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Visit www.boosterseat.gov For the latest requirements on age, height, weight for car and booster seats.
Sangamon County Health Department FREE Car Seat Safety Checks Questions? Call Heather Arnold at 217-535-3100. May 17th 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. State Farm Service Center 2801 W. Lawrence (corner of Veteran's Parkway and Lawrence) Springfield, IL
June 21st 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lowe's 2560 N Dirksen Pkwy Springfield, IL 62702
Health Alliance Medical Plans 2908 Greenbriar Springfield, Illinois 62704 217-698-0022 Contact: Stephanie Werner By appointment only
Illinois Department of Child & Adolescence 535 W. Jefferson Springfield, Illinois 62702 217-557-3103 By appointment only
Illinois Department of Transportation 3215 Executive Park Drive Springfield, Illinois 62794 217-558-0568 Contact: Lib Granzeau By appointment only
Illinois Safe Kids Coalition 500 East Monroe Springfield, Illinois 62702 217-524-2446 Contact: Paul Pachlhofer By appointment only
Illinois Secretary of State Driver Services 316 N. Klein Street Springfield, Illinois 62702 866-247-0213 Contact: Ed Vehovic By appointment only
Sangamon County Department of Health 2501 N. Dirksen Parkway Springfield, IL 62702 217-535-3100 Contact: Heather Arnold By appointment only
Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office #1 Sheriff’s Plaza Springfield, Illinois 62701 217-753-6890 Contact: Debra Brown By appointment only
St. John’s Hospital 800 E. Carpenter Springfield, Illinois 62769 217-544-6464 Contact: Susan O’Connor By appointment only
Think First SIU School of Medicine P.O. Box 19638 Springfield, Illinois 62794 217-545-9112 Contact: Daniel Hicks By appointment only
Raising Child Abuse Awareness by LuAnn Russell April is designated Child Abuse Prevention Month, signified by a blue ribbon. The blue ribbon became the symbol of child abuse in 1989 when, after the death of her abused grandson, a grandmother tied blue ribbons on her van “to make people wonder.” When asked, she replied that blue ribbons are to remind us of the hidden bruises and scars that abused children carry.
For more than a decade, a group of local businesses, clubs and agencies have joined together as the Springfield Blue Ribbon Committee. With the support of volunteers, a grant from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and ribbon donated by Fifth Street Flower Shop, the Committee will provide more than 10,000 blue ribbons to community members. Businesses are invited to encourage their employees to wear blue ribbons to raise awareness of child abuse. If you would like to receive blue ribbons for your employees, please contact Leslie Wright at Community Child Care Connection, 525-2805, ext. 8221.
Child abuse is not something we like to think about. However, statistics tell us we need to be concerned. Last year, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services reported 762 cases of child abuse or neglect in Sangamon County alone. Abused and neglected children are found in every community. Child abuse is the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in their home or someone who works with or around children. There are several forms of child abuse. While abuse is non-accidental injury, neglect is failure to provide a child with the basic necessities of life. Sexual molestation is the sexual exploitation of a child, and emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that attacks a child’s emotional development and sense of self-worth.
What can you do?
Most importantly, report child abuse or neglect, especially if you see marks on a child’s body that do not appear to have been caused by accident or if a child tells you that he or she has been harmed by someone. Call if a child appears to be undernourished, is dressed inappropriately for the weather, or is young and has been left alone. Use your best judgment and call the Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-25-ABUSE. More information on child abuse can be found at www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.
Child Safety Resources for Home Looking for fast easy ways you can help keep your kids safer? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a web site called www.take25.org. The campaign encourages you to take 25 minutes to help make your children safer. The web site includes a variety of safety tips, including ways to discuss them with your children. Most of the information is geared towards older, school-age kids
Carbon monoxide detectors…just do it! This odorless, tasteless and toxic fume is nothing to take lightly. A friend called today and told me the battery on her sump pump went bad and was emitting toxic carbon monoxide fumes into their house. How did they know? One of their carbon monoxide was beeping loudly. Instead of taking the warning lightly, they called the fire department and CILCO and sure enough the carbon monoxide levels were toxic. Their house had to be fumigated. She urges all moms to make sure they have at least ONE carbon monoxide detector in your house, if not more. Make sure you change the batteries every six months (Tip: do when you turn the clocks twice a year) and rest easy. NOTE: smoke detectors do NOT work as carbon monoxide detectors and vice versa. You need BOTH. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that consumers purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors with labels showing they meet the requirements of the new Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) voluntary standard (UL 2034). The UL standard, published in April 1992, requires detectors to sound an alarm when exposure to carbon monoxide reaches potentially hazardous levels over a period of time. Detectors that meet the requirements of UL 2034 provide a greater safety margin than previously-manufactured detectors. For more information…and a chemistry lesson: http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingswork/a/codetectors.htm Free Radon Testing Kits Available for Homeowners If you would like a free Radon Testing Kit and a free analysis of the sample, send an email to daniels@iema.state.il.us or visit www.radon.illinois.gov You will need to indicate the type of home you have (i.e., ranch, two story, with or w/out basement) and the type of foundation you have (i.e., concrete block, slab, stem wall, etc. ) and your name and complete mailing address. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency will mail you a kit.
If you would like more information about Radon, visit the following sites. 1. RAD-009. Reducing Radon Risks http://www.epa.gov/iag/radon/pubs/rducrsks.html Washington, DC: USEPA, 1991. 2. RAD-010. Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction - Reducing levels in your home http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/radon/pubs/consguid.html USEPA, Office of Air and Radiation, August 1992. 3. RAD-011. A Citizen’s Guide to Radon - Protecting yourself and your family http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/radon/pubs/citguide.html USEPA. Office of Air and Radiation, US Dept of Health and Human Services, May 1992. Gas Furnace Alert: One Mom's Story by Amy McFadden The walls of our home bear the marks of living with small children. Like most little ones, our two are always touching, tinkering, and sometimes destroying. But the potential damage from one of our little tornadoes’ “hands-on” experience was far more than the cost of a container of spackle or touch-up paint. It could easily have caused harm beyond any repair. Our son, who was three at the time, had been the mechanical type from the get-go. We did know better than to leave the key to the gas fireplace within the reach of his chubby little mitts. And we were (usually) faithful about removing it from the slot. But one exhausted evening I turned off our cozy fire thinking to myself that I’d just put the key away the next morning.
While scrambling to leave the house in time for preschool early the following day, I did get the slightest whiff of gas when I stood near the stove. I assumed the baby had been engaging in her favorite activity of spinning the knobs, which are protected by childproof guards that our 18-month-old had already figured out how to circumvent. Preoccupied with book-bag stuffing and juice cup pouring, I tightened each of the knobs into the “off” position, and we headed out the door.
When we returned four hours later, I opened the door to an unmistakable gas odor. I turned off our security system and immediately turned on the exhaust fan on the stove-hood. I opened the back door, then called my husband to ask his opinion about the source as I was preparing to get the kids out of the house. We decided I should drive the kids to my parents’ house, and then call the gas company.
The woman answering the hotline was so serious, I finally realized how dire a situation my laziness had created. She instructed me not to turn on any switches (oops!), and not to open any doors (too late!). My safety-conscious mother reminded me that my uncle had owned a house where a tragedy had occurred under similar circumstances. The renters had come home and flipped on a light switch, creating a spark that caused an explosion from a gas leak. A woman and a small child were killed. As I sat in my car waiting for the gas company to arrive, I couldn’t help conjuring terrible images of our home, with three of us in it, disappearing in a blast.
I could smell the overwhelming gas scent even outside as the worker and I approached the front door to investigate. I knew it was bad when we walked in the house and his meter started going crazy. He kept reminding me as we searched the house for the cause of the smell not to touch anything that could generate the slightest flicker.
I got such a nasty look when we got downstairs to the gas fireplace, where the gas man discovered the key in place and turned on full blast. I instantly knew our son had been at work, but that the whole incident was really my fault. I had never really thought through what to do (or not to do) in this type of situation. While visions of mushroom clouds danced in my head, I accepted my much-deserved talking-to from the worker about how our whole house could have blown up in an instant.
Five hours of airing out the house got rid of the stench, but the lesson has stayed with us. I suppose it’s only natural to think a disaster won’t ever happen to your own family. But the comfort of such wishful thinking is not worth the risk of catastrophe. We were so lucky. Now those keys are stored on a high shelf, away from the hearth and curious fingers, at least until our little tinkerers are old enough to leave them alone.
If you ever smell gas in your home or neighborhood, please contact CILCO immediately. The emergency number for AmerenCILCO is: 1-888-672-5252. AmerenCIPS is: 1-888-789-2477. You can also download their pamphlet on natural gas safety at: www.ameren.com
Keeping Children Safe at Home courtesy of the Parent Help Line Most parents take safety measures to keep their kids safe. Parents know the dangers of electrical outlets, cooking utensils on stoves, hot bath water, dangling window blind cords, and household chemicals. Emergency room doctors tell parents that other common household items can also be harmful to children. Review this list and be safe!
Kids are naturally curious. They have unlimited energy. Keep your home safe so they can grow and learn without getting hurt.
Holiday Safety Tips from our local American Red Cross chapter.
While you are preparing holiday memories that will last forever, the
American Red Cross wants you to keep in mind - the best holiday is a
safe holiday. If you are looking for easy gift giving ideas, your local
chapter of the American Red Cross has many safety items that would make
a great gift. Unwrap it then trash it. Once the gifts are unwrapped, immediately discard all plastic wrappings, rubber bands and small objects children and pets can put in their mouth and choke on.
Preventing Child Accidents Click here to link to an informative article reprinted with permission of the State-Journal Register as published on October 21, 2006.
Web watch: log on to
www.otherwisehealthy.com
website and click on Med Info to Go...you can order her helpful
chart that folds down to fit in a wallet or backpack, etc. Of
course, you can make your own as well, but if you have a child with food
allergies, medications, and other important medical information, make is
EASY for someone to provide help in time of need. Who wants to be
scrambling around for this information in an emergency. I found a
lot of additional tips on this website: Tips for parents with students
away in college, how to keep your medical information organized and the
website author's personal triumph of overcoming breast cancer.
The American Heart Association released new guidelines for CPR in November 2005. Changes in the guidelines targeted at lay rescuers, while based on scientific review, simplify interventions and improve outcomes. Estimates indicated that coronary heart disease was responsible for approximately 300,000 out of hospital and Emergency Department deaths per year. These are our family and friends. The AHA reports that those trained in lifesaving skills are more likely to utilize them on a loved one than on a stranger in the community, thus CPR has been simplified and new products available to facilitate training.
The subject’s age is important in determining compression location and method. In the “CPR world,” infants are classified as those younger than 12 mo of age, children are aged 1-8, and anyone over the age of 8 years is considered an adult.
A universal compression: ventilation ratio of 30:2 is applicable to all age groups. Age is also an important consideration for relief of choking as Adults/Children are given abdominal thrusts while infants are given back blows and chest thrusts. Infants are never to be given abdominal thrusts.
How do you go about learning CPR? Contact your local AHA Community Training Center at St. John’s Hospital. For those persons NOT needing a credentialed course, you may enroll in a CPR for Family & Friends course to learn these lifesaving skills free of charge. The AHA also has home training products available:
Infant CPR Anytime Personal Learning Program teaches CPR skills and relief of choking in the home. It may be purchased for $34.95 at www.americanheart.org. It includes an inflatable training manikin, DVD, and all of the accessories needed to learn the CPR. This module teaches the “core skills” in just 22 minutes.
Family & Friends CPR Anytime provides the learner with CPR skills and relief of choking for victims 8 years of age and older. It may be purchased for $29.95 at www.americanheart.org. It too includes an inflatable training manikin, DVD, and all of the accessories needed to learn CPR. This module also teaches the “core skills” in 22 minutes.
Chris Emmons works at St. John’s Hospital and is the mother of Connor.
Safe Search Filters Other Resources for Parents
Heads-Up For Safer House Cleaning Products You know that good, healthy feeling you get when you’ve just cleaned house? Sorry to spoil it, but you may have just made your home dirtier. Think of it this way. You wouldn’t let your kids play with toxic chemicals, so why would you let the baby crawl over a floor that’s just been wiped with them? That’s much more dangerous than the orange juice that was just there.
How dangerous? Just take a look at these statistics. Over 90% of poison exposures happen at home. Common bleach is the #1 household chemical involved in poisoning. Organic pollutants, found in many common cleaners and even air fresheners, are 2 to 5 times higher inside your home than out. A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the “acute one-hour exposure limit” for glycol ether-containing products set by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
Common household cleaners give off fumes that have been linked to increasing the risk of your kids developing asthma, the most common serious chronic childhood disease. 1 in 13 school-aged children has asthma. Rates in children five and under have increased more than 160% from 1980–1994.
Children are highly vulnerable to chemical toxicants. Pound for pound of body weight, children drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults. The implication is that children will have substantially heavier exposures than adults to any toxicants that are present in water, food or air. If your home is anything like the average U.S. home, you generate more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste each year (the EPA designates toilet cleaners, tub and tile cleaners, oven cleaners, and bleach as hazardous waste). To find out what’s lurking on your shelves, visit the National Institutes of Health Library of Medicine Household Products Database. You can research almost any brand of cleaner you use, find out what’s in it, and uncover its links to health effects. Or search by chemical ingredients (see list below for some examples) and discover what brands contain it.
Chemical ingredients to avoid:
Sanitizer Scare Learn more about the high-alcohol content of instant hand-sanitizers and how important it is for kids to keep it out of their mouths! http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp
Additional references:
Over the Counter Medicines: Be in the Know Over the Counter Medicine Dosing Tips for Kids The following information was provided by CHPA, Consumer Healthcare Products Association. www.OTCsafety.org. Thanks to Springfield Moms reader Lisa Steelman for bringing this website to our attention. Giving medicine to a child is part of nearly every parent’s job at some point. The key is to read labels carefully, follow directions closely, pay attention to warnings and bring any questions to a healthcare professional.
In addition:
Warning: Cough and Cold Remedy Abuse in Teens Consumers have trusted the makers of over-the-counter medications with the health of their families for many years. Now, they are alerting communities and educating parents about a growing problem: the intentional abuse of cough medicines among teens. To learn more about this problem and to find out what you can do to help stop cough medicine abuse, take a moment to check out the materials and programs listed below.
D.A.R.E. America has launched a new prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine abuse curriculum for school-aged children and their parents. Supported by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, and Abbott Laboratories, the D.A.R.E. program teaches fifth, seventh and ninth-graders the differences between Rx and OTC medicines, how to read OTC Drug Facts and Rx labels, the dangers of abusing medicines and refusal skills for teens faced with offers to abuse medications. More information is available on www.DARE.org.
Also, parent and community resources are available at www.stopmedicineabuse.org. Although it may not always seem obvious, parents remain the most powerful voice in their teen’s life, especially where substance abuse attitudes are concerned.
To help prevent or stop teen medicine abuse, parents should:
The above information was provided by CHPA, Consumer Healthcare Products Association. www.OTCsafety.org.
Toy Recalls There are just too many now to keep track of! Our best advice to is to on to the Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) www.cpsc.gov and register for recall updates to be sent to you automatically. I just did, and now I should get product recall notices electronically for infants and children specifically. Springfield Moms supports the increase in funding to the CPSC so they can catch these products BEFORE they hit the shelves in the future!Toy Recall Websites www.Consumersunion.org/products OTC Medicines It's not just toys being recalled! 10/11/2007 The Centers for Disease Control recent report led to several makers of over-the-counter infant cold medications to pull their inventory off the shelves due to "adverse effects" and because they were not specifically tested on infants under age two. Grandma was right, when cold season hits, our kids need rest, liquids and a non-aspirin pain reliever and lots of TLC. They are now exploring whether or not these over-the-counter cold medicines are safe for the age 2-6 bracket. Much more in our OTC Safety info section on this page. A Mom's Story: For Mattel recalls: I have first-hand experience for how the process works. If you have any of these brand name toys to mail back in here's the process. Visit http://www.mattel.com/safety/us/ or call 1-888-479-2670. I filled out their online return form; then received and email back with a prepaid return label that I had to print off. I then matched everything up, labeled them in ziploc bags and mailed off with my completed form. I did receive my voucher towards any future Mattel products. It took about 4-6 weeks I would say. The products I removed from our home were those Polly Pockets with the the dangerous magnets that could cause intestinal blockage if swallowed and two magnets joined together; there are far more products with the lead paint recall however. Take the time to double-check your toy inventory at home and at churches, day cares, etc.
General tips:
6/07 Thomas the Train Recall for lead in the paint? It was on the Today show; click here to find out which models are suspected. http://recalls.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0607.html Thanks to Jackie Gillock of Springfield for this important notice.
Safe Toy Alternatives Thanks to reader Vicky Hall: Here is a website for American made toys so our families know which toys will be safe for their children this holiday season. http://www.toysmadeinamerica.com/
Save Lives: Donate Blood by Allyson Strauch With more than half of us needing blood during our lives, maintaining a safe and adequate community blood supply is important to everyone. By donating blood, you’ll help ensure that it is available for all who need it and you’ll help save up to three lives.
Every day in Illinois, hundreds of patients count on volunteer blood donors for their very survival. Typical uses for the donated blood include surgical procedures, treatment of accident victims, ulcers, anemia, mothers and newborns during delivery, and cancer therapy.
Because each donation is separated into three different components - red blood cells, platelets and plasma, a single donation can help save the lives of up to three people. The donation process is safe and usually takes about an hour. There is some paper work, a confidential interview and a miniature physical, but the actual collection of blood takes only five to ten minutes.
In Illinois, only about 10 percent of the eligible population donates blood. While this is more than the national average of 5 percent - more donors are always needed. The requirements to be a donor are simple:
The Central Illinois Community Blood Bank is a not for profit organization that provides blood to patients in hospitals in Bond, Christian, Greene, Logan, Macoupin, Madison, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Scott, St. Clair and Tazewell counties. For more information about blood donation or to make an appointment, call the Central Illinois Community Blood Center at 217-753-1530 or check out their web site at www.cicbc.org.
Food Safety Tip, courtesy of the Illinois Department of Public Health Fresh Apple Cider, make sure it’s pasteurized Pasteurizing apple cider helps kill dangerous bacteria without noticeably affecting the flavor of the product. Unpasteurized apple cider may contain the dangerous E. coli bacteria (E. coli O157:H7), which can cause serious illness. While the risk of fresh (unpasteurized) apple cider becoming contaminated by E.coli O157:H7 is low certain people are at greater risk of complications from foodborne pathogens, especially children, the elderly and people with a weakened immune system. These individuals should take precautions to protect themselves from any food that might be contaminated. This includes boiling unpasteurized apple cider or only drinking pasteurized cider. Contaminated cider does not look or smell different from normal apple cider.
Facts about Bullying by John Geyston Did you know that 96% of children will be bullied at least once in their lifetime? Or that out of those bullied for an extended period 46% of those children will suffer poor grades or will abstain from extra-curricular activities because of the bullying? Or that 2% of those children bullied will commit suicide because of constant harassment from classmates? What is Bullying? Bullying includes a wide variety of behaviors, but all behaviors involve a person or a group repeatedly trying to harm someone who is weaker or more vulnerable. It can involve direct physical attacks, threatening or intimidating, taunting, name-calling, or damaging someone’s belongings. If you've ever heard an adult - or anyone else - say that bullying is "just a fact of life" or "no big deal," you're not alone! Too often, people just don't take bullying seriously - or until the sad and sometimes scary stories are revealed.
The sad truth of it all is that it happens a lot more than some people think – studies show that ,” 96% of children will be bullied at least once in their lifetime. 46% of those children will suffer poor grades or will abstain from extra-curricular activities because of the bullying. 2% of those children will commit suicide because of constant harassment from classmates. And even sadder is the fact that bullying may impact a child’s life very dramatically. All the motivation that a child has to succeed in school, sports, and any endeavor in life, comes from a child’s confidence and self-esteem. A bully robs a child of those very important traits that can have a negative impact on the rest of their life.
Bullying can lead the victims of such tactic to feel tense, anxious, and afraid. It can affect their concentration in school, and can lead them to avoid events, academics and athletics all together in some cases. If bullying continues for extended period of time it can begin to affect a child’s self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. It increases their social isolation, leading them to become withdrawn and depressed. Some teens feel compelled to take drastic measures, such as carrying weapons for protection or seeking violent revenge. Others, in desperation, even consider suicide. Researchers have found that years later, long after the bullying has stopped, adults who were bullied as teens have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.
And interesting enough ,it just does not impact the victim. Young people who bully are more likely than those who don't bully to skip school and drop out of school. They are also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and get into fights. It can lead to huge problems later in life. Studies show that children who bully are more likely to get into fights and vandalize property and that 60% of boys who were bullies in middle school had at least one criminal conviction by the age of 24.
So again too often, people just don't take bullying seriously. However it has drastic impact on the victims, those who bully others and even those that witness it. Studies have also found that there are all kinds of reasons why young people bully others, either occasionally or often. Do any of these sound familiar to you? Because I see others doing it Because it's what you do if you want to hang out with the right crowd Because it makes me feel, stronger, smarter, or better than the person I'm bullying Because it's one of the best ways to keep others from bullying me Whatever the reason, bullying is something we all need to think about. Whether we've done it ourselves ... or whether friends or other people we know are doing it ... we all need to recognize that bullying has a terrible effect on the lives of young people. It may not be happening to you today, but it could tomorrow. Working together, we can make the lives of young people better.
Author's Note: Premier Martial Arts has committed to conduct free community service seminar in over 104 cities across the United States to help educate adults and children of the severity of bullying through its nationally recognized “Bully Proof Kids”. Locally John Geyston, owner of Premier Martial Art with it newest location on the corner of Koke Mill and Iles, explains that his program is designed to give children the confidence, self-esteem, and knowledge needed to defend themselves against bullies. We will cover techniques that will improve body posture and voice tone so that your son or daughter is less likely to ever be bullied. We will talk about respect and courtesy and help instill the belief system that “I am valuable and worth protecting.” When those beliefs are instilled in children two things occur. First they will have the confidence to stand up for themselves when faced with abuse. Secondly they will realize the value of respect and courtesy and will be less likely to bully others.
Kid Safe Seminars Kid Safe is a Premier Martial Arts nationally recognized self defense safety and awareness program for children ages 5 – 10 years of age. No one likes to think about it but it can happen to anyone. Expect the best but be prepared for the possible worst. As parents, we know the value we place on our children. Your child will learn safety, awareness, child prevention abduction and self defense techniques, such as the 3 zones of caution and awareness, stranger danger, safety zones and touches, sounding out and what a child can do to minimize danger with self defense if contact does occur. In addition, parents will learn about the 10 common lures used by child abductors. Kid Safe Quick Highlights
Summary of Topics and the 5 Points of Child Safety 1. Green, Yellow, and Red Lights of Safety 2. Stranger Danger 3. Safety Zones and Touches 4. Sounding Out 5. Contact Occurs You must call to pre-register for this seminar: 217-546-6PMA www.JGPMA.com
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