The Safety Mom Chronicles

Give Someone A Safety Tip for Mother's Day and Possibly Save a Life!

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing moms out there!  Motherhood is a special club and the lifetime membership  fee is pretty high - your heart and soul - but we all give it willingly.  It is a club where this is no discrimination and we gladly welcome new members.   There is no secret handshake or code word but there is a secret power we all acquire - mother's intuition.  It is the most supportive club I have ever belonged to and my personal goal is to pass along wisdom gained along the way to new members.  And it's a club filled with the greatest joys as well as sorrows.  I was elated to become a part of the club in 1997 with the birth of my son Connor.  Sadly, my membership was "rescinded" a mere four months later when he died of Sudden Infant Death Sydrome.  I instantly fell into this strange gap in which my childless friends could not completely relate to my pain yet my friends with children were almost afraid to be around me lest my misfortune somehow rubbed off on them.  I had the good fortune of become a full fledged member once again a year later when my second son Spencer was born.  From that moment on I made it my mission to help in some way spare other moms the grief I experienced.  I devoted my life to child health and safety and became The Safety Mom.  Every day I interview experts, review information and educate myself on the many safety topic effecting our kids and pass this along to both new and "veteran" moms. 

Sadly, all too often, we never dream that tragedy will strike our children.  Unfortunately it does and I frequently hear from grief stricken moms saying "if only I knew."  This Mother's Day, let's reach out to our sister members in the most amazing club we will ever have the privilege of belonging to.  Pass along one safety tip that you have learned that could potentially save another child's life.  It could be about the importance of putting a fence around a pool, the warning signs of teen depression, the benefits of banking a baby's umbilical cord blood or the dangers facing our children on the Internet.  Childhood accidents are the leading cause of death for children 1 - 14 years of age.  Let's work together to make this statistic obsolete.  Let's start a movement to save our children and pay it forward!  What tip can you pass along?  I will soon be starting a discussion board on my site, thesafetymom.com so we can all learn from each other.  Happy Mother's Day to all!

Warning of School Threat Spread By Text - Help or Hystera?

There was an article on the cover of USA Today this morning about the power of text messaging in spreading rumors about potential school violence.  Apparently in the past several months many schools have seen wide spread absenteeism after students had used text messages to spread warnings about potential campus shooters, bomb threats and the like. 

As the article states, in nine out of ten times, these threats are unfounded but do you really want to take the chance of being that tenth one?  Schools are trying to respond rapidly when they learn of these texting waves by holding assemblies and sending automated phone messages to parents to assure them of the school's safety.  But once these text messages take off it's hard to control and schools are seeing, at times, two-thirds of their student body absent on a particular day in which violence has been threatened.  The article quoted a security expert who noted that "Mom finds out about it faster than the superintendent, the school board or even the building principal."

While this can be a problem I'm not sure it really bothers me.  Unfortunately we have seen too many times where a school has not acted quickly enough when they have learned of a planned attack.  As a Mom I want to be the one to make the decision whether to send my child to school if there is a threat of violence.   In this day and age with so many campus shootings it's difficult to predict what will happen.  Too often we hear friends of a gunman say that they had heard rumors something was going to happen.  While we can't live in a state of fear or overreact, I want to be the one to decide what I think is credible and whether I feel it's safe for my child to go to school. 

How do you feel?  Do you think the wave of texting is helping moms or causing hysteria?  What would you do if you learned of a threat that has occurred at your child's school?

Toyota's Teen Driving Program

I remember when I first got my driver's license  (oh so many years ago!)  I felt invincible.  Just like any other teenager, I felt completley in charge and believed I knew exactly what I was doing.  That is until the first time I drove on a wet, slippery road and spun across three lanes of traffic.  Unfortunately many teens overestimate their ability to handle situations that come up while driving.  That's why I was so happy to learn about "Toyota Driving Expectations."  This is a four hour driving course for parent and teens to complete together.    Offered free of charge in cities across the country, the program goes beyond what is taught in typical driver training classes by putting teens behind the wheel to face challenging, real-world scenarios under the supervision of professional drivers.  It is also one of the only programs of its kind that hosts teens and their parents os they can learn how to drive more safely together.

This course goes way beyond traditional drivers-ed classes and helps teens practice how to best keep their eyes on the road, learn about how anti-lock braking systems work on both wet and dry roads and demonstrate how everyday distractions can have unexpected hazardous effects.   Parents and teens also drive a "distraction course" -- as they drink water, change a CD and text.  At the end of the program, to reinforce what they learned, teens and parents develop a safe driving contract together to be put into practice when they return home.

The class is being held this weekend, 5/2 - 5/4, at Belmont Park Race Track in Elmont, NY.  You can register to attend and get more information by visiting www.toyotadrivingexpectations.com.

Have you taught your teen to drive or did you send them to driving school?  What sort of rules have you set up for your teen when it comes to driving?  I'd love to hear from you!

BPAs - What You Need to Know To Protect Your Baby!

Many parents are aware of the serious threat that Bisphenol-A (BPA) poses for our children.  For parents-to-be, grandparents and anyone else who is not familiar with this chemical, it is found in millions of plastic products to make them shatter resistant, most notably baby bottles, pacifiers, teethers and other plastic baby products.  Many researchers and scientists believe it causes a wide range of health problems, including breast and prostate cancer, infertility, diabetes and brain damage. 

On Friday, the Canadian government announced that it considers BPA dangerous and that it will most likely ban the use of BPAs in baby bottles.  Unfortunately it seems as if once again our government is going to be the last to recognize these dangers.  The FDA points to two studies that deem the chemical safe.  What they do not say is that these studies were funded by The American Plastics Council.

But parent's mounting concern about BPA is finally motivating manufacturers to take action.  Playtex has just announced it will distribute one million free samples of Playtex Drop-Ins Original Nurser Systems, which are free of BPAs.  It also announced that the balance of the product line will be converted to BPA-free material by year end.  Simply fill out the form and, while you're at it, download the chart which lists all of their products and whether they contain BPAs or Phthalates.

While I'm excited that Playtex is taking this step I wonder which other major manufacturers are selling BPA-tainted products.  I don't seem to be alone.  I have received numerous e-mails from parents asking if their particular bottle is safe.  In doing some research on this, I ran across an amazing blog -    Z Recommends which reviews toys and infant products.  In their Third Edition on BPA in Infant Care Products they have provided an exhaustive list of each manufacturer and the products that are BPA free.  You can even send them a text message to find out information on a particular product.  A big thank you for saving moms a tremendous amount of time trying to research all of these products!

Now it's time for moms to take action in protecting our children.  Just as we couldn't rely on the government to protect our children from lead-tainted toys, we cannot rely on them to protect our babies from toxic bottles, sippy cups and other basic items.  Visit Moms Rising.org and sign a petition that will be sent to the five major manufacturers of baby bottles to stop the use of BPAs in our children's products. 

How familiar are you with the issue of BPAs?  Let me know your thoughts on this subject!

Remembering Abigail

Last month 6 year-old Abigail Taylor died.   In June of last year Abigail was injured at the Minneapolis Golf Club when she sat on a wading pool drain.  The powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract and she needed to receive a new small bowel, liver and pancreas.  Unfortunately she suffered setbacks, including a cancerous condition sometimes triggered by organ transplants. 

She did not, however, die in vain.  Her parents, Scott and Katey Taylor, lobbied for tougher regulations to help prevent similar injuries and, in December, President Bush signed a law that bans the manufacture, sale or distribution of drain covers that don't meet anti-entrapment safety standards.  It also incentivizes states to adopt comprehensive pool and spa safety laws including mandating that new pools be completely enclosed by a fence as well as educate pool owners, builders and service companies about drown prevention.

As we are starting to get into warm weather, please take a moment and consider the safety of your pool and every pool that your child might visit: 

• Be sure that there is a fence with a self-closing and self-locking gate completely encircling the pool. 
• Install a pool alarm as well as an alarm on any door or window leading out to the pool.
• Have everyone watching your children certified in CPR and First Aid.
• Keep a cordless phone with you at the pool at all times.

Too many times parents don't consider the safety of public pools or other family's pools.  Before allowing your children to swim at any pool be sure that safety measures are in place and that you feel completely comfortable with the surroundings. 

Connor's Birthday

Yesterday was my son Connor's 11th birthday.  Unfortunately, he wasn't here to share it with me.  Connor died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in 1997 when he was 3 months and 24 days old.  Even though he was with us for a short time he changed my life profoundly.  He was my little angel and continues to watch over our entire family.  Spencer, Kelsey and Hannah, my other three children, all know Connor and help us celebrate his life every year.  We have a tradition of writing messages to him on balloons and releasing them as we sing Happy Birthday.   

SIDS is unpreventable and unpredictable and his death left me filled with questions I probably won't ever have answered.  What I do know is that it's made me  incredibly aware of everything that can happen to babies and toddlers.   And I try to never take for granted how lucky I am to have my three other beautiful children.   

For more information about SIDS and risk reduction measures please visit www.firstcandle.org. 

Moms Beware! Is Your Daughter Playing Miss Bimbo?

I've recently been speaking alot about online safety and being aware of what your kids are doing online.  It's hard for moms to keep up with everything on the Internet so I've made it my job to keep moms has informed as possible.  The newest site to pop up is Miss Bimbo.  Yes, it's as bad as it sounds.  A 23 year-old guy created what he has labeled "the world's first virtual fashion game."  What this "game" consists of is your daughter getting a naked avatar (for those of you who don't know what an avatar is, it's a cartoon character that is the virtual version of your daughter) and dressing it in tight fitting clothing an lingerie.  The object of the game is to snag a wealthy guy.  The way your avatar goes about doing this is getting breast implants, taking diet pills and "getting a nip and tuck" for a brand new face.  What's scary is that over a million kids between the ages of 7 and 17 are already signed on for this game.  The creator calls it harmless fun that just mirrors real life.  In my opinion this guy should be arrested.  It's hard enough as mothers to help our daughters keep a healthy body image when they see celebrities such as Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton in the media. 

Our best weapon in protecting our children is knowledge.  Girls (and boys!) need to understand that the real-life bimbos in the media end up in rehab or jail or dead.   Have a conversation with your daughter about this site and use it as a way to discuss healthy body image and the pathetic side of these "bimbos" that they will never see.

Protecting Our Babies Before They're Born

The findings of an extensive study on the consequences of prematurity is being released today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.   The study points to some troubling statistics among premature babies as they become adults, namely lower education rates and the greater likelihood not to have children of their own.  And, while it was known that premature infants had an increased risk of death in the first year, it was suprising to learn that this increase of death continued as they got older.  Babies born 5 - 9 weeks early showed a double risk of death from ages 1 - 5 compared to children born at term.  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is also more prevalent in premature babies than babies born full term. 

It's so important to remember that keeping our children safe and healthy starts even before they're born.  Along with healthy eating, not smoking or drinking and regular doctors visits, be mindful for signs that something could be wrong.  Nausea, headaches and swelling, while common in pregnancy, when severe can be symptoms of preeclampsia, a leading cause of premature birth. 

Poison Prevention Week

This week is National Poison Prevention Week.   Poisoning is one of the leading causes of death and injury for children and it's important to keep some facts in mind:

Hazard: Toiletries and Drugs

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the leading cause of children’s deaths from poisoning is vitamin pills with iron.  Children can die from swallowing as few as five of these pills.  Common toiletry items such as perfume, mouthwash and antibacterial gel are equally dangerous.  All contain alcohol and, if ingested by a child, can lead to seizures, coma or death. 

Other potential poisons include:

• Mouthwash
• Decongestants
• Nail polish and nail polish remover
• Perfume
• Hairspray
• Diet pill stimulants
• Prescription medications

Safety Solution - Be sure to store all medications and toiletries in their original containers and check that child resistant caps are put on properly immediately after use.  Keep all of these items in locked cabinets! Parents usually don’t consider placing child safety locks on their bathroom cabinets but this is as important as securing the kitchen cabinets.  Storing these items in high cabinets is not sufficient as children will climb up to reach them.  Remember that caps on medication and toiletries are only child resistant not child proof!

Hazard: Cleaners and Insecticides

While many people recognize that ingesting household cleaning products can be toxic, they don’t necessarily recognize that poisons can be delivered in many ways.  The chemicals in bug sprays and insecticides can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled and affect the nervous system, making it difficult to breathe.  A toxic gas is created when bleach is mixed with ammonia.  One of the leading causes of poisoning deaths in children are hydrocarbons which are found in furniture polish, paint thinner, gasoline and kerosene.  And common cleaners such as toilet bowl cleaner and oven cleaner can cause serious chemical burns.

Safety Solution – Cleaning products should never be stored in the house.  Rather, keep them in a locked cabinet in the garage where it is more difficult for children to access.  Be sure all cleaning items are kept in their original containers so that in the event of a poisoning all pertinent information is available.  Additionally, if these items are stored in other containers, such as empty bottles or jars, children might not recognize that they are toxic products.

Always be prepared..   No matter how careful you are, accidental poisoning can still occur and it is important to be prepared.  If your child seems sleepy, is unable to focus, has burn marks around his mouth or you detect a strange smell on his breath call the National Poison Control Center immediately at 1-800-222-1222.  When you call, have the item with you as you will be asked to describe the product and it's contents.

Have you had a poisoning incident with your child?  Share your story here.

Washington State Gets Tough With Toy Safety

Three cheers for the state of Washington!  The state Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill on Friday that imposes the strictest guidelines in the country on levels of  lead, cadmium and phthalates in toys made and sold in the state.   While the powerful Toy Industry Association paid thousands of dollars to lobbyists to squelch the bill, the measure passed by a 40-9 vote.  Finally this  means that parents in Washington won't have to wonder whether the toy they just bought their child is toxic. 

Opponents worry that major toy manufacturers will stop doing business in Washington and effectively "Christmas will be canceled."  I'm sure parents would do what they ended up doing this year - shopping at local, independent toy stores that carry higher end toys or purchasing toy alternatives.  But I would hope that this motivates the toy manufacturers to take a closer look at their line of products and realize that they need to make serious changes.  I would also hope that every other state follows suit and that by next Christmas we can all feel confident when buying a toy that it will be safe as well as fun for our children.