Tag Archives: health

May 15

Water Safety and your family

Whether at home or on vacation, it is always important to keep safety in mind when children are in or near water.  Drowning can happen at any time of year, but be especially cautious during the summer months when drowning incidents can increase up to 89% as compared to the rest of the year.  Even kids who know how to swim can drown so, let’s find out how to stay safe in the water.
Splashing, wading, and paddling — it must mean a great day in the water. Playing at the beach, at a water park, by a lake, or in a pool can be a real treat on a hot day.

Water is hazardous for young children. In fact, as much fun as water can be, it’s dangerous no matter where you find it – in a bucket, bowl, toilet, tub, sink, puddle, pool, or elsewhere. Parents can avoid tragedy by remembering that a baby or toddler can drown in less than an inch of water.
The best way to protect your child from accidental drowning is to remove even the smallest source of water from her play area, and if water is present, don’t take your eyes off her for a minute. If you’re at a pool or beach, it’s fine to let her splash and play to her heart’s content – as long as you’re watching and within arms’ reach.

Here are some tips to make sure your children are safe when the temperatures soar and water provides welcome cool relief.

Salus Bijoux for infants

Stay within sight and reach of your child when in, on or around the water.
Adults should stand within arm’s reach of any child under five years of age or any older child who does not swim well, when they are in water or playing near the water. An older sibling or buddy cannot be relied upon to safely watch your child. Children have drowned when an older child or sibling was watching them.  When you are watching children, don’t be distracted by phone calls, text messages, reading or talking to others.
Don’t rely on older children
An older sibling or buddy cannot be relied on to safely supervise a younger child. Children have drowned when an older child or sibling was watching them.
Learn how to swim or have your child supervised by an experienced adult. Learn First Aid and CPR.
Make sure there is an experienced swimmer with your child whenever they are in or around the water. If your child happens to slip into the water, an experienced swimmer will need to quickly get the child out of the water and perform CPR, if necessary.
Young children and weak swimmers must wear lifejackets when in, on or around the water and on a boat.
Children can fall into the water quickly and silently without adults being aware. A lifejacket can help keep your child safe until someone can rescue her.  Make sure the lifejacket fits your child’s weight. Buckle it up every time, and use all of the safety straps on the lifejacket. Your child could slip out of a lifejacket that is too big or not buckled up properly.

If you have a property (house or cottage) that is close to open water, fence off a play area for children that is away from the water.
Children can drown during a brief period of time when an adult is not watching them. You can help prevent child drowning by creating a barrier between your property and the open water. A fence should be at least 1.2 metres (four feet) high with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
Protect your feet.
Unfortunately, our lakes and water ways have been colonized by Zebra Mussels which are very small and have very sharp edges.  Protect your feet from the shells and other sharp and jagged edges with a good pair of pool shoes with non slip soles.

Kushies Pool Shoes


Put your child in swimming lessons.
It is best to ensure that children have training but remember lessons do not provide them with special protection or extra care. Supervision is still needed, even if your child was or is in swimming lessons.

Playgrounds can be located close to natural water features, like ponds, lakes, streams or built water features, like fountains, splash pads and wading pools. Some home playground sets have water features and can provide an enjoyable addition to outdoor play, allowing children to cool off in the hot summer months.
Young children under five years of age are most at risk because:

  • They can drown in as little as 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water
  • They are attracted to water, but cannot understand the risks
  • They lack balance and coordination and are at increased risk of falling into bodies of water
  • Parents should be sure to take the following steps, to help prevent drowning and other injuries from occurring on splash pads, wading pools or home water features.
  • Actively supervise your child. Stay within sight and reach of your child. Children under five years of age are particularly vulnerable to drowning.
  • Teach older children these rules for safe play:
    • walk, don’t run
    • take turns with equipment (like faucets, sprayers, and toys)
  • Have children wear water-appropriate footwear. To prevent cuts and scrapes from foreign material like gravel, which may have collected on splash pad surfaces, children can wear non-slip shoes that are safe and comfortable for water play.
  • Report any broken or damaged equipment to the operator of the splash pad or the wading pool. Broken or damaged equipment could lead to injury and should be fixed or replaced.
  • All backyard pools or ponds should be fenced on all four sides to prevent drowning. The fence should be at least 1.2 metres (four feet) tall and have a self-closing, self-latching gate. It should be designed to prevent children from getting under or over it.
  • Toddler pools and home playground water features should be emptied after each use.  Children have drowned by slipping into unattended paddling pools.

It is important to remember that whenever a water feature is present, there is a drowning risk, But with a little common sense, your summer will be a splash!

Facebook Twitter Email
Mar 2

Taking care of the umbilical stump

What is the purpose of the umbilical cord?
Babies receive nourishment and oxygen in the womb through the placenta, which is connected to the inner wall of the mother’s uterus. The placenta is connected to the baby by the umbilical cord through an opening in the baby’s stomach. After your baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut in a painless procedure, leaving a 2-3 cm umbilical stump. The cord may be clamped and cut immediately after birth or when the cord has stopped pulsating; as part of a natural or physiological third stage of labour, this allows time for blood in the placenta to transfuse to the baby.

How long will my baby have an umbilical stump?
Some time between five and 15 days after birth, the stump will dry up, turn black, and drop off; leaving a small wound that may take a few days to heal.Umbilical Cord

Does the stump require special care?
It must be kept clean and dry to prevent infection. Harmful bacteria that live naturally on our skin can track up the cord stump causing infection. In developing countries where hygiene is poor, it is common for contaminated cord stumps to lead to tetanus infection, which can be very dangerous for newborn babies.
Always wash your hands before handling your baby’s cord stump, before and after nappy changes and other care. Avoid the cord stump getting urine or poop on it by folding the nappy down away from it, leaving the stump exposed to the air. If the stump gets urine or poop on it, wash it off using clean water and soap, or just water alone.

It’s better to use a mild soap to wash poop off, as the higher percentage of fatty deposits found in baby feces can make it difficult to remove with just water. While waiting for the cord to fall off and heal, it is safe to bathe your newborn if you want to. After the stump falls off, it usually takes about seven to 10 days for the area to heal over completely. When the stump falls off, you may see a little blood on the diaper shirt, which is normal. Sometimes, when the umbilical stump takes a long time to heal, bits of lumpy flesh (a type of connective tissue) appear in the wound. They’re not a cause for concern and will soon disappear. In the past, cord stumps have been cleaned with antiseptic tissues or sprinkled with an antiseptic powder.

The use of antiseptics or antibiotics may still be relevant in less industrialized societies, where umbilical cord infections continue to cause many deaths, but in most Western countries where standards of cleanliness are high this is not necessary. Studies of the healing process have found no advantage to using antiseptics over simply keeping the cord clean; unless the baby is premature or in intensive care. Antiseptics also cause the cord to take longer to fall off, which causes anxiety to mothers and increases the number of post natal visits to the pediatrician.

What are the signs of infection?

Consult your pediatrician if:
Your baby develops a fever, becomes lethargic, starts to feed poorly, or appears unwell generally. The navel and the surrounding area become swollen or red. The cord stump becomes swollen or smelly. It is normal for the cord stump to look a bit “mucky”, or appear to have pus at the base, as it dries up and heals but this does not mean that it is infected. Ask your doctor to check your baby’s cord stump if you are worried about its appearance or smell.