Could a Baby Die Asleep in a Car Seat on the Floor?
Tragedy struck a North Dakota family when one of their twins died at daycare in his sleep. The daycare workers usually took the babies out of their car seats. At drop off, Linnea was taken out of her car seat. But her twin brother, Anders Jungling fell asleep. Just a few hours later, his mom, Rachel, got the phone call. He died quietly in his sleep … in his car seat. Rachel didn’t understand why he was still in his car seat. The daycare workers didn’t know that a baby could die in a car seat placed on the floor. So, they let him sleep.
Why Does Any Mother or Caretaker Leave a Baby Asleep in the Car Seat?
The reasons are many …
“I’m just so tired.”
“He finally fell asleep.”
“He has such bad colic & has been crying all day. He needs the sleep.”
“I’ll leave him there for just 30 minutes.”
“If I take him out, it’ll take forever to get him back to sleep.”
“I’ve always heard to let sleeping babies lie.”
And many, many more.
How Many of Us Have Left Our Baby Asleep in a Car Seat?
I’ve been guilty of that. I remember constantly checking, every 2-5 minutes if my sleeping son was okay in the car seat. Then, it finally dawned on me that the little bit of sleep he would get in his car seat was causing me extreme stress and additional mental unrest. Why was I doing that to myself? He had horrible colic. He was only getting a maximum of 3 hours daily. In the end, I couldn’t reconcile his much-needed sleep with my ever-increasing madness. I’m sure my sleep deprivation made me think unclearly. Mentally, I just couldn’t take the risk anymore. And so, I took him out of his car seat. And he cried. A lot. I hated it. Praying he would just fall back asleep each time, but he didn’t. So, many a night, I would drive with him until he slept in the car. I can understand why anyone would leave a baby in a car seat. However, we just can’t because they could die of positional asphyxia.
What is Positional Asphyxia?
Positional asphyxia happens when an infant stops breathing when they are either placed or fall asleep in an unsafe sleeping environment or an unsafe position.
How Can Positional Asphyxia Occur in a Car Seat?
A baby can sleep safely in a car seat placed in a car because the car seat is placed at an angle. when the car seat is at an angle, a baby’s heavy head remains backward and their airways remain open. On the floor, the baby’s head tilts forward and closes their airway. The baby will not fight the asphyxiation. They will die quietly in their sleep.
What are Some Unsafe Environments for Baby’s Sleep?
Car Seat
Bed-sharing
Objects in the bed, such as blankets, pillows, stuffed animals
Sofas
Waterbed
Beanbag Chair
What are Some Unsafe Positions for Baby’s Sleep?
Side sleeping
Sleeping facedown
Sleeping with the head covered (in a car seat)
Face against a soft surface (bed bumpers, parent’s chest)
What are the ABCs of Safe Sleep?
Alone – Babies need to sleep alone in a crib without anything that could suffocate them (bed bumpers, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, pacifiers made with attached plushies). Back – Babies need to sleep on their backs (no side sleeping or face down sleeping). Crib – Babies need to sleep in a crib or a flat bassinet (not a car seat, swing, adult bed, etc).
Is This Rare? Why Change if Nothing Bad Has Happened to Anyone I Know?
You may not hear or know someone whose baby died of positional asphyxia, but it’s not worth taking the risk. In my pediatric career, in over 20 years, I’ve had 3 children that I’ve cared for die from positional asphyxia. If it happens to you or someone you know, it’s life-changing. You have to live with the pain and regret, forever wondering, if you had only changed, would life have been different? It’s just not worth it.
E-cigarette cancer chemicals have increased in teens. Before we get into the details, let’s review the background of E-cigarettes. E-cigs are electronic cigarettes that have liquids that contain many chemicals including nicotine, and fruity and other flavors. They are battery-powered and mimic cigarettes, but don’t have the smell of smoke. The liquid changes into a vapor due to the heat in an e-cig. Hence, it’s also called “vaping.”
What is Juuling?
There is a new teen trend called “Juuling.” Juuling is an e-cig that is thin, looks like a flash drive, and charge in a USB port. A juul produces less smoke which disappears more quickly. Hence, teens are able to juul at school and home without parents’ knowledge. In comparison to smoking cigarettes, one juul pod (cartridge) has as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
Caffeine sensitivity – they decrease their caffeine intake.
Nosebleeds
Higher rates of pneumonia
E-Cigarette Cancer Causing Chemicals
Juul Looks Like a Flashdrive
They’ve been advertised as a safe alternative to cigarettes. They’ve also been advertised as an aid to stopping smoking. Since e-cigs don’t burn tobacco, they don’t burn the same amounts of tar ans carbon monoxide. However, e-cigarettes are unsafe, contain high levels of nicotine, and do not help in smoking cessation. E-cigs and juuls have many cancer-causing chemicals (acrylonitrile, acrolein, acrylamide, benzene and ethylene and propylene oxide, and crotonaldehyde).
Study Showed E-Cigarette Cancer Chemicals Increased in Teens
In a recent study of 100 teens from the San Francisco Bay area by the University of California-San Francisco study: 67 teens used e-cigs only, 16 used both e-cigs and conventional cigs and 20 didn’t smoke or vape at all. Urine and salivary gland fluids tested positive for cancer-causing chemicals in teen smokers. It revealed that teens who used e-cigs and cigarettes had three (3) times higher amounts of these e-cigarette cancer causing chemicals in their body fluids as compared to the teens that used only e-cigs. It revealed that the teens that used e-cigs only had three (3) times higher amounts of these e-cigarette cancer causing chemicals in their body fluids as compared to the teens that didn’t smoke at all. Lastly, the study also showed that teens who used fruit-flavored e-cigarettes had significantly elevated levels of acrylonitrile as compared with those who used other flavors, such as menthol.
Is Advertising Increasing E-Cig Usage by Teens?
The CDC has reported that teens view ads for e-cigarettes more than before; the exposure increased from about 69% in 2014 to about 78% in 2016. Retail stores have exposed teens to e-cigs the most in comparison to other ads like those found on TV, internet, or magazines. Since studies show that ads for tobacco products show increased use by teens, it is very likely that ads for e-cigs are also increasing use among teens.
FDA Sued for Delay in E-Cig Regulations
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its Maryland chapter, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, four other public health groups and five pediatricians filed a lawsuit against the FDA for delaying submission product-review applications for cigars and e-cigarettes until August 2021 and August 2022, respectively. This leaves children at increased risk of cancer and other negative side effects from e-cigs.
Learn & Talk About the Risks of E-Cigarettes with Your Kids
Sexual Abuse by MSU’s Former Dean on Medical Students
Olympics Sexual Abuse – Photo by Claudia Soraya on Unsplash
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, William Strampel, former dean of Michigan State University’s (MSU) osteopathic medical school from 2002 to 2017, was arrested Monday evening and taken to jail on four charges — one felony and three misdemeanors. He was charged with sexual assault and sexual harassment against four (4) former medical students at MSU. He also failed to deal appropriately with complaints about Larry Nassar. The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has an ongoing investigation of the role others at the school may have played in crimes committed by Mr. Nassar, the former MSU and USA Gymnastics physician accused by more than 250 girls and women of sexual abuse.
Nassar Sentencings
In January 2018, Former U.S. Olympics Medical Doctor, Nassar was sentenced to 175 years for sexual abuse of over 250 female athletes. Prior to that he was sentenced to 60 years jail time for ownership of thousands of images of child pornography.
Nassar Coverup
How did he do so much to so many young girls and ladies? He sexually abused over 250 girls and women. Surely, people knew. Now, Strampel, his ex-boss at MSU Medical School has been charged with sexual assault and harassment of female medical school students. Nassarwas USA Gymnastics’ national medical coordinator since 1996 until he was fired in 2015. In April 2014, when Amanda Thomashow, a MSU student,complained about Nassar’s sexual abuse of her on campus, Mr. Strampel stopped Nassar from treating students for two (2) months, then came up with protocols, in order to prevent the same “misunderstanding” from happening again. However, Strampel never told anyone at MSU or the authorities the accusations, Nassar’s conduct, or Strampel’s plans. In August, only two (2) months later, another woman complained again. Nassar admitted he didn’t follow any of Strampel’s guidelines.
Nassar Fired
One has to wonder why? Simply, Strampel admitted to Michigan State police and the FBI that he never followed up to see if Nassar was following the protocols. Protecting MSU’s reputation may have indeed had something to do with it. However, Strampel was also protecting himself. Authorities have since found evidence to Strampel’s own crimes on his work computer. Allegedly, investigators found about 50 photos of pornography, many of them he solicited from MSU students Also, shockingly, a video of Nassar performing “treatment” on a young female patient. So Strampel knew all along, but did nothing to stop, prevent, or report it. Clearly, he was protecting himself.
Female Gymnastics Athletes Accuse Nassar
Mr. Nassar’s sexual abuse of female athletes was not limited to USA Gymnastics, it also included his time spent with the USA Olympic team at Karolyi Ranch (now closed, former US Women’s National Team Training Center and a US Olympic Training Site), MSU, Twistars gymnastics club in Michigan, his office, and his home, sometimes while parents were in the room. He’d explain that his intravaginal therapy was medical treatment for their hip and physical injuries. However, even if there weren’t hip injuries, he would still perform his intravaginal treatments. He also didn’t use exam gloves.
These young girls felt uncomfortable with his treatments, but didn’t know that it was sexual abuse. They didn’t want his treatments anymore. Mattie Larson gave herself a head injury in order to avoid going to Karolyi Ranch. She was abused from the time she was 14 years old for five (5) years until she retired in 2011 at 19 years old. Olympic Gold medaist, Aly Raisman was one of many young women who confronted Larry Nassar in court prior to his sentencing regarding the sexual abuse. She had spoken in a most compelling, strong and determined manner. The video of Aly Raisman’s court speech is compelling beyond words. Other Olympic gold gymnasts, Simon Biles and Gabby Douglas state they were abused by Nassar as well. Lawsuits by Aly Raisman and another Olympic gymnast, McKayla Maroney have been filed against MSU, USOC, and USA Gymnastics.
First Male Gymnastics Athlete Accuses Nassar
On March 2, 2018, Jacob Moore became the first male athlete to accuse Nassar of sexual abuse. How many other men will follow? Time will tell; but I wouldn’t doubt that there’s many more. He and his sister filed a lawsuit against, stating they were sexually abused and harassed by Nassar. Moore, his sister, along with 200 women filed a federal lawsuit against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and MSU. Moore states that Nassar brought Moore to his basement treating his shoulder injury with genital and pubic acupuncture.
Fallout from the Scandal
In the fallout of the scandal, many more people in position of high authority in their perspective organizations have resigned, been suspended, or fired. Their involvement, lack of action, suppression of information, ability to ignore and look away, essentially helped Nassar commit his many crimes against these ladies. MSU’s President Lou Anna Simon and Athletic Director Mark Hollis, USA Gymnastics Board of Directors’ Chairman Paul Parilla, Vice Chairman Jay Binder and Treasurer Bitsy Kelley all resigned after Mr. Nasar’sNasar’s sentencing. USA Gymnastics suspended former U.S. women’s national team coach John Geddert, the owner of the Twistars. US Olympic Committee (USOC) CEO Scott Blackmun resigned as well. How many more will fall? Undoubtedly many more will fall. Wait and see.
Talking to My Patients About Sexual Abuse?
It is important to talk to both our daughters and our sons about sexual abuse. It’s important to discuss details. Of course, age appropriate conversations need to take place. As a pediatrician, whenever it’s time to examine genitalia, I’ve always done so with the parent/trusted adult in the exam room. I talk with children about feeling safe when a parent or a trusted adult is around, that know one should look at you, touch you, or touch your private boy/girl parts, mouth, or bottom alone, not even a girl doctor like me.
How Do I Talk with My Kids about Sexual Abuse?
On a personal note, we have had this conversation with our son several times since he was seven (7) years old. The talk has changed over the years. As his body self-awareness increased, suddenly, I realized I was only discussing his “front” genitalia. One day, I asked my young son, “What if someone wants to touch you butt? What if they want to put something in your mouth?” Shockingly, his young self said, “Okay.” I had to teach him that it wasn’t okay. Does Mommy or Daddy every put anything in your mouth? Your butt? Then, he realized it wasn’t okay.
Nowadays, I talk with him directly about Larry Nassar, how he groomed these girls and the boys, the horrible secrecy, the bravery of the girls and the boys who tell their stories. Frankly, he needs to know that these monsters exist, that they don’t look like monsters, that their friendly at first, until they trap you. But they can be stopped. He can avoid them, and needs to talk about them just like these women and young man did.
I’ve also taught him that if he sees something happening to someone else, he needs to say something. Children sometimes don’t want anyone to know what they’ve seen. They may not feel safe. They may not feel their parents can be safe if they tell. So, it’s important to let them know that abuse can be reported anonymously by calling 1-800-FL-ABUSE. Silence is dangerous.
How to Talk About Sexual Abuse with Your Children
It is so important to talk with our children about sexual abuse. These brave young girls, women, and young man have helped open doors to this conversation. No one ever thinks it will happen to their children. Usually, it’s by someone the child knows, as opposed to a total stranger. In fact, the sexual abuser usually grooms them to make them feel special. The MeToo Movement showcases exactly how important it is for parents to discuss sexual abuse with their children. It is an uncomfortable discussion. But it’s never enough conversation. Repetition over the different ages is crucial, as children’s understanding increases with age. Parents are the key. Reading the AAP article about sexual abuse can help you start this conversation, recognize risk factors, and prevent sexual abuse from happening to your children. Talk about it, the abuse you talk about today may be the abuse you prevent tomorrow.
America had a truly historical moment on Saturday, March 24, 2018. The March For Our Lives was led by the student survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, FL. There were 800,000 teens and adults who attended the March in Washington, DC. Many more attended in cities across the U.S. to demand change in gun laws and talk about gun violence in America.
Gun Violence in America
A March led by our minors is amazing. Even more amazing is that they included all others affected by gun violence in America, including domestic gun violence victims, police gun violence victims, and more. This was not just a march to stop school shootings and school violence. They made a statement that “Enough is Enough”.
Articulate Teens
They were also incredibly articulate. In an era when so many think children are just children, it was wonderful to see them show the world that our American children can stand up for themselves, provide valuable statistics to support their positions, and be able to address our Congressional leaders with words and action. They are stating that when they are eligible to vote, that they will vote based on this sole cause. Many don’t believe they will follow through on their actions. However, many don’t realize that once your voice has been heard, you are a force to be reckoned with always.
Students Speak Up
Several students stood out. Emma Gonzalez spoke and stood in silence for about 6.5 minutes to honor to victims of the Marjory Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018. This was less than the duration of the school’s shooting. It was symbolic of the time that students and teachers died, were injured, and were hiding in fear. The silence was deafening and powerful.
Samantha Fuentes, another Parkland school shooting survivor with gun wounds on both legs and shrapnel on her face stood up for herself and her friend, Nicholas Dworet, who died and would’ve turned 18 years old on the day of the march. Overcome with emotion, she vomited behind the podium and persevered with her speech and led the crowd in a Happy Birthday song to her beloved dead friend. She was courageous and empowered. David Hogg, another survivor stated, “The people in power are shaking.” The most popular chant at the march was “Vote Them Out.”
The students have detailed explanations in their “Manifesto to Fix America’s Gun Laws,” as listed in their words, in their guest editorial in the Guardian. These are the nine (9) gun law changes they request, as written by the editorial staff students of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas newspaper, the Eagle Eye:
Ban on semi-automatic weapons that fire high-velocity rounds
Ban accessories that simulate automatic weapons (e.g. bump stocks)
Establish a database for gun sales and universal background checks
Change privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement
Close the gun show loophole and loophole for second-hand gun sales
Allow the CDC to make recommendations for gun reform
Raise the firearm purchase age to 21
Dedicate more funds to mental health research and professionals
Increase funding for school security
Democracy at Work
This march shows how a democracy works. It shows that everyone can use their voice. It has empowered many of our youth for the future. The future is in our children. Wait and watch because gun violence is only the beginning for these children, these future lawmakers, these activists; their future has so much more ahead!
A 9 month old infant girl from Connecticut was found to have lead poisoning. Doctors discovered that the young infant had a high lead level during her routine physical exam.
CDC Report
According to a report (http://bit.ly/2wBf8LJ) by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on August 31, 2017, her blood lead level of 41 micrograms per deciliter of lead was much higher than acceptable. According to CDC, an acceptable blood level is up to 5 micrograms per deciliter.
Home Investigation
Investigators reviewed the home in detail. Although there was lead paint on two of the windows in the home, the infant girl was not able to reach those windows, so she couldn’t have contracted lead poisoning from them. In addition, the her 3-year-old and 5-year-old siblings didn’t have lead poisoning, so the windows were not the source of the lead.
Teething Bracelet
The baby girl’s parents bought her a homeopathic magnetic bracelet to help with teething pain. She had used the bracelet for teething relief, chewing on it, causing her to ingest the lead. The homeopathic community believes magnets help with healing. Tests on the beads of the bracelet revealed that it contained 17,000 parts per million (ppm). According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), for the most part, products containing 90 to 100 ppm are considered safe.
Chewing & Lead Poisoning
Please be careful with items that your child may chew on. Sadly, each year, there are recalls on children’s jewelry due to high levels of lead and cadmium poisoning (https://drsilvatotstweensandteens.com/2010/02/cadmium-jewelry-poisoning.html). Infants and toddlers place objects in their mouths as part of their development and natural curiosity. They learn about their world orally, in this fashion. Depending upon the lead level in a child’s body, lead poisoning has long-term consequences including, but not limited to lower IQ, speech delay, behavior problems, seizures, and death. Treatment does not necessarily reverse the negative effects of lead on the brain and body.
Routine Physical Exam & Lead Testing
Please remember to follow-up with your pediatrician for your child’s physical exam, as so much is done at these visits, including lead level testing, if recommended. Consider buying a lead surface test kit for your children’s toys or objects they may place in their mouths, as lead poisoning is a nightmare for any family to handle whether from teething bracelet or toys.
On April 20, 2017, the FDA recalled Hyland’s homeopathic teething tablets. This article was update on 9/16/19.
For many years now, many parents have asked me if I recommend teething tablets and if they even work. I always told them that didn’t recommend them because the ingredient concentrations are not known or clear.
Hyland’s website used to lists the ingredients and their benefits as follows:
Belladonna is listed as 12X HPUS. How much is this? Is it really safe for our babies? In addition, in 2010, the FDA has also advised against these tablets due to inconsistent dosing of Belladonna alkaloids from bottle to bottle (http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/12/health/hylands-teething-tablets-discontinued-fda-warning/). If I didn’t know what I was really giving to my baby, I wouldn’t give it to my baby. Therefore, if I couldn’t give it to my baby, I couldn’t recommend it as a pediatrician.
In addition, I used to tell parents that based on parents’ feedback, it seemed that these tablets worked about 50% of the time. Given that it wasn’t consistently helpful, I didn’t recommend them.
Hyland’s Teething Tablets Recalled
Now, I say even more. I say absolutely not. There have been ten (10) deaths linked to Hyland’s teething tablets. “The FDA concluded that the products have mislabeled the amounts of belladonna alkaloids they contain.” (http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/health/hylands-teething-tablet-fda-recall-bn/) There have also been seizures linked to them as well. There are of course other homeopathic teething tablets. However, the same problem exists. How much of each ingredient is in each tablet? Unknown. So, the bottom line is, I don’t recommend teething tablets.
What To Do For Teething Pain Relief
So the question remains, what to do to help relieve the pain? There are several recommendations:
(1) Use a cold wet wash cloth (kept in the fridge) that your baby can chew on.
(2) Have your child chew on a frozen bagel.
(3) Have your child chew on a frozen banana.
(4) Have your child chew on an ice cube.
Be careful with any of these items that your child can chew on. Always supervise your baby in order to prevent your child choking. In addition, chewing on a frozen item needs to be for a limited time to prevent physical injury due to prolonged cold. I recommend using a fresh food feeder. This is essentially a small mesh bag that your infant can chew on without choking. As always supervise that as well.
Teething is a painful time in infants’ lives. However, teething tablets or bells that contain belladonna and/or benzocaine are not recommended.
‘Tis the season to be decorating! Many families celebrating Christmas have already or will soon decorate the outside and inside of their homes, celebrating in style. But for some of you, safety may be a concern. Both infants and toddlers can become injured by electrical outlets, ornaments and even a Christmas tree. This may be the first year you’ve had to think about safety issues at Christmas either because you are a first time parent or because your toddler has started developing an interest for these lovely decorations.
If your stories include, “I woke up to find all the ornaments smashed all over the floor,” or “My infant had a glass ornament break in his mouth,” then here are my top 10 suggestions for you:
1. Use plastic ornaments.
Learn to see the world through a child’s eyes. These shiny and sparkling ornaments attract your child like a moth to a flame. Glass or sharp/pointy ornaments in his/her mouth can cause injury.
2. Use garland instead of lights. Remove the temptation to play with the light bulbs or the electric light sockets.
3. Keep electric sockets covered. If you have not already purchased these, these covers are available at a number of local pharmacies and stores.
4. Keep lights out of reach from all children. Depending on the bulbs used, this can hurt sensitive little fingers or hands. Not to mention, older toddlers can pull the bulbs apart from the light set. They can chew on them or offer them to the younger children in the home. In addition, the light set can be pulled causing the Christmas tree to topple onto your child.
5. Avoid ornaments & lights at the bottom of your tree. Some families decorate the top ½ or ¾ of the tree to help their child resist temptation. Again, for the same reason that when pulled, the Christmas tree could fall onto your child.
6. Use play yard gates to surround your Christmas tree. To avoid direct contact all together, these gates are the best. You can find them at your local store or by doing an internet search for Superyard XT Pay Yard.
7. Keep candy dishes out of reach. Your child can choke on a lot of traditional candy. In addition, if they pull the candy dish, it may fall & shatter onto the floor. Then, your child might get glass or ceramic cuts on their hands, feet, or elsewhere.
8. Avoid marshmallows. This is a fun treat if used appropriately. However, small children and even older children have choked on this. Some have even died. Marshmallow does not dissolve. So, it would be very hard, if not impossible to get this out of your child’s throat, even if you know how to use the Heimlich maneuver. Two very famous cases involved the death of a 12 year old girl in 1999 and a 32 year old woman in 2006 while playing the “Chubby Bunny” game (http://bit.ly/1sqHoWR).
9. Ask for help; have someone watch your child while you decorate.
It’s hard to keep your children away from all the decor while still trying to decorate. A watchful eye is especially needed if you are decorating the outside of your home. Children have a way of getting into trouble or hurting themselves whenever you are not looking. As a pediatrician, I commonly hear, “It was only a minute.” Then, injury occurs.
10. Lastly, be careful when you gift wrap.
Even wrapping gifts can result in an injury. It may only be bags, wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, & scissors to you, but it’s a gold mine for your child. If left unattended, small children can suffocate in plastic bags and cut themselves with scissors. Keep these items out of your child’s reach at all times.
A Christmas tree and Christmas time decorations can be a wonderfully fun time at home, as long as you keep safety in mind.
In the July 7, 2014 issue of People magazine, there was an article called, “6-Year-Old Football Players, Too Young to Tackle?” The article discusses the Tri-County Titans, a competitive tackle football team in the Texas Youth Football Association. What makes the Tri-County Titans so unique? They are a team comprised of 6 year olds. They were highlighted on Friday Night Tykes, a TV show on Esquire Network. There’s been a lot of controversy regarding these elementary kids playing football. So what’s wrong with 6 year olds playing football? Nothing, except, these young kids are playing tackle football. While the article discusses the potentially negative impact of competitive football among elementary school kids, I would like to focus on an important issue, concussions in football and children.
Concussions & Concussion Symptoms
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that typically occurs when there is a sudden movement of the brain due to an injury such as a blow to the head, a jarring of the head, or a fall. Concussion symptoms can be various and linger. Symptoms may include disordered thinking, memory loss, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty sleeping, and more. There are new guidelines for returning to sports after a concussion. These serve to promote brain healing and prevent additional injury.
Concussions in Children
Concussions and other injuries are more likely to occur with tackle football than flag football. Concussions have a huge impact for children. The reality is that once someone has had a concussion, they are more likely to have additional concussions. Repeated concussions are repeated brain injuries. What does that mean for the brain? It increases the likelihood of chronic lifelong brain damage. What does that mean to our youth? The younger the child has a concussion, the more likely they are to have more concussions in their sports lifetime. The growing brain in the child with repeated concussions is uniquely susceptible to brain damage with prolonged effects, especially if the family and child are planning a life with many years of football or high-impact sports participation.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Concussions have come to public attention in recent years due to all of the attention received by concussions in the NFL. Many NFL players have lifelong effects from repeated concussions. In 2013, there was a “$765 million settlement over concussion-related brain injuries among its 18,000 retired players, agreeing to compensate victims, pay for medical exams and underwrite research.” Repeated concussions can cause a degenerative brain disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE can manifest as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Measures are being taken in the medical and school communities to help prevent our children from getting concussions during all sports, not just football. Doctors, coaches, and parents are also more aware of concussion symptoms.
Support & Resources
If your child suffers a sports related injury, make sure to go to his or her doctor. Also, make sure your child receives an extra exam that clears him or her to return to their sport. More importantly,even before a potential injury occurs, make sure you know the facts about concussions. Make sure your children’s school and coaches know the facts as well. The CDC has many concussion education resources available, such as “Concussion Fact Sheet for Teachers, Counselors, and School Professionals.” They’ve even created an “Heads Up” app to help parents identify concussion or traumatic brain injury symptoms. For more support and resources about concussions, concussion symptoms, and treatment, please refer to the CDC concussion support website.
It is never easy to see a child who has possibly been sexually abused. It’s especially not easy when the family tells you that no one other than family members have ever been with, cared for, or babysat the child. As a pediatrician, I have had to see the pain on a mother’s face that not only does she need to consider her child may have been abused, but also it may have been by someone close to her, someone she loves. It’s heart-wrenching for everyone involved. Such was the case today. It moved me to write this, as many people need help or information.
Unfortunately, child abuse is common. The news frequently has reports about sexual and physical abuse. We often don’t think someone we love could hurt our children. Unfortunately, they can and they do. The reasons why are complex. The reasons don’t really matter. The reality is that families are under a great deal of stress. In addition, children often have special needs. This puts children at an even higher risk of abuse. Counseling may be helpful for some families or children. However, it’s important to know the warning signs. Because even if you are not a family with stress, you undoubtedly have people in your life that are dealing with stressful events in their lives. This may impact you if they have access to your children. Protect your children at all costs possible.
What matters is that you prevent it from happening in any way, shape, or form. Although we constantly hear about horrendous child abuse, we don’t hear or discuss the just as potentially paralyzing cases of emotional and verbal abuse, or even neglect. Whether it is your child or not, if you see or even think you know of a possible case of child abuse, consider calling in a report. Even if you are not sure, it will not be held against you. Chances are you could save a life. It is anonymous. You will not be tracked in any way. Every state has an emergency abuse hotline. In Florida, it is 1-800-FL-ABUSE. As a pediatrician, I am under a legal and ethical obligation to report any possible child abuse. Yet, if each of us were more involved with what we see around us, we could help protect all of our children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has some very helpful information titled, “What to Know About Child Abuse” http://bit.ly/12BdNf7 and “Child Abuse: What Evry Parent Should Know.” http://bit.ly/1aW8IGs
This July 4th, I’ve noticed everyone is having their own kind of fun. Some are choosing to spend time at a barbecue with their neighbors. Some are going to the movies. Some are going the Disney.
As for us, we enjoyed some fireworks last night with some friends. It was set up the top level of the parking garage at the Mall near us. It was really magical to be so close to the fireworks and see the kids faces light up. One of them said, “This is the best day ever!” This afternoon, we’ll be at our community pool with friends. As for tonight, we are just going to chill. I’m going to clean up the house a bit. Maybe watch Star Wars tonight at home.
Whatever you do, it is important to remember safety first. The American Academy of Pediatrics has some links to safety information and videos. Between fireworks and pools, there’s always a risk for injury or drowning. Please keep an eye on your kids, as they tend to not pay attention when there is a lot of people & excitement around. In addition, with lots of people around & lots of distractions, we are less likely to keep a close eye on our children.
Beach and pool safety is paramount. The most common thing I’ve heard with drownings or near drownings is, “I only stepped away for a minute.” That’s all it takes if no one is actively watching your child. Often, one adult is left to watch many kids. This isn’t safe either. Make sure several adults are in charge of this important duty.
It is best to leave the fireworks to the professionals. They have everything set up to prevent all kinds of injuries, including eye injuries, skin burns, fires and more. At last night’s fireworks show, there were two fire trucks in place. This shows how important it is to have all the right personnel in place. However, if you choose to handle fireworks, making sure you handle fireworks safely is important. Wear protective goggles, use ear protectors, make sure fuses are set up safely & so that you can set them from a distance. Keep a safe distance away from them as you set them. Remember, you are a role model for your children. Chances are, if you show them how to use fireworks safely, they’ll do the same when they are older.
Fourth of July is about spending time with family, friends, good food, barbecue, water fun, and fireworks. Make sure this July 4th is synonymous with fun and safety.
Teething Tablets Not Recommended
