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Using sparklers on our nation's birthday is as traditional as cookouts and swimming and is equally safe if a few commonsense rules are followed. But according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 16 percent of all consumer fireworks injuries are caused by sparklers burning hands and legs, with the majority of sparkler injuries occurring to young children. These are injuries that would not have occurred if there had been close adult supervision and if some basic safety steps had been taken. The National Council on Fireworks Safety offers these safety steps for sparklers, in the hopes that sparkler injuries to young children can be greatly reduced:

Children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.

Always remain standing while using sparklers.

Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.

Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.

Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination. Always wear closed-toe shoes when using sparklers.

Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop the spent sparklers directly in a bucket of water.

Never hand a lighted sparkler to another person. Give them the unlit sparkler and then light it.

Always stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers.

Never throw sparklers.

Show children how to hold sparklers away from their body and at arm's length.

Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, or run while holding sparklers.

The National Council on Fireworks Safety urges Americans to be Sparkler Smart this Fourth of July in their holiday celebrations. For more information, visit www.fireworkssafety.org.

(6-30-09)

Fourth of July fireworks can frighten pets and farm animals and cause them to react in ways that might injure them. But a Purdue veterinarian says there are numerous ways to protect your pets during the celebrations.

"Owners must use common sense when they allow pets to join the festivities," says Lorraine Corriveau, a wellness veterinarian at Purdue University's School of Veterinary Medicine. "Some dogs like chasing those spinning and swirling objects on the ground. Others fear loud noises. Owners can use simple tricks like putting cotton in their pets' ears to muffle the sound."

Corriveau suggests these tips for lowering the noise stress of pets:

Never leave pets alone outdoors, even if tethered or in a fenced yard. Dogs, especially, may escape and become lost or injure themselves chewing or choking on their leashes. Keep small pets indoors, preferably in a room without windows, and horses in their stalls.

Make sure all sharp objects are removed from enclosures.

Turn on the radio or TV for distraction.

Do not take pets to fireworks shows.

Do not leave a pet in a car unattended.

Keep pets on leash or in a carrier if they must be outside.

Protect animals from children who may not realize that waving sparklers or setting off "safe" firecrackers could upset pets.

Keep I.D. tags current so the pet and owner can be reunited if loud noises cause it to run away.

Sedate horses and some dogs if needed. Noise phobia can get worse as a pet ages. A veterinarian can advise about giving a mild sedative or tranquilizer to calm the fears of an overstressed dog, cat or horse.

Desensitize your pet by playing CDs that contain noises of thunderstorms, fireworks or gunshots.

Pick up leftover sparklers and other sharp objects when the night of festivities is over.

(6-30-09)

Using a lawnmower can be as routine as bike riding or barbeques during spring and summer. But often, people find themselves in terrifying situations with these seemingly safe household machines. In fact, 200,000 people – 16,000 of them children – are injured in lawn-mower-related accidents each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports.

However, lawn mowers don't "attack" on their own. Most injuries – such as severed fingers and toes, limb amputations, broken bones, burns and eye injuries – are caused by careless use and can be prevented by following a few simple safety tips.

The American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons (ASMS), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) have teamed up to prevent injuries and educate adults and children about the importance of lawnmower safety during National Safety Month, June 2009.

"In 19 years of practice as a plastic surgeon and microsurgeon, some of the most devastating and disabling injuries I've treated are from lawnmower accidents," says ASRM President Dr. William Zamboni. "It's especially concerning when children are injured since most of these injuries are preventable."

Many lawnmower-related injuries require a team of physicians from various specialties – plastic surgery, microsurgery, maxillofacial surgery, pediatrics and orthopedics – to properly repair them. Often, patients must endure painful reconstructive operations for months, sometimes years, to restore form and function.

"Power lawnmowers are dangerous adult tools, but many children, and sometimes adults unfortunately, see them as toys," says ASPS President Dr. John Canady. "Lawn mowing can be dangerous to the operator as well as those nearby if proper safety precautions aren't taken. Physicians in this coalition often repair these heart wrenching injuries, and we feel it's our duty to help people avoid these accidents in the first place."

The ASRM, ASPS, ASMS, AAP and AAOS offer the following tips to help prevent lawnmower-related injuries:

Children should be at least 12 years old before they operate any lawnmower, and at least 16 years old for a ride-on mower.

Children should never be passengers on ride-on mowers.

Always wear sturdy shoes while mowing – not sandals.

Young children should be at a safe distance from the area you are mowing.

Pick up stones, toys and debris from the lawn to prevent injuries from flying objects.

Always wear eye and hearing protection.

Use a mower with a control that stops it from moving forward if the handle is released.

Never pull backward or mow in reverse unless absolutely necessary – carefully look for others behind you when you do.

Start and refuel mowers outdoors – not in a garage. Refuel with the motor turned off and cool.

Blade settings should be set by an adult only.

Wait for blades to stop completely before removing the grass catcher, unclogging the discharge chute or crossing gravel roads. (As a safety feature, some newer models have a blade/brake clutch that stops the blade each time the operator releases the handle.)

"We are pleased to be part of this lawn mower injury prevention coalition," says ASMS President Dr. Kevin Kelly. "Maxillofacial plastic surgeons treat numerous facial injuries caused by lawnmowers, particularly to children, and the effects can be devastating. Very often, we see patients who suffer significant facial injuries by items thrown out of mowers like sticks and stones."

Photos of injured patients and a PSA video titled "When Lawn Mowers Attack" are available for download on ASPS' Web site at www.plasticsurgery.org/x8086.xml.

(6-30-09)

Swimming is a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy, but proper pool safety is essential. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBPSSA), which took effect in December 2008, now requires that new anti-entrapment devices be installed.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 300 children under the age of 5 drown in pools/spas each year and an additional 5,000 to 6,000 children are severely injured. Many of these accidents are due to broken or improperly installed drain covers. The VGBPSSA requires installation of new, stronger drain covers, which are designed to resist UV degradation and prevent body parts or hair from becoming trapped in the drain due to suction.

To help reduce the potential for accidents in and around the pool, NSF International, a public health and safety organization, is offering free pool safety tips on its Web site. NSF's recreational water safety experts have developed the following tips to help families create a safer swimming environment:

Make sure properly-sized drain covers are installed. Don't allow anyone to play with or remove a drain cover. Consider upgrading to new certified drain covers that meet the requirements of the VGBPSSA.

There is no substitute for adult supervision – a responsible adult should be present at the pool side at all times, especially when non-swimmers or small children are present.

Establish and enforce rules for pool use. Make sure kids do not run or play games near the pool and that any wheeled toys, such as tricycles, are kept away from the pool area.

Be sure to drain any standing water from the surface of the pool cover, as small children can drown in even the smallest amount of water. Always remove the cover completely before allowing anyone to swim. This will help prevent swimmers from getting trapped underneath the cover.

Make sure your pool area is surrounded by a fence that complies with local building codes. Gates leading to the pool area should have a self-closing and self-latching mechanism to prevent unauthorized entry.

Another option to help prevent unauthorized access to your pool would be a certified barrier or pool alarm. In addition to above-ground, floating and submerged alarms, there are even wristband alarms available that can be placed on small children to help alert parents if a child should accidentally fall into the water.

For more information, visit NSF.org.

(6-23-09)

Matthew Ranfone was only 2 years old when he slipped out of his Orlando home, into an enclosed patio area and through a pool fence into the backyard pool. His parents found him minutes later floating face down. Matthew Ranfone died 13 days later from the injuries sustained in the near drowning.

The Ranfone's story is not unique. It is estimated that in the last decade more than 100 children nationwide have drowned, nearly drowned or been injured after exiting the home through a pet door. Yet few parents know about this hidden hazard. Today Mathew's mother, Carol Ranfone, is launching a Web site, www.PetAccessDangers.org, to raise awareness of this danger and advocate for change in the industry.

"Our family has chosen to respond to Matthew's death by informing the public and working to ensure that pet doors are made safer," Carol Ranfone says. "Matthew didn't have a chance to grow up, but we hope that our advocacy will keep other children out of harm's way."

Pet-door-related drowning incidents have been identified through news stories, public health specialists, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and coroners/medical examiners. "But the total number to date underestimates the true scope of the problem because most accidental drownings are classified only by cause of death or injury and do not identify how the child accessed the water," says Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, whose firm has been researching the issue nationally. "Child injury researchers are well aware of the link between pet access doors and child injury and death, but many parents and caregivers do not appreciate the risk associated with use of a pet door, and how young children can drown, become lost, wander into streets, or otherwise become seriously injured or killed after exiting a home through a pet door."

The size of the opening appears deceptively small. Parents may believe that their child is safely contained inside the home. But an average "medium" pet door with a typical opening of 8 by 11 inches is recommended by manufacturers for use with pets up to 40 pounds. A 95th percentile, 3-year-old male child weighs only 38 pounds and can easily pass through this opening. Reasonable and economically feasible alternatives to the simple flap-style pet door closure exist, yet companies are still marketing and selling these doors with no locking mechanism and without warnings.

"Manufacturers, while quick to blame parents for a lack of supervision, are aware of the risk that pet doors pose to small children," says product safety attorney Henry Didier, who represents the Ranfone family. "These manufacturers are in a position to reduce or eliminate the risk before the consumer even purchases the product, and to date, they have not."

Through www.PetAccessDangers.org, Carol Ranfone hopes to spare other families from the pain her family has endured, and encourage the pet door industry to improve their designs. The Web site also urges public agencies, hospitals and medical examiners' offices to incorporate a coding system to provide more accurate data as to how a child may have reached the water or other hazard. This information is critical to understanding the true scope of the safety issues surrounding pet door products and the risk they pose to the public.

(6-02-09)

Fuji EnviroMAX, one of the first eco-respectful, high-performance batteries on the market, won two awards this month creating a "family friendly" identity for the brand.

The 2009 Seal of Approval from The National Parenting Center called the batteries "impressive" for their performance and reviewers vowed to rethink their own future battery purchases. The 2009 iParenting Media Award chose the batteries for Outstanding Product in the "Gear and Accessories" category as the "innovative product that will have a positive, long-term impact on the environment."

For more information about Fuji EnviroMAX batteries, visit www.greenfuji.com. Learn more about the iParenting Awards here. (5-26-09)

With Memorial Day around the corner, trauma season is upon us. Over the next four months, 17 children a day are expected to die from a traumatic injury that could have been prevented. A new Safe Kids USA study, sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, for the first time links research on a child's cognitive, behavioral and physical development at different stages of their life and the risk of unintentional injury because of these developmental limitations. The report, Raising Safe Kids: One Stage at a Time, also provides age-appropriate safety tips for parents and caregivers so they know exactly when and why to take certain safety precautions – at all ages of a child's development.

Here are some highlights from the research and examples of safety tips to assist in decreasing the number of preventable traumatic injuries to children this summer:

Infancy (0 to 12 months old):
Report finding: Infants, children ages 0 to 12 months, are a vulnerable group for unintentional injury, as they are just beginning their development and are completely reliant on adults for their care and safety. It is the parent's or caregiver's responsibility to create a safe environment for infants.

Tip: Never leave a child alone in a car. When left in a vehicle, even on a cool but sunny day, a young child's core body temperature may increase three to five times faster than an adult's. This can cause permanent injury or even death.

Early Childhood (children 1 to 4 years old):
Report finding: Due to their underdeveloped muscles and bones and limited sensory abilities, they're more prone to falls. Since social skills are not yet developed, children this age imitate others and surpass their physical abilities for climbing or using playground equipment, increasing the likelihood of an injury.

Tip: Provide safe places to play. Only allow your child to play on playgrounds with 12 inches of safe surfaces such as shredded rubber, hardwood fiber/mulch or fine sand below the equipment to reduce the risk of serious injuries in case of a fall.

Middle Childhood (5 to 9 years old):
Report finding: Since this age group is more likely to play in groups, they are more vulnerable to peer pressure for participating in risky playground behaviors such as misuse of playground equipment and jumping from swings or parallel bars.

Tip: Make sure children use age-appropriate playground equipment for 5- to 12-year-olds. Children enjoy playing in groups and are more vulnerable to peer pressure for misusing playground equipment. Tell them what equipment is appropriate for their age levels.

Early Adolescence (10 to 14 years old):
Report finding: Visual perception is less defined even for early adolescents and they still lack the ability to discern an object from within a noisy background – an important skill to have to identify oncoming cars.

Tip: Make sure your child wears a helmet and protective gear every time he/she uses a bike, scooter, skateboard and inline skates. Nearly 630 children are injured daily from a bicycle-related incident, yet 15 to 20 percent of children don't wear helmets when on a bike. A helmet can prevent more than 80 percent of serious traumatic brain injuries if that child falls or is hit by a car.

(5-26-09)

With Memorial Day weekend approaching and pools across the country opening, a new report released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) provides updated figures on child drowning deaths and injuries in pools and spas. CPSC's latest data reveals that nearly 300 children younger than 5 drown in pools and spas each year, and about 3,000 suffer pool or spa-related injuries requiring attention at hospital emergency rooms.

About two-thirds of the pool and spa-related deaths and injuries involve children ages 1 to 2, with about 80 percent of the drowning fatalities occurring in residential settings, such as the victim's home, a family or friend's house or at a neighbor's residence.

New data from CPSC also shows that from 1999 through 2008, there were 83 reports of pool and spa entrapments, including 11 deaths and 69 injuries. Since 1999, 14 percent of the reported suction/entrapment incidents at pools or spas were fatal.

At a press conference on Capitol Hill, CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord joined Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Safe Kids USA, and Scott Taylor (the father of Abigail Taylor, who suffered fatal injuries from an evisceration incident in a wading pool), to encourage parents, caregivers and pool owners to make safety a top priority as the summer swim season officially opens.

"Preventing child drownings is a key part of CPSC's mission. I call upon all parents, caregivers and pool and spa operators to ensure that fencing and other layers of protection are in place; that there is constant supervision of children in and around the water; and that new, safer drain covers that prevent entrapment incidents are installed," says Acting Chairman Nord.

"I want to thank the Congress for providing CPSC with funds this year to implement the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. This is an important child safety law and CPSC will use the new funds to increase compliance with the law, educate on pool and spa safety measures, implement the state grant program, partner with state and local government on enforcement, and make pools and spas even safer," adds Nord.

The Pool and Spa Safety Act (P&SSAct) went into effect on December 19, 2008, and requires all public pools and spas to have anti-entrapment drain covers, and in certain circumstances, an additional anti-entrapment system. CPSC has prioritized public wading pools, kiddie pools and in-ground spas as the key areas of focus for enforcement and has called upon state departments of health to assist the agency in enforcing the law.

CPSC is also announcing the launch of a new Web site – www.PoolSafety.gov – which serves as a valuable source for information about the P&SSAct and drowning prevention. The new site provides information for the general public, the swimming pool and spa community, state and local officials and the media.

Drowning occurs more commonly when children get access to the pool during a short lapse in adult supervision. To reduce the risk of drowning, pool owners should adopt several layers of protection, including physical barriers, such as a fence completely surrounding the pool with self-closing, self-latching gates to prevent unsupervised access by young children. If the house forms a side of the barrier, use alarms on doors leading to the pool area and/or a power safety cover over the pool. In addition, reports of children exiting the house via a pet door have been on the rise.

(5-26-09)

As the concern over swine flu (H1N1) grows in school districts and communities across the country and around the world, children and families can become anxious. Parents may be looking for help on how to talk to their children and may not know how or when to communicate with the school. That's why the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), National Association of School Nurses, and the National Association of School Psychologists have joined together to provide parents with information they may need about swine flu and tips for talking to their children about the situation.

Although it's important to be cautious and vigilant, it's equally important not to panic, say experts. When talking to children, the key is to provide prevention information without causing alarm. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help prevent and reduce any anxiety.

Here are 10 tips on talking to children about swine flu:

Remain calm and reassuring. Your children will react to and follow your verbal and nonverbal reactions.

Make yourself available. Your children may need extra attention from you and may want to talk about their concerns and questions. Make time for them.

Know the symptoms of swine flu and how it spreads. Symptoms of swine flu include fever, sore throat and cough, among others.

Review basic hygiene practices. Encourage children to practice everyday good hygiene by washing their hands, by covering their mouths with a tissue when they sneeze or cough and by not sharing food or drinks.

Be honest and accurate. In the absence of factual information, children often imagine situations far worse than reality. Also, parents should be frank with their children in a manner that is appropriate for their age.

Discuss new rules or practices at school. Many schools will be enforcing prevention habits.

Avoid excessive blaming. It is important to avoid stereotyping any one group of people as responsible for the virus.

Monitor television viewing. Limit television viewing or access to information on the Internet. Constantly watching updates on the status of the flu virus can increase anxiety.

Maintain a normal routine to the extent possible. Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring and promotes physical health.

Communicate with your school. Let your school know if your child is sick, and keep him or her home. Talk to your school nurse, school psychologist, school counselor or school social worker if your child is having difficulties as a result of anxiety or stress related to the flu. Follow all instructions from your school.

The complete handout, "Talking to Children About H1N1 (Swine) Flu: A Parent Resource," an audio version of the guidelines and additional resources are available on all of the following Web sites: www.pta.org, www.nasn.org or www.nasponline.org.

(5-19-09)

A new study demonstrates that swim diapers will somewhat reduce, but will not prevent, the spread of recreational water illness (RWI) of the most common cause of documented outbreaks, Cryptosporidium (Crypto).

Scientists from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte (UNC-Charlotte) reported at the Swimming Pool & Spa International Conference in London, England, that swim diapers help by slowing down the release of disease-causing germs, but the benefits are short lived. Crypto is spread by diarrhea from infected people or mammals and is the single largest illness threat to pool users. To prevent the spread of Crypto, officials advise that people should not get in the water if they have diarrhea.

The researchers measured the amount of microsphere released from swim diapers worn by children. The microspheres were plastic particles that have a similar size (five microns) to that of Crypto. Normal swim trunks, common disposable diapers and reusable diapers with and without vinyl diaper covers were tested. Swimming trunks without a swim diaper of any kind had the poorest performance – almost 90 percent of the microspheres were released into the water within one minute.

Swim diapers released at least 50 percent of the microspheres within one minute. Placement of a vinyl diaper cover over a disposable swim diaper slightly improved performance. In all cases, 25 percent or more of the microspheres were detected in the water within two minutes.

"When a fecal accident contains about a billion disease-causing Crypto oocysts, hundreds of millions of oocysts get into the water within minutes," says Dr. James Amburgey. "The retention of diarrhea in swim diapers is very short-lived. Swimmers only need to ingest about 10 Crypto oocysts to become infected. What are the odds you will know the moment the child has an accident and immediately remove him/her from the pool?"

Crypto, a parasite that causes diarrhea and dehydration, is one of the most common causes of documented recreational water illness outbreaks. It is found in infected people's stool and cannot be seen by the naked eye. This germ is highly resistant to chlorine disinfectants used in pools.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that Crypto outbreaks continue to increase. In recent years, outbreaks have impacted thousands. Since Crypto is resistant to chlorine, as bathers visit other pools, the outbreak spreads from facility to facility. Regional outbreaks have spread throughout certain states (New York, Utah, Texas and New Mexico) and can last for months.

For more tips, click here.

(5-19-09)