Things that make pediatricians cringe.
There are many things that are promoted to parents and that parents use that make pediatricians cringe. Here are a few.
Trampolines.
These are a popular backyard item; kids love bouncing and tumbling on them. However, while they can provide some much needed exercise, the risk of injuries is high. Not only can they break legs or arms by falling or running into other kids, they can hurt their necks or heads, and strain joints very easily.
If you do feel the need to have a trampoline, make sure it is enclosed and has pads. Have a rule of one person at a time on it, and enforce it. Don’t let young kids on it unsupervised. And don’t let them do tricks. If they want to learn flips, they can be trained at a professional gym.
You might also want to check with your homeowner’s insurance. Some will exclude trampolines, or charge you extra for a trampoline.
Teething necklaces.
The popular ones nowadays are the beaded amber necklaces, although there are also teething necklaces made of other materials. Amber is currently popular because it is supposed to give off a substance when heated that helps with pain. The problem is that it actually has to be heated up over 200 degrees (way over boiling) for it to give off this substance, and there is no evidence that it works even if you didn’t have to heat it enough to burn the baby.
There’s also the hazards of choking. First, if the child catches it on something they can be strangled as they fight to get away, or lean on it. One child has died from this. Secondly, the beads are small enough to be swallowed or inhaled if the string breaks.
Pools without fences.
You just got a pool-great! Please put a child proof fence around it. The risk of a young child drowning in a backyard pool that isn’t securely fenced is high. All it takes is one second of taking your eyes off them.
Walkers.
These have been used for decades for nearly walking kids to be able to move around inside a house. The theory used to be that it helped children walk faster. However, it actually slows down development, causing them to walk later than they otherwise would have. The bigger problem is safety. Because they are more mobile than they otherwise would be, they can get into things they would not otherwise have, such as stairs, pools, kitchen counters where hot things are kept, etc. Also, the walker itself can fall over or be pushed over.
Sports drinks.
Most children who play sports, run around, play hard, or are otherwise thirsty do not need anything besides water to rehydrate. Sports drinks have electrolytes, but they also tend to have a lot of sugar that’s not generally needed. And while we can lose electrolytes with sweating, to need that many electrolytes you need to be sweating hard for over an hour. Other drinks, such as vitamin waters and energy drinks can be high in sugar as well as other unneeded substances, such as caffeine. Extra vitamins may sound like a good idea, but getting too much of a vitamin can be harmful.
The best way to think about sports drinks is really like you might think of sodas and juices – a treat that they can get once a week.
Links.
How to prevent trampoline injuries.
