Tuesday, November 24, 2009

2.1 Million Cribs Recalled

Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

On November 23, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., of British Columbia, Canada,  announced the voluntary recall of more than 2.1 million Stork Craft drop-side cribs, including about 147,000 Stork Craft drop-side cribs with the Fisher-Price logo. The recall involves approximately 1,213,000 units distributed in the United States and 968,000 units distributed in Canada.

CPSC urges parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the recalled cribs, wait for the free repair kit, and do not attempt to fix the cribs without the kit. They should find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should contact Stork Craft to receive a free repair kit that converts the drop-side on these cribs to a fixed side.

For additional information, contact Stork Craft toll-free at (877) 274-0277 anytime to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com

Important Message from CPSC:

Parents should not to use any crib with missing, broken, or loose parts. Make sure to tighten hardware from time to time to keep the crib sturdy. When using a drop-side crib, parents should check to make sure the drop-side or any other moving part operates smoothly. Always check all sides and corners of the crib for disengagement. Any disengagement can create a gap and entrap a child. In addition, do not try to repair any side of the crib, especially with tape, wire or rope.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving Feasting without Defeating

Make a choice to turn the winter holidays into a nutrition bonus versus disaster! Build momentum with the Thanksgiving Feast and skip along, right past New Year’s Eve, feeling healthy and fit.

Here are some tips to get you and your family started:

  1. Never, ever, ever go to a party or feast starving. Instead, go to a party satisfied or only slightly hungry to avoid choosing foods or amounts that you will regret later.
  2. Drink plenty of water the day of the feast. We often eat when we are thirsty. Cold weather means drier air both outside and in and increases our need for water - but we may not feel thirsty or remember to drink.
  3. Choose color. Offer and choose deeply colored vegetables…and lots of them to get a variety of nutrients to boost your immunity!
  4. Eat breakfast. Focus on whole grains, fruits, and low fat dairy options to get your metabolic engine purring, energy stores stoked and mood stablilization balanced.
  5. Fill your plate. Once. Eat leftovers later instead of a second serving.
  6. Choose a smaller plate to help with portion control. Remember, we eat beyond fullness when the food is on our plate.
  7. Go for the real stuff. Sour cream, cheese, whipped cream, brown sugar...savor the flavors rather than go for the volume. Holidays are the time for "real" flavor - just don't overindulge.
  8. Keep your routine. Sleep, exercise and stick to meal and snack times to keep your stress level down so you can focus on enjoying yourself and what the season means to you.
For more information about healthy holiday feasting visit our healthy lifestyles webpage.

About our expert - Rachel Riddiford, MS, RD, LD

Rachel has been an employee of Dayton Children's since 2004. She is currently the Manager of Clinical Dietetics and works as an eating disorder specialist in the Nutrition Clinic. Rachel completed her BS in Dietetics at Western Michigan University, Master's degree at University of Dayton, and dietetic internship at Indiana University/Purdue University. She has also completed an American Dietetic Association Pediatric and Adolescent Weight Management Certificate.

Healthy Gift Ideas for Your Child

This holiday season, help the child in your life take a step in the right direction by giving the gift of good health.

“Active gifts that promote physical exercise can be fun and rewarding,” Christie Bernard, RN, BSN, resource nurse for the lipid clinic at Dayton Children's. “This year, consider wrapping up a game or toy that can provide your child with the encouragement he or she needs to stay at a healthy weight and remain active throughout the year.”

While diet plays a large part in maintaining a healthy weight, so does exercise and an active lifestyle. The newest fashion accessory for kids across the country is a pedometer, a device that measures the number of steps taken during the day when he or she walks, runs or jumps.

“Communities and schools across the country are experimenting with supplying kids pedometers to encourage activity,” says Bernard. “Girls between the ages of 6 and 12 need about 12,000 steps per day, and boys need approximately 15,000 steps per day, to stay at a healthy weight.”

Pedometers, which can range from very inexpensive basic devices to personalized “designer” equipment, are a fun way to make a game of tracking activity. They may also be a perfect stocking stuffer this holiday season!

“The holidays are a great time to introduce your child to new active games and equipment,” says Bernard. “Think activity and movement when choosing holiday gifts.”

Gift ideas to get your child moving:

  • Active gear –- Bicycles, skates, sleds, scooters, skis... anything that gets the kids up and moving. Don’t forget the protective gear that goes along with each, such as helmets, elbow, knee and wrist pads and mouth guards.
  • Gift certificates for a fitness facility, gymnastics class or dance studio – Find a facility that offers youth-oriented sessions so your child can have fun with kids his or her own age.
  • Jump ropes, tumbling mats, yoga mats and Hula-Hoops – These low-cost items can provide hours of fun while burning calories and keeping young bodies strong.
  • Kid-focused workout videos and interactive video games – Look into the latest hip-hop video for your young dancer or athlete, or video game such as “Dance Dance Revolution” and “Twister Moves.”
  • Quality time – Give your child a gift certificate that sets aside time one day a week for a play date in the park, at the skating rink, on the basketball or tennis court, on the jogging track, etc. Parents should be role models of a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that kids who see their parents exercise are more likely to exercise themselves.
About Our Expert: Christie Bernard, RN, BSN, lipid clinic resource nurse

Christie Bernard is a graduate from Wright State University in 1993. She started her nursing career at Good Samaritan Hospital in labor and delibery/mother baby . Through that experience she decided that pediatric nursing was her passion and pursued a career at Dayton Children’s. She has been a pediatric nurse at Dayton Children’s for 15 years. She have worked in the Lipid clinic for 7 of those years where she assesses and educates patients and families with obesity related complications and hypercholestolemia.