

I sincerely hope that this information is taken in the spirit with which it is offered... to help get the word out about safer use of baby slings.  As I stated at the beginning of this post, I know personally about the benefits of wearing baby close, and I hope this information allows parents to make informed decisions about how to do that safely.  However, because of the recent recalls and lack of regulation for these products, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute is currently recommending that parents discontinue sling use for babies under four months of age, yet many other groups are instead advocating for parent education about the safe use of baby slings.  

Good Housekeeping Research Institute Warning:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/from-the-lab-blog/baby-sling-safety-tips

Excellent Safety Information from Babywarer.com:

http://www.thebabywearer.com/

Wonderfully illustrated article that covers safe sling use for newborns:

http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf