Safety_and_prevention

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  • Safe Sleep and Your Baby: How Parents Can Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Suffocation

    Many infants die during sleep from unsafe sleep environments. Some of these deaths are from entrapment, suffocation, and strangulation. Some infants die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, there are ways for parents to keep their sleeping baby safe.

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  • Safety of Blood Transfusions

    Because of illness or injury, some children need to receive transfusions of blood and blood products. This procedure may be frightening for parents and their children. Many parents are also concerned about the safety of transfusions. While blood supply in the United States is considered very safe, parents

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  • Smoking and E-cigarettes: What Parents Need to Know About the Risks of Tobacco Use

    Many people think that the only people harmed by tobacco use are smokers who have smoked for a long time. The fact is that tobacco use can be harmful to everyone. This includes unborn babies and people who don’t smoke.

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  • Smoking and E-cigarettes: What Parents Need to Know About the Risks of Tobacco Use

    Did you know that about 80% of teens in the United States don't smoke? They've made a healthy choice.

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  • Talking With Your Teen About Sex

    Children are exposed to sexual messages every day—on TV, on the Internet, in movies, in magazines, and in music. Sex in the media is so common that you might think that teens today already know all they need to about sex. They may even claim to know it all, so sex is something you just don't talk about.

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  • Talking With Your Young Child About Sex

    Some parents may not be comfortable talking with their children about sex and sexuality. However, if children aren’t getting the facts about sex and sexuality from their parents, they could be getting incorrect information from their friends or the media. Here is information from the American Academy

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  • Tattooing and Body Piercing

    Teens get tattoos or body parts pierced for different reasons. Most teens get a tattoo or body piercing because they like the way it looks or to express themselves. Some get a tattoo or piercing to feel like part of a group. In some states and cities, you need to be 18 or have a parent's permission to

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  • The Child as a Passenger on an Adult's Bicycle

    A young passenger on an adult's bike makes the bike unstable and increases the braking time.

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  • The Medical Home for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder—Autism Toolkit

    Parents, pediatricians, and other health care professionals are encouraged to work together so that all of the needs of children and youths are met. This partnership is at the core of what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls a medical home. The medical home is not a physical place but rather

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  • Tips for Getting Your Children to Wear Bicycle Helmets

    Have your children wear helmets as soon as they start to ride tricycles and if they are a passenger on the back of an adult's bike. If they learn to wear helmets whenever they ride tricycles and bikes, it becomes a habit for a lifetime. It's never too late, however, to get your children into helmets.

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  • Trampolines: What You Need to Know

    If you choose to have a home trampoline, the AAP recommends the following safety precautions: adult supervision at all times, only one jumper on the trampoline at a time, and no somersaults should be performed. Also, trampolines should have adequate protective padding that is in good condition and appropriately

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  • Using Liquid Medicines

    Many children’s medicines come in liquid form. Liquid medicines are easier to swallow than pills. But they must be used the right way.

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  • Using Over-the-Counter Medicines with Your Child

    “Over-the-counter” (OTC) means you can buy the medicine without a doctor's prescription. This doesn’t mean that OTCs are harmless. Like prescription medicines, OTCs can be dangerous if not taken the right way. Talk with your child's doctor before giving your child any medicine, especially the first

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  • Wandering Off (Elopement)—Autism Toolkit

    Research shows that about 1 in 3 young children with ASD has tried to wander off. This behavior may continue to happen in older children and even teenagers and adults with ASD. This is concerning since many people with ASD may not be able to share their names, addresses, or phone numbers if they get

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  • Water Safety for Your School-aged Child

    Swimming and playing in water can give your child much pleasure and good exercise. But you must take steps to prevent your child from drowning.

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