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
Children and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly. A child's first best friend is often the family dog. Yet too frequently children are not taught how to be safe around dogs.
Locally, The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton treats about 240 children a year or about 20 children a month for dog bites. These are children who have dog bites serious enough to be seen in the Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at Dayton Children’s.
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dogs bite more than 4.7 million people a year.
Two-year-old Pierson Ward of Springfield was in extreme pain.
He was climbing into the family car when the neighbor’s dog knocked him to the ground and began biting him. Pierson suffered four cuts on his face, two bites on his ribs, two bites on this spine and a bite on the back of his head.
Pierson’s story is not the exception.
"The majority of dog bites seen in the trauma center at Dayton Children’s are dogs that the child knows," says Dr. Krzmarzick.
After initially going to the local hospital, Pierson was transported to Dayton Children’s because his parents were told it was the best place for kids.
"The doctors and nurses were really good to Pierson," says Ashley Ward, Pierson’s mother. "Their main concern was to keep him comfortable."
Pierson was in a great deal of pain and was given the right dosage of medicine to keep his pain down.
"At Children’s the staff explains everything to you," said Ashley. "They tell you what is going on and what it’s going to take to fix it." To fix Pierson’s bite wounds, over four hours of general and plastic surgery were needed
Pierson was lucky. Today, Pierson is back to his normal self he plays outside and enjoys being a 2-year-old. However, Ashley says she now doesn’t let Pierson go out of the gate before an adult and is never allowed to go out of the yard alone.
"I’ve learned that you can’t be too careful with anybody’s dog," says Ashley.
While children love dogs, they are most at risk for dog bites, says Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, medical director of the trauma and emergency center at Dayton Children’s.
"Most young children are about the same size as dogs and the dogs may see these children as a threat," Dr. Krzmarzick. "It’s critical that parents teach their children how to interact with dogs to prevent injuries. Just because a dog has never bitten, does not mean that it won’t get scared and bite in defense. Eighty-five percent of dogs who bite have never bitten before."
Also teach your child to tell an adult. If he or she sees a stray dog or dogs displaying unusual behavior tell an adult immediately. Also, report bites. Tell your child that if a dog bites him or her, immediately report the bite to an adult.
Dr. Krzmarzick recommends that parents carefully consider their decision if adding a dog to the family when children are young. If families want dogs, he says, it’s important to research appropriate dog breeds that are good with young children.
Dogs who are well socialized and supervised are much less likely to bite.
Dogs can be uncomfortable with children’s quick movements, says the Humane Society of the United States. Children get excited when they see dogs and often approach quickly, speak loudly and sometimes hug the dog.
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.