Health Bits
When Grandparents
Watch the Kids,
Is
Injury Risk Higher?
The number of grandparents who provide
child care is on the rise. Some parents
worry that their children’s grandparents
might follow outdated safety practices.
Do kids face a greater risk for harm while
they’re in a grandparent’s care? To find
out, researchers looked at data on injuries
that needed medical attention in the
previous year for more than 3,000
toddlers across the country. Their report
(published in Pediatrics) found no link
between higher injury rates and grandparent
care.
Many Kids Lack Vitamin D
Vitamin D is vital to bone and overall health, but many children have low levels of this
vitamin. Researchers measured the amount of vitamin D in blood samples from nearly
3,000 youth ages 12 to 19 from across the U.S. Fourteen percent had low levels. Girls were
more than twice as likely as boys to be deficient. In addition, overweight youth had almost
twice the odds of low levels as their normal-weight peers. Good food sources of vitamin D
include fish, fortified milk and cereal.
Falling TVs and Furniture Hurt Children
Falling furniture sends an average of 46
U.S. children to emergency departments
each day, researchers say. Many injuries
take place as children pull over or climb on
furniture. According to St. Joseph’s
Children’s Advocate Bevin Maynard,
children ages 6 and younger are most likely
to be hurt — especially by televisions —
but desks and cabinets also account for
injuries. The annual number of injuries
rose 41 percent from 1990 to 2007, when
it reached nearly 17,000. To minimize
risks to children, Maynard recommends
that you:
- Place TVs close to the ground and toward the back of stands.
- Secure TVs and furniture to the wall with safety straps or L-brackets.
- Buy furniture with wide legs or solid bases.
- Install drawer stops on chests of drawers.
- Place heavy items on shelves near the floor.
- Avoid placing items that might encourage climbing, such as toys, high on top of furniture.
