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Since the news broke, I’ve been inundated with request for interviews about treadmill and home gym equipment safety. My favorite question so far was, “what piece of gym equipment would be safe for a child?” This is like asking me, “what equipment at an open construction site should I let my kid play on?” The answer is, I can’t think of one. Weights can fall and crush hands and feet. Pulleys and moveable parts can shift and fall . Bicycle spokes can catch little fingers. Treadmill belts catching hands or feet are the most common types of injuries seen with this piece of equipment (which most of us are probably using just to hang our laundry on anyway). Basically, a safe home gym is one that a kid can’t get into.

What’s probably more relevant to this story is preventing strangulation. All electric cords should be unplugged, folded up and put away whenever possible. Cords that must remain connected should be secured to the floor or wall, such as with staples or duct tape. Window cords should have 2 free ends (no loops!) and also be kept out of reach. (Free window cord child safety retrofit kits are available at www.windowcoverings.org) Cribs and other pieces of furniture should be kept away from windows when possible. And while I’m at it, your kid’s binky can most certainly be pinned to his shirt with a ribbon but the ribbon should be short enough to pull on the shirt when the binky is in his mouth. 

Tales of The Truly Bizarre

Well, it’s not bizarre, but I’m still waiting for those stories. From the Tales of the Incredibly Astute comes a story from Lauren in Chicago. Her 2 year-old recently announced “Cookie monster no boogers…no nose!!!” and laughed hysterically. You know, I never thought about it, but I guess that’s right.

so until next time…

Dr. Lara Zibners, Jun 03, 2009

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I thought I’d make it easy on myself today and go straight to the news brief waiting for me in my inbox this morning. “AAP changes car seat recommendations” blares the headline. My first thought was, “What? I’ve already been telling people to jam their 30 lb 8 month-old into a rear-facing seat, what next?”  Well, fortunately, the information is pretty much the same. However, unlucky for those of you with a chunky monkey, there are some new things to think about. Let me explain.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics—you’ll hear me mention them over and over) has NOT officially changed their guidelines regarding the usage of car seats in infants. The recommendation remains rear-facing until at least 1 year and 20 lbs. I won’t bore you with the other details. Here’s the link: http://www.aap.org/family/Carseatguide.htm

What is new is a recent study reporting that children under 2 are 5 times safer when riding in a rear-facing seat. This is because a child’s head is proportionally heavier in relationship to his body and little kids don’t have the neck strength to protect their cervical spine during a collision. Therefore, sitting backwards is safer. The current AAP policy already says that children should ride rear-facing for as long as possible. There’s no change in policy. The next anticipated AAP car seat policy statement is due in 2010.

So what should you be thinking about? Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for your child’s car seat to see what the maximum weight for rear-facing is. (Usually 30-35 lbs). If your kid can fit in the seat, keep her riding backwards as long as you can. If you’ve already flipped him forward, flip him back around.

Q&A

For this week’s Q&A, Amy from MD wants advice on finding a CPR class. Go to the site to see what I say.

Tales of Truly Bizarre

And for this week’s “Toddler of the Week,” I’ve got nothing for you. Because I’m waiting for your stories. Tell me about your kid, a kid you know, or a “friend’s kid” (wink wink) who has done something hilarious, devious, or beyond your wildest imagination.

And until next time,

Dr. Lara Zibners, May 27, 2009

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