Illness of the Month
Croup
Summarized from WebMD
Croup is caused by a virus, which causes infection, inflammation, and swelling of the
upper airway.
The symptoms are:
Breathing difficulty
Barking spasmodic cough also described as a hoarse cough or as a seal-bark cough
High pitched sound on inspiration
Rapid breathing
Skin discoloration, bluish caused by lack of oxygen
Increased use of neck and chest muscles
The treatment for mild illness is:
Stay calm
Use warm or cool humidified air
Hot shower for 20 minutes
Take the child outside in cold air
The treatment for serious illness (persistent breathing difficulty, fatigue, bluish
coloration of the skin, or dehydration) is hospitalization for:
Oxygen
Antibiotics ( if bacterial infection also present)
Steroids
Intravenous Fluids
Get immediate attention if:
Makes a whistling sound that gets louder with each breath
Cannot speak for lack of breath
Seems to be struggling to get a breath
Has stridor when resting
Bluish discoloration of the skin
Has stridor (noisy, course musical sound on inspiration) when resting
Drools or has extreme difficulty swallowing
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Safety Tip of the Month
Home Safety Checklist
Taken from
The American Academy of Pediatrics
Use this checklist to help ensure that your home is safer for your child. A
"full-house survey" is recommended at least every 6 months. Every home is
different, and no checklist
is complete and appropriate for every child and every household
Your Child’s Bedroom
Make sure the night-light is not near or touching drapes or a bedspread
where it could start a fire. Buy only "cool" night-lights that do not get
hot.
Is there a smoke detector in or near your child’s bedroom?
Make sure that window guards are securely in place to prevent a child
from falling out the window. Never place children’s furniture near a window.
Are there plug protectors in the unused electrical outlets? These keep
children from sticking their fingers or other objects into the holes.
Make sure a toy box does not have a heavy, hinged lid that can trap your
child. (It is safer with no lid at all.)
To keep the air moist, use a cool mist humidifier (not a vaporizer) to avoid
burns. Clean it frequently and empty it when not in use to avoid bacteria
and mold from growing in the still water.
Your Bedroom
Do not keep a firearm
anywhere in the house. If you must, lock up the gun
and the bullets separately.
Check that there are no prescription drugs, toiletries, or other poisonous
substances accessible to young children.
If your child has access to your bedroom, make sure drapery or blind
cords are well out of reach. Children can get tangled in them and become
strangled.
Is there a working smoke detector in the hallway outside of the bedroom?
The Bathroom
Is there a nonskid bath mat
on the floor to prevent falls?
Is there a nonskid mat or no-slip strips in the bathtub to prevent falls?
Are the electrical outlets protected with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
to decrease the risk of electrical injury?
Are medications and cosmetics stored in a locked cabinet well out of
your child’s reach?
Are hair dryers, curling irons, and other electrical appliances unplugged
and stored well out of reach? They can cause burns or electrical injuries.
Are there child-resistant safety latches on all cabinets containing potentially
harmful substances (cosmetics, medications, mouthwash, cleaning supplies)?
Are there child-resistant caps on all medications, and are all medications
stored in their original containers?
Is the temperature of your hot water heater 120°F or lower to prevent
scalding?
Do you need a doorknob cover to prevent your child from going into the
bathroom when you are not there? Teach adults and older children to put
the toilet seat cover down and to close the bathroom door when done—
to prevent drowning.
Remember, supervision of young children is essential in the bathroom,
especially when they are in the tub—to prevent drowning.
The Kitchen
Make sure that vitamins or
other medications are kept out of your child’s
reach. Use child-resistant caps.
Keep sharp knives or other sharp utensils well out of the child’s reach
(using safety latches or high cabinets).
See that chairs and step stools are away from counters and the stove,
where a child could climb up and get hurt.
Use the back burners and make sure pot handles on the stove are pointing
inward so your child cannot reach up and grab them.
Make sure automatic dishwasher detergent and other toxic cleaning
supplies are stored in their original containers, out of a child’s reach, in
cabinets with child safety latches.
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