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
Every day, 300 young children with burn injuries are taken to emergency rooms.
These injuries are not caused by fire, but by hot liquids, steam or foods. Scald burns, not contact burns (burns from fire) are more common among young children.
The Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at The Children's Medical Center of Dayton admitted 142 children with burn-related injuries in 2007. Of those treated, 43 percent suffered scalds from hot water or food. Hot tap water accounts for nearly 1 in 4 of all scald burns among children and is associated with more deaths and hospitalizations than any other hot liquid burns.
"Water scalds are extremely painful, but burns from hot food can be even more devastating," says Cindy Asher, RN, clinical nurse specialist, at Dayton Children’s. "We’ve treated children who have taken hot foods, such as noodles, out of a microwave and the bowl tipped onto them. Noodles tend to sit on the victim causing a deeper, more serious burn."
"Children, especially those 4 and younger, do not perceive danger. They are very curious about their environment and explore their environment by touching and tasting. Small children often lack the ability to escape a life-threatening situation," adds Asher.
Most scald burns can be prevented. Children should know that the kitchen and bathroom can be dangerous and they will need to be extra careful when in those areas.
Actively supervise. Simply being in the same room with a child is not necessarily supervising. A young child in the same room as hot surfaces, hot liquids or open flames should be under constant, close supervision of an adult paying undivided attention.
"Burns can be devastating to children, babies and toddlers because they have thinner skin than older children and adults. Their skin burns easier and more deeply when exposed to a hot surface or liquid," says Asher. "A child exposed to hot tap water at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for three seconds will sustain a third-degree burn, an injury requiring hospitalization and skin grafts."
Cindy Asher, RN, is a clinical nurse specialist at Dayton Children’s. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Wright State University and her Master of Science degree in nursing from the University of Cincinnati. Cindy is a board member of the Society of Pediatric Nurses and Association of Pediatric Surgical Nurses. She is a certified Pediatric Advanced Life Support regional faculty member and is certified as an Advanced Burn Life Support Provider. Cindy has worked at Dayton Children’s since 1989.