SIDS, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

Important Dates

SIDS AWARENESS MONTH
PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS MONTH
10/9 - 10/15 Baby Loss Awareness Week
10/13 Breast Cancer Awareness Day
10/19 AzAAP Speak up for Kids: Heroes Unite! Event Free at Heritage Square
10/31 Halloween



It's FALL YA'LL!

October can be an exciting time for children and adults alike!  The weather is cooling down, spooky decorations are being put up, and kids are deciding on their costumes and dreaming of sugar! This month's blog is providing some trick-or-treating tips for a fun and safe night to remember. We are also raising awareness about SIDS and how to reduce the risk. We hope this information helps you and keeps your little pumpkins safe.  




According to Safe to Sleep, 

• SIDS is a sudden and silent medical disorder that can happen to an infant who seems healthy.
• SIDS is sometimes called "crib death" or "cot death" because it is associated with the time when the baby is sleeping. Cribs themselves don't cause SIDS, but the baby's sleep environment can influence sleep-related causes of death.
• SIDS is the leading cause of death among babies between 1 month and 1 year of age.
• About 1,360 babies died of SIDS in 2017, the last year for which such statistics are available.
• Most SIDS deaths happen in babies between 1 month and 4 months of age, and the majority (90%) of SIDS deaths happen before a baby reaches 6 months of age. However, SIDS deaths can happen anytime during a baby's first year.

Ways to Help Protect your Baby from SIDS

1. Ensure the crib is properly assembled.
2. Always place baby on their back to sleep.
3. Remove everything from the crib other than the mattress and fitted sheets (i.e. stuffed animals, pillows, blankets and bumpers.)
4. Use a firm mattress.
5. Do not overdress your baby when they sleep. 
6. Use a sleep sack, not sheets.
7. Baby sharing parents room for at least the first 6 months can reduce the risk of SIDS.
8. Baby should not sleep with other infants in the crib or in a bed/on a couch with adults.
9. Keep a pollutant/ smoke-free room. 
10. Breastfeeding or using expressed milk for the first 6 months can reduce the risk of SIDS.
11. Limit baby's exposure to persons who have colds or other respiratory infections.

      

Halloween Safety Tips

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

•  EAT A HEALTHY MEAL 
•  REVIEW the safety rules (see below)      
•  DO a safety check on the costumes to be sure everything works, there are no tripping hazards and if  wearing a mask the child can see forward and sideways

HALLOWEEN NIGHT SAFETY RULES

• NO running      
• Stay with the group 
• KIDS UNDER 12 should 'Trick or Treat' and cross streets  with an adult at corners and crosswalks. 
• Establish a route you will be going on   
• Stay on the sidewalk, do not dart into the street 
•  LOOK BOTH WAYS before crossing the street   
•  WATCH FOR CARS turning or backing up.   
•  Stop at only familiar houses and only those with a porch light on.      
•  NEVER go inside a house to get a treat, stay on the porch       
•  Don't play near lit Jack 'O Lanterns
•  No eating candy till you get home and check it    

CANDY

•   Try to get reflective candy bags or buckets to make kids more visible
•   INSPECT all candy BEFORE your child eats even one piece                       
  • Toss candy with faded wrappers,  with holes or tears or no wrapper at all
  • Remove candy that can be a choking hazard especially for those under 3 years old 
• DO NOT eat food products - from people you don't know, set aside and discard later
• LIMIT the amount of candy your child eats to avoid a  tummy ache
• Keep the candy up and out of the way

DRIVING

• SLOW DOWN... especially in residential  neighborhoods
• BE ALERT! Children are excited on Halloween 
• TAKE EXTRA TIME to look at intersections, medians, and curbs
• Enter and exit driveways or alleys carefully and slowly
• ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS inside your car - be hyper vigilant
• Turn headlights on early to see children sooner

DO NOT drink and drive.  DO NOT talk on the phone or text and drive. WATCH for kids!

RECALLS:
September 30, 2019 NHTSA; WAYB is recalling certain WAYB Pico child restraints manufactured between May 1 and May 12, 2019, because the aluminum tubular frame of the restraint’s headrest can break, allowing the headrest to detach. Units: About 4,558.
September 26, 2019 CPSC; ASKO Recalls its dishwashers because their power cord can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Units: About 26,600 (an additional 4,300 sold in Canada).
September 24, 2019 CPSC; Home Meridian recalls its Mid-Century three-drawer chests because they are unstable if not anchored to a wall, posing tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in death or injuries to children. Units: About 640.
September 19, 2019 CPSC; Exploding Kittens recalls the Safety Goggles sold with its Throw Throw Burrito Extreme Going Pro Edition Dodgeball Card Game sets because the goggles contain glass lenses, posing a laceration hazard if shattered. Units: About 10,500 (an additional 735 sold in Canada).
September 10, 2019 CPSC; Healing Solutions recalls its Wintergreen and Birch 100 Percent Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils because the bottles are not child-resistant as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, posing a poisoning risk if the contents are swallowed by young children. Units: About 32,000.
September 10, 2019 CPSC; Ragdoll & Rockets recalls its children’s loungewear because it fails to meet the flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries to children. Units: About 14,100.
September 5, 2019 CPSC; Walker Edison Furniture recalls its children’s bunk beds because the beds’ support boards can break, posing fall and injury hazards. Units: About 1,200.
September 4, 2019 CPSC; Artizen Oils recalls its Wintergreen and Birch 100 Percent Pure & Natural Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils because the bottles are not child-resistant as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, posing a poisoning risk if the contents are swallowed by young children. Units: About 6,000.
September 3, 2019 CPSC; The Beaufort Bonnet Company recalls its Handmade Knit Dolls because a sewing needle was discovered in the stuffing of one of the dolls, posing a puncture injury hazard. Units: About 4,500.

* information from Safe Kids