Resources & Links
General Health and Safety Information
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Is it the Flu? You Can Treat and Prevent!
Every year, up to 60 million people in the United States come down with the flu. Besides the distress of the illness, daily life can be disrupted. Knowing the difference between a cold and the flu, as well as how to prevent and treat it, can help keep your family healthy this flu season.
For more info about the flu, visit these websites:
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Immunizations
For comprehensive information about vaccines and immunization schedules for newborns, toddlers, adolescents and teenagers, visit these websites:
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Facts for Parents about Autism and Vaccine Safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) understands that parents may have concerns about vaccinating their children. Vaccines are one of the most successful medical advances of all time. Vaccine safety is an issue of great importance to the AAP and to pediatricians, who support ongoing research and increased funding in this area. In addition, the AAP supports further research into the causes of autism.
Read more on the AAP’s autism information page
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Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment for Children with Autism
Currently, Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, has emerged as a promising, empirically supported intervention for children on the autism spectrum. Utilizing individualized design, measurement, and implementation of behavioral modification, ABA aims to significantly improve social behavior. For more information, visit www.shapingbehavior.com.
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Helpful Websites about Autism
Autism Speaks
The nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
National Autistic Society
Based in the U.K. but provides useful information for U.S. residents. Telephone hotline and free parent-to-parent telephone service, support, schools, news, and events.
Autism Research at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Most current information about NICHD research projects, publications, news releases, and other activities related to autism. Available in Spanish.
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Nutrition and Childhood Obesity
www.mypyramid.gov
MyPyramid offers personalized eating plans and interactive tools to help you plan and assess food choices for you and your children based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Milk Matters
New online resources stressing the importance of calcium for bone health
"We Can!" (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition)
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) have joined forces to help children maintain a healthy weight. As part of the "We Can!" (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) national education program, NCNW members will offer workshops and demonstrations for parents and children on healthy lifestyles.
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Lead Risks
Parents can follow these general guidelines to minimize the risk of purchasing lead-contaminated toys and children's products:
- Avoid purchasing non-brand toys.
- Avoid purchasing toys from discount shops and private vendors.
- Do not purchase old toys.
- Do not give costume jewelry to young children.
From the AAP News: Lead is not absorbed through intact skin and cannot be inhaled from playing with these products. In the absence of significant mouthing, chewing, or swallowing by children, the threat from these products can be considered low and certainly lower than the threat of lead-contaminating paid in the home.
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Cook Up a Recipe for Safety in Your Kitchen
Letting children help you cook can be a great educational opportunity and a fun way to bond. But when a hot stove, scalding water or sharp knives are involved, things can get dicey. Therefore, it's important to minimize the hazards found in your kitchen.
Scalds and thermal burns are among the most common childhood injuries, with scalds approximately twice as common as burns, according to a study in the June 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The most common scenario is when a child pulls a pot of hot water off the stove or spills a container of hot water.
The recent death of a five-year-old after he sustained extensive burns when his bike crashed into a turkey fryer full of boiling oil illustrates the dangers of hot liquids.
Other kitchen hazards include unsanitary food preparation and choking.
The AAP and The Nemours Foundation's KidsHealth Web site (www.kidshealth.org) offer the following tips to keep kids safe in the kitchen:
General Safety
- Always supervise your child in the kitchen.
- Keep the kitchen organized and clean to avoid tripping and other accidents.
Food Safety
- Always thaw meat in the refrigerator, not on the countertop where children could reach it.
- Don't leave anything that needs refrigeration at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Teach children to wash their hands frequently when cooking.
Heat Safety
- Don't let children play near the stove. Put them in a high chair or gate them out of the kitchen when the oven is on.
- Don't let kids wear baggy clothing while cooking since these items can be fire hazards.
- If you can't leave your hand on a surface for more than 10 seconds, the heat could be dangerous for a child.
- Keep hot liquids and foods away from the edges of tables, place hot pots and pans on back burners, and keep handles facing in so kids can't grab them.
- Don't allow children to touch the inside of the oven door when you open it to remove something that was baking inside.
- Consider using an oven door guard to prevent a child's hands from touching the hot oven door.
Allison Bond, 2008, American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP News
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Get Involved in Health Care Reform
The American Medical Association has a new website for patients to get involved in reforming health care to better serve families and children. Get involved at www.patientsactionnetwork.com.
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