The Kohl's A Minute for Kids campaign is a way for Kohl's Department Stores and Dayton Children's to bring health, safety and prevention information to children and families in the region.
“Maintaining a healthy weight requires lifestyle changes that include good nutrition and activity,” says James Ebert, MD, lead physician in Dayton Children’s lipid clinic. Physical activity should be a part of every child’s schedule.
Expert: James Ebert, MD, adolescent medicine physician Learn more
Using the car's seat belts for your child too soon puts your child at risk. "The correct use of car seats and booster seats saves lives," says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children's.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
“A tragic sleep accident could happen to any family, any time. Parents and caregivers should do everything possible to prevent this tragedy,” says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
“Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is preventable,” says Gordon Womack, DDS, medical director of Dayton Pediatric Dentistry at Dayton Children’s. Overusing sippy cups or sending children to bed with a bottle increase the risk of serious dental problems.
Expert: Gordon Womack, DDS, pediatric dentist Learn more
“Burns can be devastating to children, toddlers and babies because they have thinner skin than older children and adults,” says Cindy Asher, RN, clinical nurse specialist, Dayton Children’s. Young children are most often treated for scalds, rather than burns from fire.
Expert: Cindy Asher, RN, pediatric clinical nurse specialist Learn more
About 85 percent of dogs that bite children have never bitten before. “Most young children are about the same size as dogs and dogs may see these children as a threat,” says Tom Krzmarzick, MD, medical director, Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s.
Expert: Tom Krzmarzick, MD, pediatric emergency physician Learn more
Your child’s milestones - from the first tooth to the first day of school - are exciting. Even car seat milestones seem exciting. They should be looked upon with caution and careful consideration, however.
Every step in the car seat progression is actually a step down in your child’s protection.
"Motor vehicle crashes remain the number-one killer of children ages 1 through 14," says Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, medical director of the Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s. "While some crashes are unsurvivable, the correct use of car seats and booster seats saves lives."
Many parents - eager to see their child achieve another milestone - move the child from a car seat to seat belts too soon. Before going to seat belts, children need to "graduate" to a booster seat.
Children 2 to 5 years of age using safety belts prematurely are four times more likely to suffer a serious head injury in a crash than those restrained in child safety seats or booster seats.
Use a belt-positioning booster seats in the back seat from about age 4 to at least age 8 - unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller. Safety belts, which are designed to fit adults, won’t fully restrain a child in a crash. Using a booster seat will better protect your child from being thrown from the vehicle or thrown around inside it, during a crash.
Recent research suggests that following the manufacturers guidelines and using various car seats and guidelines to the higher limits better protects children while in motor vehicles.
Dayton Children’s, Safe Kids Greater Dayton and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following to help parents navigate the car seat progression:
Use rear-facing infant seats in the back seat from birth to at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds. Use the rear-facing infant car seat longer if the seat has higher weight and height limits.
Infants who weigh 20 pounds before 1 year of age should ride in an infant carrier approved for higher rear-facing weights or a convertible seat. It is preferable to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. For optimal protection, the child should remain rear-facing until reaching the maximum weight for the car safety seat, as long as the top of the head is below the top of the seat back. Typically the child may be up to 30 or 35 pounds.
A child older than 1 year and weighing more than 20 pounds should be placed in a convertible seat, which can face forward or be rear-facing. These can be used until a child reaches the upper weight limits of the seat (typically 40 pounds) and the child still fits the seat (the tops of the ears are below the top of the safety seat, the back and shoulders are below the seat strap slots).
A child who weight less than 40 pounds and has outgrown the convertible seat should be in a forward-facing seat if he or she is too small for a booster seat. Keep your child in a safety seat with a full harness as long as possible at least until 40 pounds.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat in the back seat from about age 4 to at least age 8 - unless the child is 4 feet 9 inches or taller. Safety belts, which are designed to fit adults, won’t fully restrain a child in a crash. Using a booster seat will better protect your child from being thrown from the vehicle or thrown around inside it, during a crash.
Use safety belts in the back seat at age 8 or older or taller than 4 feet 9 inches. All children age 12 or younger should ride in the back seat. Lap and shoulder belts provides the best protection and helps the child maintain the correct seating position.
For detailed information on shield boosters, after-market products, built-in seats, children with special needs and more, go to kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org.
Also on our website, you will find podcasts on this and other topics, and other health and safety information.
Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, is medical director of the Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center. Dr. Krzmarzick is also a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. He is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine. He earned his medical degree at the University of Iowa School of Medicine. Dr. Krzmarzick completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, where he was also chief resident in pediatrics. Dr. Krzmarzick has been the medical director of the emergency department at Dayton Children’s since 1999.
Safe Kids Worldwide - Safety Tips - www.safekids.org
American Academy of Pediatrics - Car Seat Safety - http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Child Passenger Safety - http://www.nhtsa.gov
For more information on car seats - including things your child can say if he or she is self-conscious about being in a booster seat - go to kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org. You will also find other health and safety information from Dayton Children’s experts.