Is There Something Going on With Pampers? Several Complaints About Children and Diaper Rash

Recently several reports have come to the attention of the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding rashes and blistering on children wearing the latest Pampers Product. There is speculation that a change in the lining colour, from white to purple may be the culprit; however, Proctor and Gamble have stated that they are not hearing claims of rashes or other adverse events from their customers. Another possible explanation is that a group of children with extremely sensitive skin or those suffering from atopic dermatitis may in fact be at a greater risk of developing a rash. Regardless of why this is happening, the Consumer Products Safety Commission is encouraging anyone with information about such reactions when using Pampers products to get in touch right away.

For more information on this topic Click Here.

Pedestrian Accidents and Our Children The Importance of Role Modeling in Accident Prevention

Is There a Difference Between Messages We Send to Boys Versus Girls?

A recent study completed in the United Kingdom at the University of Lincoln by Pfeffer et al. is an excellent reminder of the influence we adults have on not only our own children but all children. The researchers investigated adult pedestrian behavior while the adults were with both boys and girls. Specifically, they looked at crossing the road at lights, stopping at the curb and looking both left and right before crossing among other behaviors. The good news is most often adults demonstrated good safety behavior; however, it differed when accompanying boys compared to girls where the safe behaviors were higher when adults were with girls. Given children suffer a number of accidents and even death as a result of pedestrian accidents, particularly among boys, this research highlights the importance of remembering how our attitudes, role modeling and our own behavior influences children. Let's all check our safety consciousness so we can teach and show all children the best ways to stay safe. The full article of this research is available in the Journal of Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol 11, Issue 3 April 2010, pages 188-193

Child Safety in the Home

Safety Tips for Two Of The Most Dangerous Rooms In Our Homes

Parents of toddlers, pre-schoolers and curious children know all to well how both the kitchen and bathroom are two rooms where child safety in the home can be a real challenge. First off, we spend a tremendous amount of time each day preparing and cooking meals and with our children in the bathroom taking care of routine hand-washing and bedtime bathing. At certain ages it's paramount we never leave our children unattended in these rooms and then later on we are concerned for their safety when they are alone. Safe Kids Canada reminds us that children under the age of 4 most often suffer injuries from accidents that happen in the home and importantly that the majority are preventable.

Kitchen and Bathroom

We all know of the obvious kitchen safety things we need to think about such as cooking accidents, making sure our kids do not touch a hot element or an adult doesn't cause a grease fire. And, in the bathroom we are obviously worried about drownings. Below we've highlighted a few safety tips for the kitchen and bathroom. These may seem like safety precautions you've heard or read about over and over but the reality is the statistics tell us that by following simple precautions, we could prevent the majority of unintentional accidents and injuries our children experience in their own homes everyday - it's worth reminding us all of a few basic precautions in order to protect our children :

Research has demonstrated that 75% of burns, the majority among younger children occur from hot liquids or steam versus heat or fire accidents

• Check the setting on the hot water tank, make sure it's set to 49 degrees Celsius.
• Consider installing devices that prevent scalding and keep water temperature within a certain range
• Never put butter or ice on a burn, this can cause even more damage. Use cool running tepid water instead
• Never use plastic containers, which are sealed tight, such as a bottle when heating in the microwave, the heat can cause the container to explode
• Always stir liquids after heating in the microwave to evenly distribute the heat

The most devastating and serious accident to occur in the bathroom is a drowning. The National Safety Council reports that most drowning occur to children under the age of 5 in either a pool or bathtub and despite the rates of drownings declining over time, drowning still account for the majority of deaths resulting from injury in children under 14.

• An adult supervising bath time must stay within arms reach of the child during the whole bath
• Do not leave bath water in the tub while drying off and getting ready for bed
• Prevent falls and slips into the bathtub by having non-skid mats on the floor and the bottom surface of the tub, there are a number of bathroom safety products you can use
• Remember only 1 inch of water in a container is a risk so be mindful of buckets and sinks
• In the United States, estimates show approximately 8 children drown per year in infant-bath seats
• Make sure babysitter and other care-givers understand and follow your safe bathing rules to prevent drownings and accidents

For more statistics visit:

• Safe Kids Canada
• CDC
• National Safety Council