Educations Toys Ideas!

The holidays are upon us and the last thing anyone needs is more "stuff", so here's a link to a post on Not Just Cute with educational gift guides to find a purposeful gift that encourages your child to learn through play. What kind of education gifts do you love? Happy Shopping and hopefully these ideas will help!

 **Info from www.notjustcute.blogspot.com

*Picture from www.imaginationsoup.net

Parents urged to use Caution : Bumbo Baby Seats

We wanted to make sure you know about the most current recalls and warnings to protect your child. For more information click on www.saferproducts.gov

Serious Head Injuries to Infants Continue Due to Falls from Bumbo Baby Seats Used on Elevated Surfaces Injuries occurring despite previous recall warning; parents urged to use caution

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Due to the serious risk of injury to babies, CPSC and Bumbo International Trust of South Africa ("Bumbo International") are urging parents and caregivers to never place Bumbo Baby Seats on tables, countertops, chairs or other raised surfaces. Infants aged 3-10 months old have fallen out of the Bumbo seat and suffered skull fractures and other injuries.
CPSC and Bumbo International are aware of at least 45 incidents in which infants fell out of a Bumbo seat while it was being used on an elevated surface which occurred after an October 25, 2007 voluntary recall of the product. The recall required that new warnings be placed on the seat to deter elevated usage of the product. Since the recall, CPSC and Bumbo International have learned that 17 of those infants, ages 3-10 months, suffered skull fractures. These incidents and injuries involved both recalled Bumbo seats and Bumbo seats sold after the recall with the additional on-product warnings.
CPSC and Bumbo International are also aware of an additional 50 reports of infants falling or maneuvering out of Bumbo seats used on the floor and at unknown elevations. These incidents include two reports of skull fractures and one report of a concussion that occurred when babies fell out of Bumbo seats used on the floor. These injuries reportedly occurred when the infants struck their heads on hard flooring, or in one case, on a nearby toy.
The Bumbo seat is labeled and marketed to help infants sit in an upright position as soon as they can support their head. The product warnings state that the seat "may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement." Infants as young as 3 months can fall or escape from the seat by arching backward, leaning forward or sideways or rocking.
At the time of the 2007 recall announcement, CPSC was aware of 28 falls from the product, three of which resulted in skull fractures to infants who fell or maneuvered out of the product used on an elevated surface. CPSC and Bumbo International are now aware of at least 46 falls from Bumbo seats used on elevated surfaces that occurred prior to the 2007 recall, resulting in 14 skull fractures, two concussions and one incident of a broken limb.
Approximately 3.85 million Bumbo seats have been sold in the United States since 2003. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product alert or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about your experience with the product on www.saferproducts.gov 
info from : http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12047.html

Black Friday: Toy tips and warnings before you buy

As you begin your shopping this holiday season we hope you keep a few things in mind. "Safety and Quality"

SAFETEY:
The consumer advocate's report, released Tuesday, found just over a dozen toys on store shelves that violate federal safety standards. Some had unsafe levels of lead or chemicals called phthalates, and others contained small parts that young children could choke on. Government figures show 34 toy recalls in fiscal year 2011 -- down from 46 recalls the previous year; 50 in 2009 and 172 in 2008. Recalls related to lead were down from 19 in 2008 to four this past year.To read the full article and see the list of "unsafe" toys click HERE and for the full list click HERE.
QUALITY:

Babies rely primarily on their 5 senses (seeing, smelling, hearing, touching, and—yes—tasting) to play and explore. If you keep this concept in mind, it will serve you well when selecting the best toys for your baby.

• Eye catching. Babies typically prefer objects with bright colors, high contrast, simple designs, and clear lines.
• Shakes, rattles, and rolls. Your baby’s exploratory efforts will be rewarded with both sounds and movement.
• Touchy feely. Remember to let your baby explore various textures. Think soft, smooth, fluffy, and fuzzy.
• Holds its own. Look for toys that will be easy to hold so your baby can get a good grasp.
• Drool resistant. As soon as they’re able, babies use their mouths to explore their world. Fortunately, there are plenty of baby toys today designed with this in mind.
• Stands up under pressure…not to mention all of the pushing, pulling, dropping, and smushing that baby toys are inevitably subjected to.

Be Pro-Active

When it comes to toys (and, ultimately, learning), active play always wins out over passive entertainment such as watching a TV. Although your newborn certainly won’t be getting a full-fledged workout just yet, she’ll be moving more in a matter of mere months. As she does, offer her toys that she can reach for and hold, look at, listen to, wave, shake, chew on, make noise with, and more. An activity mat that you put on the floor can make an excellent fitness center for your new baby as she learns about the textures and sounds of different objects as well as works on her depth perception skills by trying to grab such items as hanging rings and plastic mirrors.

The Perfect Fit

Finally, be sure to offer toys to your baby that are at an appropriate level for her development. While you may love the idea of building Legos together, she won’t yet have the required dexterity (or self-control to avoid eating the pieces) to make them a good fit. If a toy is too advanced (or too simplistic) for a child, they will quickly lose interest or get frustrated.
**info from The Boston Globe/Associated Press
**info from http://www.healthychildren.org/

Happy Thanksgiving

The Willow Creek office WILL be open on Thanksgiving day, November 24, for Willow Creek and Draper patients! We have a doctor on call to see patients with URGENT problems only! We will book patients in consecutive order and will stay until the latest scheduled appointment, so call first thing in the morning if your child needs to be seen to be sure to get an appointment! Our phones will turn on at 9:30 am.

We will also be open the day after Thanksgiving. We will have a few doctors in the office to see sick patients. This will be treated as a regular day with regular office hours for the Willow Creek office!

 

This time of the year makes us all reflect on the many thanks we have. Here are just a few things we are thankful for:

 

Dr. Steve Lynch--.Health, Love, Family (two legged and four legged) and compassionate friends!

Valerie (nurse)-- Good Health!

Jan (front office)--My awesome family and grand kids

Shaylyn (front office coordinator)--My family

Dr Ryan Donnelley--Thankful that my wife is still pregnant (24 weeks along with preterm labor on bed rest) and for my kids and for my new job with great patients and staff.

Traci (nurse)--My family and my patients

Trishell (front office)--My family....and that we are all healthy and happy

Dr. Jim Memmott--Thankful for my great family and for a great job and my amazing patients.

Margie (office coordinator)--A great job with amazing physicians and staff, good health, and great family and friends.

Kari (front office)--I can think of hundreds of things from one day to the next. Today is breathing, smiling,living and loving.  I can not begin to express how grateful I am for every day!

Mandy (nurse/blogger)--My two boys and a great husband, my family who is my life, my health and my children's healthy and an amazing job that I love and work with such amazing people and patients!

Dr. Joe Jopling--Thankful for family and good health. Especially when we work in an industry like this, it makes me appreciate good health even more.

 

The staff and doctors of Willow Creek would like to wish all of our patients and their families and happy and safe Thanksgiving week!

 

Adding "greens" to your Thanksgiving Table

We hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week of Thanksgiving. Dr Jopling found this great article about adding "green's" to your Thanksgiving table. It's not easy being green — particularly at the Thanksgiving table. Unless you're a snap bean forced into an arranged marriage with a can of cream of mushroom soup, green vegetables get short shrift on America's day of giving thanks. To read the full article click HERE.

We also know many of you travel during this time of the year and wanted to remind you to buckle up your little ones. For a few reminder tips click HERE and HERE.

Have a wonderful week and coming up this week--"What our staff is thankful for!"

Successful Parenting Class & Tech Tip

Thank you so much to Amanda Morgan for a very successful course of parenting classes. We had such a great turn out and learned so much! Remember to check out Amanda at her blog NotJustCute and let us know if you interested in attending any of her Parenting classes. She will be doing more after the first of the year.

Tech Tip: Dr Lynch found this great "App" and wanted to share it. It is called Infant Risk Center Mobile Application at www.infantrisk.com  It is a app from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. It is based on Medications and Mothers' Milk by Thomas Hale. One benefit it has is it tells you which drugs are safe during pregnancy and during breastfeeding. We promise to give you information and we receive it and thought this was great. Do you have a great "App" that you love?...Let us know!
**Info from www.aapnew.org

Varicella-related deaths in US children plummet thanks to vaccine

Dr Lynch recently found this article and wanted to share it with you.

                         

The use of the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine in the U.S. since 1995 has reduced the death rate from this disease by 97 percent among children and adolescents, according to an analysis of data from the National Center for Health Statistics from 1990-2007.  Because deaths from varicella are relatively few, the major benefit of the vaccine is considered to be the reduction in lost work and medical care associated with cases and severe complications. Varicella deaths are a powerful reminder of the importance of vaccines for prevention. For most of the time period since 1995, a one-dose vaccine was used for children. Since 2006, a two-dose regimen has been recommended. This could possibly eliminate deaths altogether in this age group from the disease in the future. The full article can be read in th August 2011 issue of Pediatrics called  , “Near Elimination of Varicella Deaths in the US Following Implementation of the Childhood Vaccination Program."

Here is some basic information about the Chicken Pox vaccine and why it is important.

Why get vaccinated?

Chickenpox (also called varicella) is a common childhood disease. It is usually mild, but it can be serious, especially in young infants and adults.

• It causes a rash, itching, fever, and tiredness.
• It can lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage, or death.
• The chickenpox virus can be spread from person to person through the air, or by contact with fluid from chickenpox blisters.
• A person who has had chickenpox can get a painful rash called shingles years later.
• Before the vaccine, about 11,000 people were hospitalized for chickenpox each year in the United States.
• Before the vaccine, about 100 people died each year as a result of chickenpox in the United States.

Chickenpox vaccine can prevent chickenpox.

Most people who get chickenpox vaccine will not get chickenpox. But if someone who has been vaccinated does get chickenpox, it is usually very mild. They will have fewer blisters, are less likely to have a fever, and will recover faster.

Who should get chickenpox vaccine and when?

Children who have never had chickenpox should get 2 doses of chickenpox vaccine at these ages:

• 1st Dose: 12-15 months of age
• 2nd Dose: 4-6 years of age (may be given earlier, if at least 3 months after the 1st dose) 

To read more about the chicken pox vaccine please click HERE for the full article.
**info from http://www.aapnews.org/, http://www.healthychildren.org/ and http://www.cdc.gov/