Good to Know

Local Teen creates BLM Trivia App to Raise Awareness

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR,

MIHIR HEDA, saw a need for more Black Lives Matter information. “During this time of the Black Lives Matter movement, I have learned a lot about black history that I have never learned before. My eyes have been opened to the injustices that are going on today and I think that this awareness needs to be spread all around,” Heda said. Heda created the BLM Trivia app that raises awareness for the Black Lives Matter Movement. The user answers a series of questions which will teach the user more about the important history of African Americans in the United States. For more information:

https://apps.apple. com/us/app/blm-trivia/id1519519458#seeall/reviews

THC Edibles Packaging Appeals to Children

Pediatric emergency

departments across the country are seeing an uptick in incidences involving children who have become ill after ingesting products such as candies, chocolates, sours and “gummies” containing THC.

One recent case at involved gummies that were packaged to look nearly identical to a leading brand of children’s vitamins. At least several children have been treated at the hospital over the past few weeks.

“Children often can’t tell the difference between a food product laced with THC and one without,” said Mark Waltzman, MD, Chair of Pediatrics. “Edibles laced with THC and intended for adult consumption with adult dosages, have a greater clinical impact on children based on their smaller size due to the child’s larger ‘volume of distribution.’” “Even a small amount of THC in a youngster can have a profound effect, leading to lethargy, hallucinations and the inability to arouse a child,” Waltzman said. Waltzman reminds families to be vigilant when it comes to candy and other edibles that their children might possess or that is lying around the house and is easily accessible. What may appear to be candy, may be a cannabis product.

Childproofing Your Home

Barbara DiGirolamo, Injury Prevention Coordinator

Home is where the heart is, but for children, it can also be where the danger is if we The best way don’t take the proper precautions. The best way to discover whether your house is child proof is to get on their level. By this I mean, crawl to discover whether your around the floor, walk around at their height, house is child and see what you can touch or get into. proof is to get • Install locks that contain medications or latches on any cabinets household cleaning products, or heavy objects that could be a on their level... crawl around the floor...walk danger to your child around at their • Plugs should be covered and cords should height, and see not be lying around for children to grab what you can • If you have stairs in your home, there should touch or get into. be gates at the top and bottom • Large objects like TV’s and dressers should be secured to the wall with furniture straps to avoid them pulling them onto themselves and all sharp corners should be covered • Toys should be checked to ensure that batteries and electrical connections are not visible or have the ability to be removed by your child • Keep furniture away from windows and install window guards or locks to prevent falls from windows • Keep the bathroom door closed when not in use • Install a toilet lock to prevent your child from climbing or falling inside • To prevent burns or scalds, your water temperature shouldn’t be any higher than 120 degrees • Install a heat alert anti slip bath mat • Keep medication and cleaning products up and away or in a locked cabinet The bathroom is also a critical place for potential injury. By following these simple steps, you can prevent serious injury: Your home children, with is the these most tips, comforting place it will also be the for your safest!

What Caregivers Need to Know About Rideshare Services and Car Seats

By Cassandra Slater, BA, CPST

The recent rise of the convenient ride share services are a blessing and a curse for families in the Bay Area. For low costs, it is easy for parents to transport their children from home to appointment without having to pay for parking in a busy city. Individuals and families are drawn to the convenience of the app, but one thing that is often overlooked is the need for child restraint systems. It is law in California that every child over the age of 4 years old and under 4 feet 9 inches be properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat who understand how crashes cause life-threatening at all times in a vehicle. This includes any rideshare injuries in children. Car seats protect children’s vehicle. brains, spinal cords, and internal organs by spread

As an Injury Prevention Specialist and Car Seat ing hundreds of pounds of crash forces over a larger Technician, I am answering this quesarea of the body. This means that tion from parents frequently: “Do I have to have a car seat if I am riding in an Uber even if the driver doesn’t “ Do I have to instead of the head or neck of the unrestrained child taking hundreds of pounds of pressure when they care?” And the answer is: YES! Being improperly restrained - not in a car have a car seat fly into the back of the front seat, that pressure is instead distributed seat, in the wrong car seat for their age, car seat not installed properly - in if I am riding in in smaller portions through the harness to the collar bones, strong a motor vehicle crash is the leading cause of death for children. Your child an Uber even chest bones, and strong hip bones, protecting their inner organs and must be properly restrained in a car seat for every ride, even if your desif the driver keeping them in their seat. Finally, when choosing a car seat tination is down the block. You never know when you and your family will be in a car crash and your small childoesn’t care? ” for your child, you might like the look of one particular car seat more than another, but always choose dren need to be protected against the intense crash forces. Not to mention, it is against the law for them to ride AND THE the seat you can easily install with out any help and practice installing it correctly. Of course, always unrestrained. These child passenger safety laws ANSWER IS: make sure the seat you choose is appropriate for the age, weight, were informed by trauma experts YES! and height of the child.