The common cold is a respiratory infection involving the nose and throat. It is caused by a virus. A virus is spread from one person to another by sneezing, coughing, and hand contact. Colds are common in early fall, late January, and early April. Colds are most common in preschool children, who get 3-8 colds per year. Colds are common in children who attend daycare, are exposed to secondary smoke or air pollutants, and are often in crowds.

Children, who have a cold, may have a fever, stuffy nose, watery discharge from the nose, sneezing, sore throat, headache, or desire to sleep more. Infants may be cranky and have changes in their eating and sleeping habits.

After 3-4 days, the child may develop a dry cough. The child's clear nasal discharge may change to yellow or green.

The symptoms generally last about a week; however, the nasal discharge and dry cough may last for 3 weeks.

Treatment: Antibiotics have been proven ineffective in treating the common cold- Rest and quiet indoor play is important for an ill child.

Give extra liquids such as jello, fruit juice, popsicles, and broth. Give your child small amounts of liquids every 1-2 hours. While your child is ill, it is more important that he drinks than eats. The child's appetite will be decreased but will return to normal once he is feeling better.

Measure your child's temperature once a day and when he feels hot. If the temperature is over 102F orally, 103F by rectum, or 101F under the arm for 24-48 hours, call your child's doctor.

If your child's nose is stuffy, a cool mist vaporizer can be used to moisten the air. Place the vaporizer in the child's room while he sleeps. Keep the vaporizer out of reach of the child. The vaporizer needs to be cleaned every day to prevent mold from growing in it and being blown into your child's room. Infants will need their nares cleared frequently especially before eating. To clear the nares, instill 2-3 drops of salt water (1/4 teaspoon salt per 8 ounces of warm water) in each hare then bulb suction each nare. Elevating the head of your child's bed will facilitate easy breathing.

If your child has swollen neck glands, a warm water bottle (less than 102F) may provide relief. Wrap the water bottle in a towel to prevent burning your child's neck. Check the temperature of the water bottle by touching it against the inside of your arm. It should feel warm, not hot. The warm water bottle should be used for 10 minutes every 4 hours.

Medications: Medications should only be given after consulting with your physician or nurse practitioner. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) may be given to reduce your child's fever and discomfort. Ibuprofen should not be given to an infant without physician approval. Over the counter-cold remedies are not recommended for children less than 6 months of age. Children over 6 months may experience temporary relief of their symptoms with the use of a decongestant or antihistamine-decongestant.

Prevention: Ill children should not play or sleep in the same bed with a healthy child during the early stages of the cold. Teaching your child to cover his nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing will help decrease the spread of the virus. Children should be taught to dispose of used tissues. Washing your child's hands after he sneezes or coughs decreases the spread of the virus.

If your child has trouble breathing (barking cough, gasping, wheezy, or grunting) or is

breathing fast. If your child becomes hoarse and cannot talk.

If your child develops a productive cough.

If your child is an infant and has refused to drink for the past 4-6 hours.

If your child has a fever for more than 24-48 hours.

If your child acts unusually ill.

If your child complains of pain when resting.

If your child does not improve in 14 days.

Tis’ the Season for

 Holiday Safety

    The scene is all too familiar.  Frenzied parents

rushing through packed-to-the-ceiling aisles searching 

for the perfect gifts and decorations to celebrate their 

holiday festivities.  Many parents feel relief when they’re

done, but they may not realize that their work has just 

begun.  With all of the decorating, gift-giving and festivity 

fanfare, making your holiday safe for children will be the 

most important preparation of all.                                                                                   

            “It’s easy to become caught up in the excitement of holiday decorating and overlook potential hazards of decorations,” says Heather Paul, Ph.D., executive director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.  “Whether you’re putting up a Christmas tree or lighting the Menorah or Kwanzaa candles, taking simple precautions can help make your holidays more joyful and safe.”

            The National SAFE KIDS Campaign recommends the following tips to keep your holiday season safe:

Lights and Candles

·        Decorate your tree using only UL (Underwriters' Lab Inc.) approved lights and cords.  Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections or broken sockets.  Do not overload extension cords.  Use no more than three strings of lights on one extension cord, and never run an electrical cord under a carpet.  Be sure to secure electrical cords so that children cannot pull them and topple the tree.  Keep toddlers away from electrical fixtures and install outlet plate covers or large outlet covers on electrical sockets when they are not in use.  Small plastic outlet covers may pose a choking hazard.

·        Turn off the tree lights when you go to bed, depart from home or leave the tree in an unattended room.

·        Keep burning candles out of children’s reach; keep matches and lighters out of sight and locked away. Do not leave candles unattended.

·        Teach children not to touch burning candles.

·        Do not place candles near draperies or anything that might easily catch fire.  If you build a fire, use a fireplace screen and do not leave young children alone in the room.  Make sure you put out fires and candles when you go to bed or leave the home.

·        Install smoke alarms in your home on every level and in every sleeping area.  Test alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.  Home fires and home fire-related deaths are more likely to occur during the cold-weather months.

·        Plan and practice several fire escape routes from each room of your home and identity an outside meeting place.

Christmas Trees                                      

·        Look for a fresh tree if you choose to buy a natural tree.  Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire than older trees.  (A safer option is to buy a fire-resistant,

artificial tree.)

·        Keep your tree in a container full of water and check it daily.

·        Use a wide-based stand to make sure the tree is secure and will not fall over.

·        Cover the tree basin with a tree skirt or blanket.

·        Keep the tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators and heating vents.

·        Cut back the lower branches to avoid eye injuries to small children.

·        Decorate your tree with children in mind.  Do not put breakable ornaments, ornaments with small, detachable parts, metal hooks, or those that look like food or candy on the lower branches where small children can reach them.  Also, make sure tree lights are hung out of reach of young children.

·        Never burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in your fireplace.

·        Dispose of your tree promptly after the holidays.

Holiday Foods and Ornaments

            Some foods and objects pose a choking hazard to young children, especially children under age 5.  To help prevent unintentional chokings during the holidays:

·        Keep round, hard foods and candies such as candy cane pieces, mints, nuts and popcorn out of reach of young children.

·        Keep small ornaments, tinsel, small figurines and other decorations away from children’s reach.  Young children have a tendency to put everything in their mouths.

Poisons

            While preparing your home for the holidays, be aware of seemingly innocent and unexpected forms of poisons.

·        Open the flue in your fireplace when burning wood to provide adequate

ventilation.  The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases dramatically in the winter.  Proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances reduces this risk.  Check these appliances annually and before use in cold-weather months.  Install UL-approved carbon monoxide detectors in your home. 

·        Keep alcoholic drinks and containers out of reach.  Holiday beverages such as eggnog laced with alcohol may be sweet and inviting to young children.  Do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended.  They could be harmful if consumed by children.

·        Keep common baking ingredients such as vanilla and almond extract out of reach.  They contain high levels of alcohol and may be harmful to young children.

·        Beware of fire salts used in fireplaces to produce colored flames.  They contain heavy metals and cause intense gastrointestinal irritation or vomiting if eaten.

·        Keep poisonous plants out of reach.  Watch for holly and mistletoe berries that fall on the ground because they are very poisonous if eaten.  Other poisonous holiday plants include: amaryllis, azalea, boxwood, Christmas rose, Crown of Thorns, English ivy and Jerusalem cherry. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poisonous, but they can cause skin irritation and gastrointestinal distress.

·        Avoid using artificial snow sprays to decorate.  These sprays can cause lung irritation if inhaled.

·        List poison control center and emergency medical service phone numbers by all telephones.  In addition, leave a phone number for babysitters so they can reach you if you go out to a holiday party.

·        Keep ipecac syrup in the home for use only on the advice of a poison control center or a physician.

NATIONAL SAFE KIDS CAMPAIGN URGES FAMIILIES TO

GIVE THE GIFT OF SAFETY WHEN PURCHASING SCOOTERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Popularity of Scooters Leads to Dramatic Rise in Injuries This Year

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Those speedy, lightweight scooters may be the hottest gift for youngsters this holiday season, but the National SAFE KIDS Campaign wants every parent and child to understand the potential for serious injury that exists when children ride these scooters without the proper protective gear. 

  As the holiday season approaches and scooter sales soar, the latest statistics reveal an alarming trend ­­­-- one that is of growing concern to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.  According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 26,000 scooter-related injuries requiring emergency room treatment have been reported this year.  Nearly 85 percent of these injuries are to children ages 14 and under.

  “Parents may have a false sense of security when it comes to their kids and scooters,” said Heather Paul, Ph.D., executive director of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. “Because these scooters have handlebars, brakes and are low to the ground, adults might feel their children can easily control them. Without the appropriate safety gear, children can sustain severe injury, including head trauma.” 

  Safety gear is relatively affordable and can be purchased for as little as $35, less than half the cost of an average scooter. The National SAFE KIDS Campaign encourages youngsters to wear the same type of safety gear on scooters that they wear while in-line skating.  In addition, SAFE KIDS recommends the following guidelines:

  §         Children should always wear appropriate safety gear, including a helmet, wrist guards, and elbow and knee pads when riding a scooter.

§         Be sure protective gear fits properly and does not interfere with the rider’s movement, vision or hearing.

  §         Children ages 8 and under should not use scooters without close adult supervision.

  §         Before using a scooter, the rider or parent should check it thoroughly for hazards such as loose, broken or cracked parts; sharp edges on metal boards; slippery top surfaces; and wheels with nicks and cracks. 

§         Ride scooters on smooth, paved surfaces free from traffic.  Avoid riding on streets or surfaces with water, sand, gravel or dirt.

  §         Don’t ride scooters at night.

  §         Never hitch a ride from a car, bus, truck, bicycle, etc., and limit usage of the scooter to one person at a time.

  §         Exercise caution when riding a scooter downhill.  If a steep hill is encountered, step off the scooter and walk to the bottom of the hill.

  “These are common-sense guidelines, but when you look at the overwhelming number of scooter-related injuries this year, it appears the safety message is getting lost. Parents and caregivers must do better.  We also encourage the manufacturers of these scooters to stress safety in their brochures and advertising materials,” Paul said.  

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury—the number one killer of children ages 14 and under.  More than 270 State and Local SAFE KIDS Coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico comprise the Campaign.  Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, M.D., Sc.D., is chairman of the Campaign. www.safekids.org