Child Care DIRECTORY www.wcfcourier.com/bookshelf
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Safe and Sound
5 ways to reduce safety risks for young children consider installing toilet lid locks.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
As parents, one of your top priorities is the safety and well-being of your children. With all the potential pitfalls of day-to-day life, however, navigating the risks can be difficult. These everyday safety tips can help you navigate everything from car seat safety to baby-proofing and safe sleep, keeping your child out of harm’s way as much as possible from birth through his or her toddler years. CAR SEAT SAFETY • Always use a valid (typically less than 6 years old), federally approved car seat in motor vehicles.
• Ensure the seat is properly installed. Refer to the instruction manual with any questions. • If you use an infant carrier, strap your child in on the floor, never a counter or tabletop. • For at least the first two years of your child’s life, the car seat should be rearfacing. • The safest location for a car seat is in the middle of the back seat. CHOKING PREVENTION • Avoid giving your child nuts, popcorn, hard candies, hot dogs and raw fruits and vegetables, such as grapes
or carrots, that may present a choking hazard. • Never prop up a bottle and leave your baby unattended. • Inspect toys often to ensure they’re not broken and do not have small pieces that could easily become detached. • Be cautious of strings and buttons on clothing. SAFE SLEEP • The safest place for your baby to sleep is on his or her back, which reduces the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). • Avoid placing anything in the crib or bassinet that may
suffocate your child, such as pillows, blankets or bumpers. • Keep your child’s room at a moderate temperature and dress him or her appropriately to avoid overheating. • Never leave your baby alone on a bed, couch, changing table, swing or infant seat. WATER SAFETY • Set your hot water heater no higher than 120 F. • Test the temperature of bath water before setting your baby in the tub. • Never leave your baby unattended in the bathtub. • Keep toilet lids down and
BABY-PROOFING • Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and in every sleeping area. • Secure cords on blinds and drapes out of reach. • Keep sharp objects, such as knives, scissors and tools, and other hazardous items, like coins, beads and pins, in a secure place out of baby’s reach. • Store cleaning products and medications in locked cabinets. Never store potentially toxic substances in containers that could be mistaken for food or drink. • Cover all electrical outlets. • Cushion hard edges and sharp corners of furniture and decor. •Secure cords to electrical items along baseboards using electrical tape. • Attach heavy or tall furniture to the wall and avoid placing items that could fall, like electronics or lamps, on top of dressers or shelves. • Install safety gates with straight, vertical slats securely in front of all stairwells. Find more tips and ideas to keep your children safe at home and on the go at eLivingtoday.com.
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6 parenting hacks to save time and money water. You’ll never see tears from a post-bath chill again. NO MORE NOISY TOYS Kids are noisy. Kids’ toys that make noise can add to the commotion. Those loud bings, bells and songs can test even the most patient parent. When children are done using noisy toys, cover the toy’s speaker with tape to avoid any excess noise. This also works if a toy is particularly loud and could use a bit of muffling, even on the low setting. A small piece of tape lessens the noise so baby can still enjoy without Mom and Dad getting a headache.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Whether it’s your first child or you’ve been around the baby block a few times before, having an infant in your life is an unforgettable experience. While there are countless joys you’ll cherish forever, there are a few challenges you’ll likely face along the way, too. Savvy parents are always looking for tricks to save time and money while helping them be better caregivers. These six simple hacks will make you feel like a superstar parent while giving your little one the best: FAST AND TIDY DIAPER CHANGES Wiggling legs can make fast messes, especially when
it comes time to change the diaper. To make diaper changing quick and easy, try placing a clean diaper on the changing table before laying your baby down on the table. Remove the diaper tabs, clean your baby up and pull away the dirty diaper and instantly you have a clean diaper ready to go. You’ll save time and consolidate messes in the process. CLEAN STROLLER TRAVEL Saving your back and making travel smooth and easy, a stroller can take you and your baby anywhere from the park to the mall and beyond. However, with those adventures comes all the nasty dirt, grime or worse
that gets on the wheels. Before putting your stroller in your car for transport, place shower caps on the wheels of your stroller. Your car will stay nice and clean no matter how messy those wheels are.
name brands but can save families up to $900 a year.*
SAVE MONEY ON ESSENTIALS Babies need many things and that cost adds up fast. Shopping sales and using coupons is a good start, but you can save even more money without sacrificing quality by looking for store brand items like diapers, wipes and infant formula. Store brand infant formula is the ultimate parenting hack because they offer the same complete nutrition as the big-
STREAMLINE BATH TIME A warm baby is a happy baby, and what parent doesn’t want to see their little one cozy and cooing? While you’re bathing baby, have someone place a towel in the dryer for five minutes. Remember to never leave your child alone in the bathtub, so you’ll need a partner or older sibling to do this. Once the dryer is done, have them bring you the towel so you can wrap baby in warmth right out of the
• Retail prices from October 2019 retail price survey of assorted stores. Actual prices and savings may vary.
STAY INFORMED Knowing what’s best for baby is a combination of using your instincts and staying informed. Having quick resources for getting useful information about important topics like health, nutrition and savings can give your parenting game an edge. For even more tips on all things feeding baby, check out the latest MommyMD Guide to Feeding Your Baby Right and bookmark storebrandformula. com as a resource to help make the wild ride of parenting a little bit easier. Story courtesy of Brandpoint
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4 tips to keep your children safe while driving across the back of the car seat. Besides keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, make sure you’ve installed the safety seat correctly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly three in five (59%) car seats are installed incorrectly. Additional resources and information about car seat installation can be found at nhtsa.gov.
getting into a fender bender with their child in the car.
Tip 3: Avoid reaching into the back seat while driving. Whether you’re reaching for an item, consoling a child or breaking up an argument, it’s safer to pull over and address the issue than to take your eyes off the road, even when stopped behind stalled traffic, at a stop sign or traffic signal. Better to arrive at your destination late than to end up in an accident. Parents also said they’ve experienced children throwing Tip 2: Install harnessed a toy (22%) or food (18%) at seats using either the LATCH them from the backseat while system or the safety belt. they were driving. One of the most common misconceptions in car seat Tip 4: Secure items inside installation is that utilizing the car. the LATCH system and safety Limiting the number of belt together adds a layer items accessible to children of protection, when in fact, in the back seat not only to it’s not recommended by makes it less likely to have an most car seat and vehicle unexpected item hurled at the manufacturers. Read both the driver, but also prevents the seat instructions and vehicle possibility of items becoming owner’s manual to determine Photo courtesy of Getty Images the best way to install the car projectiles that could harm passengers in the event of a seat and ensure the seat does crash. children protected from harm properly. With all the distractions on not move more than one inch and give peace of mind to today’s roads, parents are side-to-side or front-to-back at To read the full report from parents. Tip 1: Keep children in rearfeeling increasingly anxious the belt path once installed. Volvo USA and The Harris Poll, Parents are overwhelmed facing car seats as long as about keeping their children Parents are distracted when visit volvocars.com. when researching child safety possible. safe while driving. According driving with children. products. In some states, children are to a new study, more than Two-thirds of parents Story courtesy of Parents have never had more required by law to sit rearsix in ten American parents surveyed said they often feel Brandpoint options or information available facing until a certain age. believe roads today are more distracted while driving with to help them make decisions, However, that does not mean dangerous than ever, and are children. About one in three yet for nearly two-thirds of they should move to a forwardactively seeking guidance on parents reported children parents, this is causing more facing seat immediately when throwing a tantrum or getting how to properly protect their they reach that age. Safety loved ones when they’re on the confusion and stress. Almost sick while they were driving, all new parents (97%) find experts recommend children go. leading them to shift their focus it overwhelming to research remain rear-facing until To help parents overcome away from the road. As a result, their anxiety around child safety products - with 58% citing car reaching the maximum height one in four new parents said seats specifically as a product or weight restrictions for that on the road, Volvo Car USA they unintentionally ran over a they are seeking more guidance seat. Rear-facing seats spread curb while driving with children, and Britax worked together on how to install and use crash forces more evenly to curate helpful tips to keep while one in five admitted to
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MercyOne offers family-centered approach to NICU care
Having a baby is one of the most important moments of a parent’s life, and while parents expect the pregnancy, labor and birth to go as planned, there are instances where babies need advanced care. MercyOne’s unique and top-rated Integrated Neonatal Intensive Care (INIC) model allows babies to be cared for by our team of neonatologists, nurses and specialists while staying in the same room as their moms. Each of MercyOne’s 19 labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum birthing suites are equipped with the technology and support necessary should a baby need intensive care. This family-centered approach allows for families to stay together rather than separating mom and baby in a more traditional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) setting. “We have to think about the whole family as a unit and keeping that family unit together right from the start can change the entire trajectory of the baby’s life going forward,” says Dr. Andrew Barden,
Neonatologist at MercyOne. “The INIC model really allows us to care for the family as a whole.” There are many benefits to this family-centered approach, including more skin-to-skin time for mom and baby and increased breastfeeding success rates. The first few minutes, hours and days are essential for bonding with a new baby, and the INIC model allows for that even when a baby needs advanced care. While it may seem this approach is only applicable to certain babies, Dr. Barden reiterates that the level of care provided in-room is the same as it would be in a separate, dedicated unit for neonatal intensive care babies. “With the INIC model, babies receive the advanced care they need, whether it’s respiratory support, extra monitoring or specialized tests,” he says. “The benefit is families are part of the care from the start. Partners are not forced to divide their time and attention between the mom and baby, parents feel more
confident going home since they have been a part of the baby’s care from the start, and moms recovering from labor and delivery can rest assured knowing her baby is just steps away.” Dr. Barden also says the same safety standards that apply to a designated NICU setting, apply to these patient rooms, including infection control precautions and appropriate staffing for intensive care babies. Two of MercyOne’s cultural beliefs - Personalize Care and Innovate - are greatly modeled with the INIC program. Providing personalized care to the whole family with this innovative model is one way we are helping patients live their best lives. Learn more about our INIC program at www. MercyOne.org/INIC. Story and photo Coutesy of MercyOne
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First moments are born here
From your first birthing class to your first family photo, our team of experts is committed to serving you and making your first moments your best moments. Learn more at MercyOne.org/birthcenter.