Did you know one of the most effective means to keep your family healthy is probably the simplest? I’m talking about good hand washing.
You may have heard from your doctor and news reports, especially during flu season, just how important it is to wash your hands. In fact, proper and regular hand washing can also prevent sicknesses like most types of infectious diarrhea, hepatitis A and meningitis.
Filed under: Adolescents & Teens, Pre-teens, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on December 5th, 2011 | No Comments »
Unintentional injury remains one of the top five leading causes of death in children.
The Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles sees far too many accidents taking place in the home, ranging from falls, near drowning, poisonings and even burns.
While constant supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, using layers of protection can help reduce the risk of home related injuries to children. Even the most watchful parents can’t keep kids completely out of harm’s way every second of the day, and utilizing tools can aid even the busiest parent.
Filed under: Infants, RN Remedies, Toddlers on October 17th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Some of my favorite memories of childhood are of picnics in the park, barbeques in the backyard and potlucks at church. I loved the fun and sharing of friendships, families and conversation around delicious food. What I didn’t know is that sometimes, we were also sharing bacteria! The bacteria were not invited to the party, but often showed up anyway.
Filed under: Adolescents & Teens, Pre-teens, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on September 4th, 2011 | No Comments »
In my last post, Hot Days, Cool Water: Summer Safety Tips, I shared important water safety tips for parents and really focused on what parents should remember when their children are playing in the pool. But it’s too easy to forget that the pool isn’t the only place where kids are at risk for drowning.
This post discusses the importance of being vigilant while your children are playing in hot tubs, containers of water and in the ocean. I’ll also discuss what dry drowning is and how to keep an open eye for its symptoms.
Filed under: Infants, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on July 25th, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Drowning is quick and silent. Victims cannot call for help as they do not have enough air. It is rare for a drowning victim to thrash. A child can drown in any amount of water in the time it takes to answer a phone.
For this reason, it is so important not to leave children unattended in or near water. Children can drown in just two inches of water, which can take place in bathtubs, toilets, buckets, anywhere free standing water is found.
Filed under: Infants, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on July 19th, 2011 | No Comments »
If you are a smoker, you should know there is no risk-free level of exposure to tobacco smoke. In adults, secondhand smoke can cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
In pregnant women, secondhand smoke has been shown to cause low birth weight as well as a host of other issues for the child. Basically, when you smoke around your children, they are smoking too and face the same (if not worse) health risks you do.
Filed under: Infants, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on July 11th, 2011 | No Comments »
Asthma affects as many as 10 to 12 percent of children in the United States and is the leading cause of chronic illness in children. For unknown reasons, the incidence of asthma in children is steadily increasing. While asthma symptoms can begin at any age, most children experience symptoms by age 5. By taking the proper precautions, you can help your youngster breathe easy this spring and summer.
Filed under: Adolescents & Teens, Pre-teens, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on June 6th, 2011 | No Comments »
My last post addressed the policy statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concerning updated recommended practices for parents using rear-facing car seats. Because I’m a nurse working in at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in California, I’d also like to address state law and where these two overlap.
Filed under: Infants, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on May 9th, 2011 | No Comments »
The AAP now recommends that kids remain in rear-facing car seats at least until they are 2 years old. This recommendation has created a lot of buzz about car safety for kids in general, so I’m going to explain in detail the ins and outs of car seats, booster seats and seat belts.
Filed under: Infants, Pre-teens, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on May 3rd, 2011 | No Comments »
The Story of Jack’s Appendectomy In an earlier post, I told the story of a boy named Jack. His mother brought him to the emergency room of her local children’s hospital because he displayed the tell-tale signs of someone possibly suffering from appendicitis, listed in “Appendicitis: Signs, Symptoms & Diagnosis.” Even though a burst appendix [...]
Filed under: Adolescents & Teens, RN Remedies, School-Age, Toddlers on April 25th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
