Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids, and to help ensure they have a safe holiday, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Feel free to excerpt these tips or use them in their entirety for any print or broadcast story, with acknowledgment of source.
ALL DRESSED UP:
CARVING A NICHE:
ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:
HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:
©2013 American Academy of Pediatrics
Be safe and have fun! Return home alive.
Washington, DC – A new report released today by Safe Kids Worldwide and SANUS revealed that every three weeks, a child dies from a television tipping over and nearly 13,000 more children are injured each year in the U.S. This represents a 31 percent increase in TV tip-over-related injuries over the last ten years.
If you have been diagnosed with the flu, you should stay home and follow your health care provider’s recommendations. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about over-the-counter and prescription medications to ease flu symptoms and help you feel better faster.
Decongestants can ease discomfort from stuffy noses, sinuses, ears, and chests. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which kind is right for you.
Cough medicine, cough drops, and throat lozenges can temporarily relieve coughing and sore throat. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which kind is right for you.
Fevers and aches can be treated with a pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®, for example), ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, Nuprin®), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (Aleve®).If you have kidney disease or stomach problems, check with your health care provider before taking any NSAIDS.
Many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients. If you take several medicines with the same active ingredient you might be taking more than the recommended dose. This can cause serious health problems. Read all labels carefully.
If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription medications not related to the flu, talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about which cold and flu medications are safe for you.
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following:
Thankfully, there are steps that parents can take to help make sure kids stay safe on the field, the court, or wherever they play or participate in sports and recreation activities.
Gear up. When children are active in sports and recreation, make sure they use the right protective gear for their activity, such as helmets, wrist guards, knee or elbow pads.
Use the right stuff. Be sure that sports protective equipment is in good condition and worn correctly all the time—for example, avoid missing or broken buckles or compressed or worn padding. Poorly fitting equipment may be uncomfortable and may not offer the best protection.
Practice makes perfect. Have children learn and practice skills they need in their activity. For example, knowing how to tackle safely is important in preventing injuries in football and soccer. Have children practice proper form – this can prevent injuries during baseball, softball, and many other activities. Also, be sure to safely and slowly increase activities to improve physical fitness; being in good condition can protect kids from injury.
Pay attention to temperature. Allow time for child athletes to gradually adjust to hot or humid environments to prevent heat-related injuries or illness. Parents and coaches should pay close attention to make sure that players are hydrated and appropriately dressed.
Be a good model. Communicate positive safety messages and serve as a model of safe behavior, including a wearing helmet and following the rules.
One of the most common injury related to kids sports are head injuries and concussions,especially for those contact sports such as football. Even with a helmet on a concussion can occur.
A concussion is also known as a mild traumatic brain injury. Although we usually hear about head injuries in athletes, many occur off the playing field in car and bicycle accidents, in fights, and even minor falls.
|
| ED Visits | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Drink-Related ED Visits |
1,128 | 3,126** | 10,052** | 16,053** | 13,114** |
| *
Although the remainder of the report includes combined data between
2004 and 2009, the number of visits in 2004 only was suppressed because
of low statistical precision. Thus, only data between 2005 and 2009 are
included in Figure 1. ** The difference between the number of visits in 2005 and subsequent years was statistically significant at the .05 level. Source: 2005 to 2009 SAMHSA Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). |
| Drug Combination | Number of ED Visits |
Percentage of ED Visits* |
|---|---|---|
| Total ED Visits | 7,301 | 100% |
| Energy Drinks Only | 4,059 | 56% |
| Energy Drinks in Combination | 3,242 | 44% |
| Any Pharmaceutical Combination | 1,985 | 27% |
| Central Nervous System (CNS) Medications | 1,158 | 16% |
| CNS Stimulants | 696 | 10% |
| Pain Relievers | 312 | 4% |
| Narcotic Pain Relievers | 107 | 1% |
| Drugs That Treat Anxiety or Insomnia | 143 | 2% |
| Benzodiazepines | 98 | 1% |
| Any Alcohol Combination | 1,174 | 16% |
| Any Illicit Drug Combination | 699 | 10% |
| Marijuana | 344 | 5% |
| Cocaine | 251 | 3% |
|
| Reason for ED Visit | All | Energy Drinks Only |
Energy Drink Combinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adverse Reactions | 67% | 92% | 30% |
| Misuse or Abuse | 34% | 8% | 57% |
| *
Visits for other reasons are not shown. Because each visit may involve
multiple drugs, the percentages may not add to the total. Source: 2004 to 2009 SAMHSA Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Discussion Between 2005 and 2009, there was a marked increase in the number of ED visits involving energy drinks. It is notable that visits involving energy drinks alone often caused adverse reactions, suggesting that energy drink consumption by itself can result in negative health events serious enough to require emergency care. Although there are no recommended or "safe" levels that have been experimentally established for caffeine, most researchers and clinicians consider 100 to 200 mg of caffeine per day to be moderate intake for an adult. Pediatricians recommend that children and adolescents abstain from all stimulant-containing energy drinks.2 Excessive caffeine intake from energy drinks can cause arrhythmia's, hypertension, and dehydration, in addition to sleeplessness and nervousness. Additional risks and other medical complications can arise depending on the individual's overall health status (e.g., cardiac conditions, eating disorders, diabetes, anxiety disorders) and other drugs or medications he/she may be taking (e.g., medications for attention deficit disorder). Use over time can cause dependence and withdrawal symptoms.10 Risky behavior such as drinking and driving can also be facilitated by mixing energy drinks with other substances such as alcohol; a study of college students found that more than half of them mixed energy drinks with alcohol.2 Public awareness campaigns focusing on the health effects of consumption of energy drinks are needed to educate the public about the potential risks associated with consumption, alone and in combination with alcohol and/or pharmaceuticals. On an individual level, an ED visit involving energy drinks offers medical staff an opportunity to educate the patient in the clinical setting. The fact that one in four ED visits related to energy drinks involved energy drinks in combination with pharmaceuticals, with more such visits made by males and adults aged 18 to 39 than by other demographic groups, suggests that these groups may benefit from targeted education on the dangers of energy drinks in combination with other substances. Finally, given the finding that one in six visits involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol, public health awareness campaigns could also help dispel the misguided belief that energy drinks can offset or eliminate the effects of alcohol intoxication. ______________________________________________ End Notes 1 Food and Drug Administration. (2007). Medicines in my home: Caffeine and your body. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/UCM205286.pdf 2 Seifert, S. M., Schaechter, J. L., Hershorin, E. R., & Lipshultz, S. E. (2011). Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatrics, 127(3), 511-528. 3 Butschli, J. (2011, August 25). Social media input energizes Verve Energy Drink packaging redesign. Packaging World. [Available at http://www.packworld.com/package-32243] 4 Mintel Global New Products Database. (2009, August 28). Energy drink ingredients continue down unhealthy path (Press release). Retrieved from http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/press-releases/386/energy-drink-ingredients-continue-down-unhealthy-path 5 Miller, K. E. (2008). Energy drinks, race, and problem behaviors among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(5), 490-497. 6 Thombs, D. L., O'Mara, R. J., Tsukamoto, M., Rossheim, M. E., Weiler, R. M., Merves, M. L., & Goldberger, B. A. (2010). Event-level analyses of energy drink consumption and alcohol intoxication in bar patrons. Addictive Behaviors, 35(4), 325-330. 7 Although the remainder of the report includes combined data between 2004 and 2009, the number of visits in 2004 only was suppressed because of low statistical precision. 8 Within DAWN, an ED visit is categorized as an adverse reaction when the chart documents that a prescription or over-the-counter pharmaceutical, taken as prescribed or directed, produced an adverse drug reaction, side effect, drug-drug interaction, or drug-alcohol interaction. Although energy drinks are not treated as drugs by the Food and Drug Administration, ED visits involving energy drinks were classified as adverse reactions if the chart documented them as such. If other substances are reported on the chart as involved in the visit, an energy drink is not necessarily the sole reason for the adverse reaction. 9 Misuse or abuse cases within DAWN are broadly defined to include all visits associated with illicit drugs, alcohol use in combination with other drugs, alcohol use only among those younger than 21 years old, and nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals. 10 Bernstein, G. A., Carroll, M. E., Thuras, P. D., Cosgrove, K. P., & Roth, M. E. (2002). Caffeine dependence in teenagers. Drug and Alcohol Dependency, 66(1), 1-6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (November 22, 2011). The DAWN Report: Emergency Department Visits Involving Energy Drinks. Rockville, MD. The answer is always moderation, I love my caffeine as much as the next person but drinking to many energy drinks or adding other substances to them is just not a good choice for anyone. Stay safe and stay alive! ~~~ Leslie  |
