7/29/2019 HKK Newsletter_April 2013

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Is Your HomePlayground a Safe

Place to Play?

Facts from the U.S.Consumer Product SafetyCommission:

Each year more than 200,000children go to U.S. hospitalemergency rooms with injuriesassociated with playground

equipment.

Most injuries occur when achild falls from the equipmentonto the ground. Many back-yard playsets are placed on dirtor grass surfaces that do notadequately protect childrenwhen they fall.

Find a Home Playground SafetyChecklist by visiting the CSPC web-site at www.cspc.gov.

To post questions and get more

ideas, recipes and resources tokeep your child happy, healthy and

safe, join the Healthy Kansas KidsGroup page on Facebook!

April 2013

Prevent Unintentional Medication Poisonings

In 2012, Safe Kids Worldwide released aresearch report that found while the deathrate among children from poisoning hasbeen cut in half since the late 1970s, thepercentage of all child poisoning deathsdue to medications has nearly doubled,from 36 percent to 64 percent. The report,Safe Storage, Safe Dosing, Safe Kids: A Re-

port to the Nation on Safe Medication ex-amined trends in morbidity and mortality ofmedication poisoning among children ages14 and under. About 165 kids orroughly four school busloads of children are seen in emergency rooms for medica-tion-related treatment every day in theU.S., said Kate Carr, President and CEO of

Safe Kids Worldwide. Every one of those

trips was preventable. We can and must dobetter. Among young children, 95 percent

of medication-related poisoning visits toemergency departments are caused by achild ingesting medication while unsuper-vised and approximately five percent aredue to dosing errors made by caregivers.Ultimately, safe storage and safe dosing

mean safe kids, said Carr. Together with

our partners, Safe Kids Worldwide is dedi-cated to reducing unintentional medicationingestions and medication dosing errors inchildren, as well as strengthening the poi-son control center infrastructure in casethese poisonings still occur.

The report launched an effort by Safe Kidsto help prevent unintentional medicationexposures, injuries and deaths in children.

At both the national level and through its600 coalitions and chapters across the na-tion, Safe Kids is educating parents, grand-parents and caregivers about the behav-ioral changes they need to make related tosafe medication storage and dosing.

Facts from the report include:

Medications are the leading cause ofchild poisoning today.

Each year, more than 500,000 childrenunder the age of five experience a po-tential poisoning related to medica-

tions.

Among young children, one of every150 two-year-olds is being seen in theemergency department for medication-related poisoning.

The report offers several reasons for themedication-poisoning: more medicationsthan ever are in the home, especially pre-scription pain medication; the pace of to-days lifestyle may prevent caregivers from

immediately putting medicines away in ahigh, out of sight and locked location afterevery use; a rise in multi-generationalhouseholds in which children may nowhave greater access to grandparents medi-

cations; working and single parents relyingon multiple caregivers, who may not coor-dinate closely on the timing of childrens

dosages; and formulation of childrens

medications that are designed to tastegood but may entice children to take themwhen unsupervised.

Follow these safety tips to prevent medica-tion poisoning:

Always put medicines and vitaminsaway after every use. Never leave them onthe counter between dosings. Dont be

tempted to keep them handy in a purse,

backpack, or briefcase, or in an unlockedcabinet or a drawer within a childs reach.

Always read and follow label instruc-tions when giving medicines to children.

Only use the dosing device that comeswith the medication. Never use a house-

hold utensil, such as a teaspoon or table-spoon, to measure medication.

Up to 20 percent of pediatric poison-ings involve a grandparents medication.

Make sure that all medications in thechilds environment are stored out of reach

and out of sight.

Program the nationwide poison controlcenter number (1-800-222-1222) into yourphones.

Source: Safe Kids Worldwidewww.safekids.org

7/29/2019 HKK Newsletter_April 2013

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Play is the Best Fit!

Deviled Egg Chicks

You will need:

12 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled 1 T. sweet pickle relish

1/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese 2 tsp yellow mustard

1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1/8 tsp salt

3 T. minced fresh chives or scallion greens

black olives and carrots for garnish

Cut top third off of eggs with a sharp knife. Set tops aside and gently remove the yolks. Place 8

of the yolks in food processor. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, relish, mustard

and salt; process until smooth. Spoon about 2 teaspoons yolk mixture into each egg cup and

gently place egg tops on filled eggs. Use small bits of black olive to make eyes and carrot slivers

to create beaks. Chill until ready to eat. Nutrition Per serving: 34 calories; 2 g fat; 3 g protein.

Recipe Source: www.eatingwell.com Photo Source: www.tacanow.org

Healthy Eats Clip and save this healthy recipe!

Ways to Help Prevent Child AbuseThe month of April is recognized nationally as Child Abuse Prevention Month. We all play animportant role in preventing, recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect.From Prevent Child Abuse America, here are five ways you can help prevent child abuse:

1. Be a nurturing parent. Children need to know that they are special, loved and capable.

2. Help a friend, neighbor or relative. Being a parent isnt easy.

3. Help yourself. Take time out. Dont take it out on your kid.

4. Learn what to do if your baby wont stop crying. Never shake a baby.

5. Report suspected abuse or neglect. Call your local department for children and family ser-

vices or your local police department.

Source: Prevent Child Abuse America, 2012.

According to Choosy Kids, a company de-voted to promoting healthy, active lifestylesearly in life, research supports that physicalactivity can have a positive impact on behav-ior, suggesting that children who are physi-cally active may behave better. Physicalactivity can also have a not so great impact

on behavior if the activity is inappropriate.

Physical activity is different for children thanit is for adults. To help your child get theright amount and type of physical activity,celebrate the early years with play, notsports or exercise. Children are not little

athletes, and do not need exercise for fit-

ness. Most young children are not physicallymature enough to perform adult exercises

or skills, and they have difficulty understand-ing the concepts of team-based activities.

Instead, make activity time playful, fun, crea-tive and successful. Pretending to be a bearcrawling on all fours is much more playful andfun for a young child compared to push-ups.Adults can support physical activity for allages and abilities of young children under fiveby discouraging competition or any game

where there are winners, losers, or elimina-tions. Instead, emphasize maximum participa-tion and fun. Finally, exercise should neverbe used as a punishment.

For more information, visit the Choosy Kidswebsite: www.choosykids.com or connectthrough Social Media: www.facebook.com/ChoosyKidsLLC and www.twitter.com/choosykids

Source: Choosy Kids, LLC.

Healthy Kansas Kids, a Program of Child Care Aware of Kansas www.ks.childcareaware.orgFunding for this project was provided in part by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, a philanthropy based in Hutchinson and the Kansas Health Foundation.

The Kansas Health Foundation is a private philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation,

visitwww.kansashealth.org.

One call could save

a childs life. If you

suspect child abuse

or neglect, call the

Kansas Protection

Report Center at

(800) 922-5330.

http://www.kansashealth.org/http://www.kansashealth.org/http://www.kansashealth.org/