10 Tips for Drivers for a Safe Halloween

Drivers need to do their part to keep trick-or-treaters safe from harm. Dayton Children's, FedEx and Safe Kids Greater Dayton reminds motorists to be extra careful this Halloween and recommends that drivers:

1. Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods.
2. Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road.
3. Be sure to drive with your full headlights on so you can spot children from greater distances.
4. Take extra time to actively look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs.
5. Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.
6. Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully.
7. Remember that children are excited on this night and may move in unpredictable ways.
8. Remember that popular trick-or-treat hours are during the typical rush-hour period; between 5:30-9:30pm.
9. Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and pedestrians.
10. Triple check all blind spots because kids will most likely not be paying good attention to you.

Visit Dayton Children's or Safe Kids USA for more Halloween safety tips!

Buyer Beware: Used Car Seats

There is no question that families are facing tough times and are looking for ways to save money.  One way to save is to purchase used car seats. The last thing a parent wants to do is buy a car seat to keep a child safe in a car only to find out that the car seat itself wouldn’t protect the child properly.

If you are purchasing a second-hand car seat make sure to check these items to make sure that your child will be riding as safely as possible.

1. Ask whether or not the car seat was in a crash. If you are purchasing the car seat from a second-hand store or if the seat is being given to you by a family member or friend - ask and make sure that the seat was not in a crash.  If the seat was in a crash it's best not to purchase or accept the seat.
2. Check the expiration date. The manufacture date is printed on the label of each seat.  Car seats generally expire 6 years after their manufacture date unless otherwise noted by the manufacturer. Recently, manufacturers have been stamping the expiration date or year on the seat as well to avoid confusion.
3. Check the seat for recalls.  Occasionally, car seats are recalled by the manufacturer.  Sometimes the manufacturer can send you a part to fix the recall - in other cases the seat is not suitable for use. Seats that have been recalled are not safe to use unless noted by the manufacturer. Also, remember to register the seat with the manufacturer so that you can be notified of any future recalls.
4. Review the manual and check for missing parts. Make sure the seat you purchase has it's original manual, or look online to find one.  It's important to have the manual to assist you in installation and to know if there are any parts missing.
   

For more information about car seat safety visit our website.

Building Blocks for a Health Immune System

You’ve heard about washing hands and covering coughs to protect your child from the flu – on the outside. But what can you do to protect him or her on the inside?


“Good nutrition is a key element of helping kids fight off the cold or flu,” says Rachel Riddiford, manager of clinical dietetics at Dayton Children’s. “Providing the right foods for your child will help create a healthy immune system – a natural defense of the cold or flu.”

Six ways to build a natural defense system:

1. Five fruits and vegetables each day give vitamins C, E and A and phytochemicals, essential for a healthy immune system.
2. Yogurt with active cultures (probiotics) once a day. These foods build defenses against flu and the common cold. Consider daily yogurt with active cultures or even supplements (mixed probiotic strains).
3. What do eggs, nuts, meat and fish have in common? These foods plus poultry provide immune enhancing vitamins B6, B12 (except nuts), zinc and selenium.
4. Got milk? The added vitamins A and D boosts immunity. Cow’s milk also provides vitamin B12 and zinc.
5. Another source of vitamin D? Fish and eggs.
6. Whole and enriched or fortified grains are another power house source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, folic acid (folate), selenium, iron and zinc. Think cereal, bread and rice to keep the flu bug away.

“If your child does get the flu, good nutrition is still important,” says Riddiford. “It’s important to properly hydrate and feed your child in a progression.”

Here are three nutrition tips if your child gets the flu:

1. Stay hydrated. Start with ice chips, progress to sips of clear liquids. Think water, diluted herbal tea and broth. This is even a time to consider caffeine-free soft drinks. Diluted juices such as cranberry and grape may also be well tolerated.
2. When your child is ready to progress to food, start with small bites several hours apart. Good foods to start with are grains without added fat like bread, plain cereal or dry and crispy crackers.
3. Finally, monitor your child depending on how they are tolerating food. Start with more frequent feedings, then mix food (grains) and drink. Next, add fruits and vegetables. Then milk and dairy, finally add meat.

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. Rachel has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 20 years in a variety of settings, including adult hospitals, private practice, and child development centers. She has also served as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Dayton and has held leadership positions in various professional associations, including the Dayton Dietetic Association and the ADA Hunger and Malnutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Rachel loves gardening, sailing, hiking, and cooking, and raising a rambunctious family of five children with her husband.