Car Seat Tips: What You Need to Know About Under-Car Seat Mats and Towels. | |
A caregiver recently emailed the following question:
Now that our kiddo can walk, I am thinking about buying one of those seat mats for our car to protect the upholstery from muddy shoes. I’ve seen friends use them, but are they safe?
There are many factors to consider when answering this sort of question, and each scenario’s specific details play into account when providing education.
Source: Safe Ride News Nov/Dec 2023 Issue
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Counterfeit Car Seats on the Rise - Navigating a Real Threat to Child Safety |
Can you tell which one is real?
In an era where online shopping is the norm, the alarming rise in counterfeit car seats poses a substantial threat to child safety. Families are unknowingly falling prey to substandard and illegal car seats. These counterfeit seats are unsafe and jeopardize the safety of their children.
Discover the real threat these knockoffs pose to child safety, learn how to identify them, and safeguard your little ones with insights on materials, labeling, and more. Stay informed to make informed choices. And make every arrival a safe arrival.
Source: Safe Ride 4 Kids
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Safe Sleep
In the news - Lawmakers urge swift action against infant weighted blankets, sleep sacks.
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Following a claim from the American Academy of Pediatrics that weighted blankets and sleep sacks were dangerous for infants, lawmakers urged swift action.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal said two of the major companies that make the products, Dreamland Baby and Nested Baby, prey on vulnerable sleep-deprived new parents who are desperate for a solution by making claims such as to “help your baby feel calm, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer, so you can too.”
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Now, let's talk about the magic of a consistent naptime routine. Consistency isn't just a buzzword; it's the ultimate parenting hack, even when you're away from the comfort of home. Creating a piece of home wherever you go for your little one to wind down for a cozy nap or night's sleep isn't as hard as you think. Whether you're at grandma’s house or a hotel room, sticking to the routine is the ultimate parenting hack.
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Winter Walk To School Week | |
Hundreds of kids in our region proved how tough we are in the north by celebrating Winter Walk to School Day. 11 schools had celebrations over the course of three days, February 6th, 7th and 8th to highlight the benefits of active transportation, including better health, focus in the classroom, less congestion and traffic in school zones and the opportunity to explore their neighborhoods.
Local celebrities came out to support the students as they walked, including UND student athletes, law enforcement officers, firefighters, school board members and community leaders. Students at Lake Agassiz and Valley Middle School had a special guest to greet them at the school doors—the UND Hawk!
The celebrations all featured music and hot cocoa or morning snacks, and the students got stickers and reflective gear to help them stay safer while walking in low light conditions. Several schools designated remote drop off locations so kids who normally get dropped off at school by parents or ride the bus could participate as well.
The turnout at these schools were amazing—nearly 200 students participated at Winship Elementary in Grand Forks. Other schools participating included Wilder, Lake Agassiz, Phoenix and Lewis and Clark Elementaries and Valley Middle School in Grand Forks, Fisher Public Schools in Fisher MN, Highland Elementary in Crookston MN, Challenger Elementary in Thief River Falls MN, and New Heights and South Point Elementary Schools in East Grand Forks MN.
These events could not be possible without our amazing partners with Polk County Public Health, Grand Forks Housing Authority, Grand Forks Blue Zones, MN Toward Zero Deaths, and ND Vision Zero.
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ND Childhood Injury Prevention Virtual Workshop | | | |
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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | |
Registration is FREE and we encourage attendance by parents, caregivers and professionals interested in the following topics:
- Safe sleep
- Farm & Rural safety
- Pedestrian & Wheeled Sports Safety
- Guns & Firearms Safety
- Child Passenger Safety & Heatstroke Prevention
- Drowning & Water Safety
- ATV/UTV Safety
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Keeping Kids Safe Around Medicine | Every year more than 59,000 children go to an emergency room for medicine poisoning. That's 1 child every 9 minutes. Almost all of these visits are because the child got into medicine while their parent or caregiver wasn't looking. You can keep this from happening to your child by learning how to store, dose and dispose of medicines safely. |
A Letter From Dr. Z - Altru Pediatrician | |
It can happen in a second, the cute toy an older child was playing with is suddenly in their mouth or the mouth of a younger child and then they swallow it. As a caregiver, the first thought is often do I need to worry? Over the last several years, new hidden dangers regarding some of these objects that you wouldn’t necessarily worry about have become apparent.
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From the moment your baby starts to crawl, the world is a magical place filled with new adventures and discoveries. From a child’s perspective, everything is a potential mountain to climb (that giant bookshelf), obstacle to overcome (those pesky stairs) or mysterious place to investigate (anywhere beyond the safety gate). Little bumps will happen but we’re here to help so these brave expeditions don’t result in something more serious.
Source: Safe Kids Worldwide
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This training is intended for first responders and ambulance staff in order to discuss safe transport for infants and children in emergency vehicles and to understand how to meet safe transportation requirements for your ambulance service. |  | |
This year, on Sunday, March 10, states throughout the U.S. will be turning their clocks forward. Many people will use this event as a reminder to change their home’s smoke alarm batteries.
Because working smoke alarms are a critical element of home fire safety, NFPA supports any and all efforts to reinforce the importance of working batteries. However, today’s smoke alarms are not all designed the same, making battery messaging more nuanced.
Following is information to help make sure all smoke alarms have working batteries, accounting for the multiple types of smoke alarms on the market and their varying battery requirements:
Smoke alarms with non-replaceable 10-year batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years. If the alarm chirps, warning that the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.
Smoke alarms with any other type of battery need a new battery at least once a year. If that alarm chirps, warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
When replacing a battery, follow manufacturer’s list of batteries on the back of the alarm or manufacturer’s instructions. Manufacturer’s instructions are specific to the batteries (brand and model) that must be used. The smoke alarm may not work properly if a different kind of battery is used.
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Safe Routes To School - Updated Interactive Maps | | |
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Routinely, the Grand Forks - East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization assesses the safest way for students to get to and from schools in our community. Maps indicating the "Safe Routes To School" are published and Safe Kids Grand Forks works with our local schools to distribute this information to parents and students through back-to-school open houses, school newsletters and on the Safe Kids Grand Forks and community schools' web sites.
It is important to remember that the routes determined to be the safest are not always going to be the shortest. The routes are established based on where there are sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing lights, posted lower speed limits, etc. It is also important to keep in mind that these routes may change temporarily based on road construction, etc.
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We thank these partners for their financial support
of our work.
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