Cases of near drownings have been reported in the Mid-South recently, and on Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a study that found in the United States, one child dies every five days in a portable pool during the summer months.

Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, reminds parents to keep their kids safe while in or around water. Earlier in the summer, we posted tips for water safety, and we thought that in light of recent events and the new study - it was time for a refresher. Get our water safety refresher.

What ways are you ensuring that your kids are safe around the water this summer?  Leave us a comment below.

An invisible and odorless gas, carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when burning any fuel, such as gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, wood or charcoal. It causes illness by decreasing the amount of oxygen present in the body, and young children can be especially vulnerable to its effects.

You won't know that you have a carbon monoxide leak without a working detector. If you burn any fuels for heat or cooking, be sure that you have a working carbon monoxide detector and deter this silent killer.
Follow some simple safety tips to help protect your family.

Safe Kids Mid-south, led by le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, offers these tips for preventing Carbon Monoxide poisoning:

Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• The most common symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases, the person may lose consciousness or die.
• CO poisoning can often be mistaken for other illnesses, such as the flu.
• Often, more than one person in the household will suffer symptoms at the same time.

To decrease risk of CO poisoning the following tips are recommended:
• Install a CO alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Place CO alarms at least 15 feet away from every fuel-burning appliance to reduce the number of nuisance alarms.
• Test alarms every month and replace them every five years.
• Make sure alarms can be heard when you test them and practice an escape plan with your entire family.
• Have all gas, oil or coal burning appliances inspected by a technician every year to ensure they are working correctly and are properly ventilated.
• Never use a stove for heating.
• Do not use a grill, generator or camping stove inside your home, garage or near a window.
• Never leave a car, SUV, or motorcycle engine running inside a garage, even if the garage door is open.
• CO can accumulate anywhere in or around your boat, so install a CO alarm on your motorboat.

If your CO alarm goes off, follow these steps:
• Get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible into fresh air. Then call for help from a neighbor’s home or a cell phone outside of your home.
• If someone is experiencing CO poisoning symptoms, call 911 for medical attention.
If no one is experiencing symptoms, call the fire department. They will let you know when it is safe to re-enter your home.

To help inform our community about the flu, our infectious disease experts have compiled important information through a series of questions and answers.

What is the flu?
Flu season usually runs from late fall through mid-winter, but as everyone knows, last year was different. A novel H1N1 influenza A virus began circulating in the Memphis area in May and caused hundreds of hospitalizations in August and September.  Symptoms caused by this virus were generally very similar to those caused by the usual “seasonal flu” that appears in fall and winter

We don’t know when flu will hit the Memphis area this year. It is likely that the H1N1 virus from last year will again affect people this fall and winter -- probably with at least one of the more common types of flu virus circulating at the same time.

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms usually hit hard and fast, with fever and body aches typically lasting anywhere from three to seven days.

Is there a vaccine available?
The flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your child’s risk of developing influenza, and each year the vaccine protects against three different flu viruses.  This year, the vaccine also protects against the new strain of H1N1 influenza A virus that affected so many last year.  All people ages 6 months of age and older should receive the influenza immunization this year unless they have a rare medical contra-indication, such as an allergy to chicken eggs or a history of allergic or severe adverse reaction to flu vaccine in previous years. Also note that individuals with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome should consult their physician before receiving the influenza vaccine.

How many doses of the vaccine will my child need?
This depends on the age of the child and whether the child received flu vaccines last year.  Children 9 years of age and older need only one dose.  Children 6 months to 8 years of age will either need one or two doses, depending on whether or not they received flu vaccines in previous years and whether or not they received the H1N1 flu vaccine last year. Your pediatrician will be able to help you determine whether your child needs one or two doses of the flu vaccine this year. The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines are available online: 
(http://www.healthychildren.org/english/news/pages/aap-issues-flu-vaccine-recommendations.aspx)

Should my child receive the shot (injection) form or the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine?
In general, healthy children and adults ages 2-49 years of age may receive either the injection or the aerosolized (nasal spray) version of the vaccine.  Children ages 6 months to 2 years (and adults 50 years of age or older) should receive the injectable vaccine, as should children and adults with underlying medical conditions (a list of these conditions is available here: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf).

How can you prevent the flu?
Children should be educated about the importance of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. These common-sense actions can help reduce the spread of influenza and many other infectious agents.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit your contact with others to keep from infecting them. People should stay home at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100°F or above) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

What are the flu symptoms?
Flu symptoms include:

• Fever (usually high, >101.5 or 102°F)
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Lack of appetite
• Coughing
• Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults

When do I need to seek medical care for my child if I think he or she has the flu?
Parents should use the same judgment and common sense they would have used last flu season to decide to seek treatment for their children. If you suspect your child has influenza, call your pediatrician. Le Bonheur agrees with the Tennessee Department of Health that, “in the majority of cases, testing is unnecessary” and that “initiation of treatment should be based on clinical presentation and should not be delayed for a confirmatory test.”

There are several anti-viral medications that can be prescribed by your doctor, but these medications are most effective when given early in the course of illness, especially within the first 48 hours of presenting symptoms.  Treatment is recommended for all patients with severe symptoms and for patients at high risk for complications of the flu. This includes children younger than 5 years of age and especially those younger than age 2 and children with chronic underlying medical conditions.

From the CDC website: “Children at ‘high risk’ of developing complications of influenza include the following: children with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurologic/neuromuscular, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus); children who are immunosuppressed (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV infection); children receiving long-term aspirin therapy who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection; residents of long-term care facilities; and pregnant patients).
To relieve your child’s pain and symptoms, first administer fluids and make sure your child is getting plenty of rest. Acetaminophen (Tylenol? and other brands) helps with the aches, pains and fever reduction.  Aspirin should not be given to children with suspected influenza.

The first and most important step to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. Vaccination stimulates an immune response using a killed or weakened virus that uses the body’s own defense mechanisms to prevent infection.

Does this year’s influenza vaccine protect against the novel H1N1 influenza A virus that caused the global pandemic in 2009?
Yes.  This year’s vaccine protects against three different influenza viruses, including the novel H1N1 influenza A virus that was first identified last year.

Can the influenza vaccine cause the flu?
No. The injectable form of the vaccine contains dead viruses.  The aerosolized version of the vaccine contains weakened viruses that cannot multiply at body temperature.  When people who have received the flu vaccine recently develop an acute respiratory illness, it is caused by other viruses.

Is the influenza vaccine safe?
Yes.  Millions of doses of flu vaccine are administered every year and serious side effects are extremely rare.  The risk of developing severe influenza is much higher.

Should everyone get the vaccine, or only those in high-risk groups?
Everyone 6 months of age or older should be immunized against influenza every year unless they are allergic to chicken eggs, have had a prior allergic or severe adverse reaction to influenza vaccine, or have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome. 

Child Life Specialist Dana Givens recently posted an entry on burns in the Child Life Blog “More than Medicine.” She noted the prevalence of burn injuries in young patients at Le Bonheur, and provided insight into her role as a preoperative teacher and confidante to Le Bonheur patients and families as they go through the treatment and recovery processes at the hospital. Most burns are accidental, but preventative measures can greatly decrease the likelihood of serious burn injuries in children. Safe Kids USA gives the following tips to help prevent childhood burns:

For Babies
(Please remember, babies can be easily burned by hot water, steam and electrical appliances)

 Top Tips from Safe Kids USA:
Bath time: 

• Check the water with your wrist or elbow before placing your baby in the shower or bath.

In the kitchen:

• Avoid using microwaves to heat baby formula or baby milk, as you can’t control the temperature of the liquid.
• Don't carry anything hot while holding a baby.
• Around the house:
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees to avoid the risk of burning.
• Keep electrical cords out of reach and keep outlets from being overloaded.
• Cover unused electrical outlets.
• Install barriers around fireplaces, ovens and furnaces.

 For Older Children
(Children over the age of 5 are more likely to suffer from flame burns)

Top Tips from Safe Kids USA:
In the kitchen:

• Do not allow children to use a microwave until they are both tall enough to reach in safely and able to understand that steam can cause burns.
• Place hot foods and liquids on the center of the table.
• Always supervise young children in the kitchen and around electrical appliances and outlets.
• Around the house:
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees or lower to avoid burns.
• Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of children’s reach.
• Cover unused electrical outlets.

For more information and safety tips, check out the information on burns from the Safe Kids USA Web site. Type in your child’s age to find out more exact information on the type of burn injuries prevalent in each age group.

If a burn does occur in your household, please seek medical attention or advice before applying any ointments, bandages or home remedies. At Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, specialists like Dana Givens see these injuries every day and work tirelessly to provide the best quality of care for your children.

Don’t let dangerous sparks stand between your family and a wonderful Fourth of July celebration. Dr. Barry Gilmore, medical director of Emergency Services at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital provides parents with some good safety guidelines for the holiday weekend. Following them can help keep your holiday festivities enjoyable and safe. Read his advice below.

Now that summer is here, thoughts turn to the bright and colorful fireworks displays that take place on the Fourth of July. While many families gather at community parks or organized events to view professional fireworks shows, some families hold their own festivities in neighborhoods and backyards. Every year, more than 3,000 children age 14 and younger are treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, and children ages 10 to 14 account for most of these incidents.

Sparklers, while often considered the safest type of fireworks, join firecrackers and rockets as those causing the bulk of emergency room treated injuries. Fireworks-related injuries usually involve the hands/fingers, eyes or head. While they are an exciting part of the celebration, no parent or child should underestimate their capability to injure if the proper precautions are not taken.

During your fireworks displays, please remember to practice caution and remember these vital safety guidelines:

·         Only adults should handle fireworks. Tell children that they should leave the area immediately if their friends are using fireworks and keep a bucket of water handy.

·         Discuss safety procedures with children. Teach children to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothes catch fire. Make sure they know how to call 9-1-1. Show them how to put out fireworks by using water or a fire extinguisher.

·         Read labels and carefully follow instructions.

·         Never use fireworks indoors.

·         Be sure spectators are out of range before lighting fireworks.

·         Never aim or throw fireworks at another person.

·         Never place your face or any other body part over fireworks.

·         Never try to re-ignite fireworks that malfunction.

·         Never carry fireworks in your pocket.

·         Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves and flammable materials.

Fun in the sun is what kids and summer is all about. But trying to decide what sunscreen is best for your child as you sift through the countless brands and forms is no easy task. No need to worry. Mid-South dermatologist Robert Skinner, M.D., has some advice to make those choices easier. Skinner, who works with the UT Medical Group, is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology.

For starters, Skinner recommends that parents use what’s called a physical sunscreen that contains titanium oxide and zinc oxide. Lotions with those ingredients tend to be thicker and look white when first applied. Skinner also cautions parents to stay away from sprays, even though they may seem more convenient for busy children. “You also have to be sure you have a UVA protector, not just UVB,” Skinner said, adding that there has been a bigger emphasis on UVA protection in recent years.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, UVB rays are the sun’s burning rays and the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the dermis, or basic layer of skin and can also contribute to sunburns and skin cancer.

Armed with physical sunscreen and UVA and UVB blockers, it’s also important to check the sun protection factor level. An SPF number measures how long you can stay out without getting red, and doesn’t necessarily mean that one bottle of lotion is stronger than another, Skinner said. When parents look for a good level for their children, SPF 30 should be enough.

Skinner recommends that parents also reapply sun block every couple of hours, especially when children are in the water or sweating a lot. It’s also important to apply the sunscreen before going outside, he said. Not only is it difficult to get children to stand still once they are at the pool, there also a chance you might forget to apply once you are outside.

Speaking of outside, Skinner recommends that parents be smart when considering when to apply the lotion. If you are going to the beach, an amusement park or the zoo, for example, put it on. “I think anytime you’re out for a prolonged period of time, it’s best to err on the side of caution,” he said.

But if you do forget, and your child does burn, there’s no real quick fix. Baths and emollient creams can help some, though. He recommends the over-the-counter Sarna lotion for burns. Skinner’s best advice for that: “just don’t forget the sunscreen.”