Vol. 30, No. 3
Acrobat PDF version of Growing Together also available
Car and trunk safety is particularly important as temperatures climb. The pediatric experts at Dayton Children’s regional pediatric trauma and emergency center remind parents and caregivers that any unlocked car or trunk is a safety hazard.
Children often know how to get in a car or trunk, but may not know how to get out. This can be deadly when it’s hot outside.
Protect your child:
- Keep cars and trunks locked at all times.
- Teach children not to play in or around cars.
- Never leave your child unattended in the car – even with the windows down. The same is true for pets.
- Put your car keys out of children’s sight and reach.
- Use caution with child-resistant locks. Teach your children how to disable the driver’s door locks if they are locked inside a motor vehicle.
- Contact your automobile dealership about getting a trunk release for your car.
| HealthBeat |
| Is your teen's job safe? |
Many teens work summer jobs. The benefits are many – extra money, new skills, work experience and a sense of accomplishment. However, summer jobs are not always safe.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), every year 60 to 70 teens die from job-related injuries and about 250,000 sustain work-related illnesses and injuries.
OSHA has launched its Teen Summer Job Safety campaign (see www.osha.gov ) to help protect teens.
OSHA reminds parents:
- Federal laws prohibit children younger than 18 years from:
- Operating power-driven hoisting equipment, including forklifts,
- Operating power-driven circular saws, band saws and guillotine shears, and
- Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper on a motor vehicle.
- Federal laws prohibit 14- and 15-year-old workers from operating lawn mowers, lawn trimmers and weed cutters.
Landscaping is a popular summer job for teens. Check out OSHA’s website for information on machinery, pesticides, dehydration and sun safety to help keep your teen safe.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is also working to keep teens safe. Consider the following:
- Is your child with asthma working in a smoke-free restaurant?
- Does your child with ADHD know how to coordinate work and medication schedules?
- Teens may want to appear “grown up” and take on more than they can handle. Keep an eye out for chronic backaches or other injuries.
- Talk to your teen’s pediatrician or family doctor if you think your teen’s job might be aggravating a medical condition.
| Start early to prevent skin cancer |
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Because life-long sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, it is important to take precautions early.
Remember, there is no such
thing as a healthy tan. Tan skin
is damaged skin. Many people believe that the UVA rays from tanning beds and sunlamps are less harmful than those from the sun. This is not true.
According to Elva Blatt, RN, a research coordinator nurse at Dayton Children’s, “Sun exposure during childhood is believed to account for almost 80 percent of an individual’s lifetime sun exposure. The sooner prevention begins, the better.”
Protect your kids:
- Avoid the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm when possible. If children are out, encourage them to play in the shade.
- Babies should be kept out of the sun with an umbrella over their stroller or wagon.
- Wear sunscreen or sunblock. Apply evenly and generously. The recommended SPF is at least 15. Apply 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours. Use even on cloudy days. Teach older children to apply it themselves.
- Use tightly woven clothing as protection. A light, wet T-shirt offers little or no protection.
- Wear a hat – preferably with a wide brim all around. A baseball cap offers limited protection, but is better than nothing.
- Use sunglasses. Make sure children use those with UVA and UVB protection – not toy sunglasses. These are available for infants as young as a few months of age.
| Safety poster winner |
Dominique Cochran, a fourth-grader at the World of Wonder School in Dayton, was the grand prize winner of an art poster contest sponsored by The Junior League of Dayton and The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. More than 500 children participated in the second annual poster contest.
Because a properly fitted bike helmet can reduce head injury by 85 percent, The Junior League and Dayton Children’s are teaching children about helmet safety. As part of this effort, students in several local schools were asked to illustrate helmet safety with bikes, in-line skates, skateboards or scooters. For his winning entry, Dominique was awarded a bike, bike helmet and lock.
Three Dayton schools – Van Cleve at McGuffey, Hickorydale International Heritage Academy and World of Wonder School – had the most students participate in the art contest. In recognition of their efforts, the Junior League and Dayton Children’s visited these schools and properly fitted 95 fourth-graders with free bicycle helmets.
The Junior League of Dayton and Dayton Children’s are partners in the POWER (Program of Wellness Education and Resources) program. This community outreach program features the colorful POWER mobile, which brings child health and safety information to the region’s children.
Table of Contents |
HealthBeat
Are you ready to hit the road?
Lawn mowing:
not for kids
Start early to prevent skin cancer
Features
Intensive caring
at its best
- Pediatric intensive care unit
- Wallace Critical Care Complex
- Be a hero for children campaign
A Survivor's Story
- Dayton Children's Comprehensive Care Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
- Dayton Children's expands partnership with Middletown
- New specialists at Dayton Children's
- Serving you better
- Free e-news from Dayton Children's
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