The Safety Mom Chronicles

Hannah Loves Yoplait Kids!

I now have living proof that every child is different.  My first two, Spencer and Kelsey, are crazy about all fruits and vegetables.  While I've always served healthy foods, they just have naturally gravitated to them.  I will admit to having been rather smug when I picked Kelsey up from a party the other day and all of the moms were marveling how she turned down birthday cake for another plate of strawberries and grapes!

Then, along came my baby Hannah.  I have introduced foods in the same manner and tried to feed her the same food as Spencer and Kelsey but she will have none of it.  Mealtime has become a battle, trying to get her to eat healthy foods.  She has one or two fruits she will eat and a handful of vegetables but she is, without a doubt, the pickiest eater I've ever encountered.   I've even succumbed to bribery to get her to eat meals.  But I feel that I still have the upper hand because I get to bribe her with something that's actually good for her!  The one thing that Hannah loves more than anything is yogurt and by far her favorite is Yoplait Kids.  Every day her mealtime request is "Dora Yogurt"  (they have Dora, Diego and the Backyardigans on the labels.)  The new Yoplait Kids yogurts are made with 25% less sugar and are not only a great source of calcium, vitamins A and D and protein, but also Omega-3 DHA (aka: brain food).  They come in  banana, strawberry, peach and vanilla flavors and are creamy enough that they stay on the spoon (Hannah loves demonstrating this every night by holding the spoon upside down and shaking it!)

Try it out with your kids - get a free Yoplait Kids coupon at www.yoplaitkids.com

Have You Heard of The Choking Game?

A new study is being released tomorrow by The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control that outlines how at least 82 kids have died since 1995 playing the "choking game."     Also known as the "blackout game," "pass out game," "scarf game, and "space monkey"  it involves children, primarily teens, trying to strangle themselves or a friend with their hands or some sort of noose in order to achieve a brief euphoric state.  According to the study, kids are trying to get a "cool and dreamy" feeling. 

This number of deaths could actually be conservative as the choking game is not listed on the death certificate or any public health databases.  Instead the report relied on those instances that were covered in the media.  The report also did not include injuries from the choking game, which can include loss of consciousness, concussion, fractures, hemorrhages of the eyes, as well as permanent neurological disabilities such as seizures.  More than 86% of the deaths were boys in the 11 - 16 age range with the median age being 13 and virtually all of them were alone. 

What is troubling, and why I'm writing about it, is that none of the parents had ever heard of this game until their child had died.   Robin Tobler, the author of the study, admits that this game has probably been played for generations but what is concerning  is that now teens are playing it alone and using items such as scarves, T-Shirts bungee cords and dog leashes that can increase the risk of death.  This game should also not be confused with suicide or autoerotic behavior which is considered a different behavior. 

It seems as if everyday there's something else we need to discuss with our kids but it's these threats, that moms are completely unaware of, that are perhaps the most shocking.  Some of the warning signs parents can look out for are bloodshot eyes; marks on the neck; severe headaches; disorientation after spending time alone; ropes, scarves and belts tied to bedroom furniture or doorknobs or found knotted on the floor; and unexplained presence of things like dog leashes, choke collars and bungee cords.

Moms sometimes hesitate on bringing up issues such as these for fear that if their kids have not heard of it a conversation will bring it to the forefront.  But the best way to protect your kids is open, honest conversations.  They need to know what dangers face them and need to hear it from their most trusted source - their parents.    So make sure you are in the know about the choking game and have a conversation with your kids this weekend.

One Million Evenflo Car Seats Recalled

Just wanted to get the word out that about one million child safety seats made by Evenflo are being recalled because they could fail to protect children from vehicle side-impacts.

Seats affected by the recall are Evenflo Discovery child safety seat models 390, 391, 534 and 552 made between April 2005 and January 29, 2008. The serial number and date of manufacture can be found on a white label on the underside of the safety seat.

Tests by Evenflo and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the safety seats can potentially separate from that base during an accident.

Owners of the affected Discovery safety seats are urged to immediately contact Evenflo and receive a free dual-hook fastener that will secure the seat to its base. The NTSA advised parents that they should continue using the safety seats while waiting for their fasteners to arrive.

NHTSA urged parents affected by the recall to contact Evenflo at 1-800-356-2229 between the hours of 8am and 5pm EST, or visit the Evenflo web site: http://safety.evenflo.com/cs/sc/cssc52_RD.phtml?rid=EFR20&src=WEB. Please pass this along to anyone you know who might own one of these car seats.