Sunday, May 01, 2011

Health Tips for May 1

Health Tip: Kid-Proof Your Bathroom

Kids can easily slip, fall or burn themselves in bathrooms.

The American Academy of Pediatrics lists these suggestions to make your bathroom safer:

  • Never leave a young child alone in the bathtub.
  • Place a non-slip mat or strips in the bottom of the tub, keep the toilet lid closed and cover the bathtub faucet with a soft protective cover.
  • Adjust your hot water heater so that the water temperature cannot exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit -- and remember to teach older children to turn on cold water first, then hot.
  • Make sure all medications have child-proof caps, and store them -- along with other bathroom products such as soaps and cleaners -- out of a child's reach.
  • Unplug and safely store any electrical appliances where children cannot reach them.

Health Tip: Ease Baby's Stuffy Nose

Easing a sniffly baby's stuffy nose can make both baby and parents feel better.

The ADAM Encyclopedia suggests how to help reduce nasal congestion in babies:

  • With the baby lying on the back and a towel rolled up beneath the shoulders, place two-to-three drops of a saline solution into the nose before rolling baby onto the stomach.
  • Use a nasal suction bulb, sometimes called an aspirator, to suck mucus from baby's nose. Follow the product's directions carefully.
  • Elevate the head of baby's crib.
  • Get baby to drink a lot of fluids, so breast-feed or offer formula frequently.
  • Use a cool-mist vaporizer. But don't let the room get too humid, and remember to disinfect the vaporizer daily.
  • Before bedtime, run a hot shower and take baby into the steamy bathroom to help break up congestion. Never put baby in the hot shower.
  • Don't use cough-and-cold medicines or nasal sprays in children younger than 2.

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