Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘child’

In chapter  one of “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries: A Parent’s Guide to Child Injury in Florida,”  I discuss the tragic fact  that  motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of injuries to children. Almost 700 children are hurt in car accidents each day and 2,000 children die from injuries in car accidents each year.

We all know the importance of having our children/grandchildren safely secured in an age appropriate child safety device in our cars. But  if their restraint is not installed correctly or is not being used properly your child is at great risk of serious harm.

Did you know 4 out of 5 car seats are not installed properly? Could yours be one of them? Get your child’s car seat checked by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. Here’s some helpful info on an upcoming safety event:

Where: All Children’s Specialty Care of Pasco

                  4443 Rowan Rd.

                  New Port Richey, Fl

When: Friday August 27, 2010 9:00am – 12:00pm

Appointments are required: Call 727-834-5403 to schedule yours!

What Parents Need to Do: Provide the age and weight for each child under 8 when making the appointment. Bring the child to the fitting station appointment using the child’s current car seat. Allow at least 20 to 30 minutes for each seat to be checked. Be prepared to purchase a replacement child restraint if the current restraint is unsafe. There are no free child restraints at fitting stations. Seats are replaced AT COST. Provide the vehicle owner’s manual. Provide the child restraint instructions.

For additional locations, times and dates of more car safety seat inspection events, click here.

Reminder, you must make an appointment and it’s always best to call first to verify times and locations.

The Dodson Law Firm, Working to Make Safety Every Child’s Reality!

Clearwater Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson is the author of  “When Kids’s Suffer Big Injuries,” available for free by calling 1.888.340.0840 or online at http://www.childinjurylawyerflorida.com/reports/florida-child-injury-consumer-guide-free-child-injury-book-must-read.cfm. If your child was injured due to the carelessness of another person, Jim provides answers to many of  your questions and concerns in his book or if you prefer, feel free to  call our office and speak to Judi to arrange a time to talk to Jim  directly.

 35,000 bottles of Scope Original Mint Mouthwash have been recalled in a cooperative manner between U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturer, Proctor and Gamble.  The recalled bottles have the number 4 on the bottom.    

 The one liter size bottles are being recalled due to malfunctioning child-resistant caps.  Proctor and Gamble also omitted an important message on that bottles in not stating, “This Package for Households without Young Children.” 

 One of the ingredients contained in the mouthwash, ethyl alcohol, is toxic.  Ethyl alcohol can cause serious injury or death if ingested by a child.   Every seven minutes a child under the age of 5 goes to the Emergency Room because of an unintentional poisoning.  Household products are responsible for 60% of the poisoning accidents with children under 5.   

 There have been no incidents or injuries reported.

The makers of Paxil have settled almost 200 lawsuits in which the antidepressant is claimed to have caused birth defects.  The terms are being kept confidential.

 In the majority of the cases, infants were born with heart defects, the result of the mother taking Paxil while pregnant.  The most prominent case contended the child was born with no fewer than three cardiac defects, including a hole between the two chambers of his heart that disrupted the aorta.

 The news gets more disturbing.  It appears GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer, didn’t follow up with additional tests after initial animal testing indicated  the drug might cause problems.  In 1997, a memo from a company executive stated, “If neg, results can bury.”

 Plaintiffs have filed at least 600 cases alleging Paxil is to blame for congenital birth defects.  Paxil generates GSK nearly $3 billion in profits annually.

U.S. News and Health Report recently published a report on protecting children against germs.  Every year, 4.5 million children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of infections.  Generally, vaccines and preventive measures such as your child regularly washing their hands with soap and water are good tactics to ward off infections.

 7  Dangerous Childhood germs: 

 Rotavirus -This virus causes severe dehydration and diarrhea.  Since 2006, admissions have dropped 45% because of 2 vaccines, RotaTeq and Rotarix.  The makers of Rotarix hit some recent snags, but the FDA approved changes in May and have deemed the vaccine safe.

 Streptococcus Pneumoniae- This is a very serious infection that can lead to meningitis and deafness.  In 2000, a vaccine called Prevnar was introduced which decreased the infection  by 80% in children under the age of 5.  Just recently, Prevnar 13 was released and is aimed at protecting children under the age of 2.  

 H1N1- Also referred to as the “swine flu”.  H1N1 was identified in April 2009 and has proved to be deadly.  It’s estimated 1,300 children and adolescents have died because of this flu.  Experts recommend everyone older than 6 months should be vaccinated.   

 Neisseria Meningitidis- This germ is rarer than others on the list but extremely dangerous and is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. It has the capacity to strike fast before doctors can act.  These bacteria can live in a child’s mouth and nose.  People who live in confined spaces can pass this on to one another. 

 MRSA-Clinically known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA has resulted in 30,000 children being hospitalized in the last decade…and seems to be on the rise.  The bacteria often spread among kids playing contact sports. 

 Pertussis- Also known as whooping cough.  In infants, pertussis can be life-threatening.  A vaccine known as DTaP has long been effective but over the last 30 years cases are increasing. 

 RSV-Respiratory Syncytial Virus can be mistaken for the common cold.  75,000 to 125,000 infants are hospitalized every year because of RSV.  Currently no RSV vaccine exists, high-risk infants are being administered an antibody shot for preventive measures.

Keeping a watchful eye on your child and noting any distinct changes in his/her health is an essential step in protection. Regular check-ups and maintaining all of your child’s immunizations are vital to their health and safety. Your Clearwater St. Petersburg Florida Child Injury Lawyer, working to make safety every child’s reality.

A three year-old child died this week in a drowning accident in the apartment complex pool where the family lived. News reports say the child’s stepfather was just a matter of feet away. This tragic death has led the family to reach out to other families and warn the dangers of distraction – to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families.

An article published in U.S. News Health magazine recently, was a reminder of the dangers of a moments glance away in a fatal drowning. Just a quick distraction by adults can result in fatal consequences when supervising children around water. Whether a backyard swimming  pool, lake, pond, beach, child’s inflatable pool, bathtub, bucket of water or any body of water, a child must have a responsible adult with focused eyes on them at all times and the ability to jump in quickly.

The article on summertime safety, stated children can drown even in a swimming pool with a lifeguard on duty, and yes, even when they have had swimmming lessons – if they become fatigued. Often times, contrary to what you might expect, when a child slips beneath the surface of the water, there is no sound – no flailing or commotion.

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 in Florida. The state’s drowning death rate among this age group (1-4)  is the highest in the nation. As a grandparent to two precious little girls, I urge all parents, grandparents and caregivers of children to be hypervigilant in supervising your children around water.

 It is my sincere hope, through education and heightened awareness of this young family’s tremendously sad loss, we can prevent this tragedy from happening again.

- Florida Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson, working to make safety every child’s reality.

 The Wall Street Journal recently published an article which examined a new study on vaccinations and children.  Due to child health and safety concerns, children today are receiving twice as many vaccinations as they did twenty-five years ago. 

Although some parents are requesting alternative immunization schedules because they fear that their children are being exposed to too many vaccinations, the study indicates there are no advantages in delaying the vaccines, only disadvantages.

 Two years ago in Minnesota during a shortage of the Haemophilus influenza Type B vaccine, which babies receive at the ages of 2, 4 and 6 months, five cases of illnesses were reported.  In one instance a child died because they could not ward off the disease.  In three of the cases, the babies hadn’t received the Hib vaccine, and the other two babies hadn’t been fully vaccinated.

 Recommended vaccines are designed to prevent infection with 14 diseases.  Babies can receive up to 26 vaccines in their first year of life, a doubling since the mid-1980s.  

The topic of childhood vaccines  is discussed  in Chapter 4 of  Clearwater Florida Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson’s newly released consumer guide, “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries: A Parent’s Guide to Child Injury in Florida.”  

Request your FREE copy  of  “When Kids Suffer Big Injuries”  by clicking here  or email your book request to judi@jwdodsonlaw.com

It’s easy to like stories like this one.  At All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, a 12-year-old boy was expecting and hoping to have some “battle wounds” for his gallbladder operation.  Instead he has none…and his parents are happy.    

 The young boy had his gallbladder removed as surgeons there used the single incision laparoscopy technique.  Surgeons Nicole Chandler, MD and Paul Danielson, MD made a single incision through his belly button.  Through the small incision, tiny surgical instruments were utilized as well as a miniaturized video camera.

 He was the first patient at All Children’s Hospital to use the technique.  The Dodson Law Firm salutes physicians dedicated to superior patient care throughout the state of Florida.  Our Florida Child Injury law firm is  working to make safety every child’s reality. If you find you are need of a Florida child injury lawyer, please call our office, toll free at (888) 340-0840 for a free case review of your injury claim today.

McNeil Consumer’s Healthcare is pulling more than 40 over the counter children’s liquid medications off the shelf because they don’t meet quality standards.

 McNeil is the maker of children’s Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl.  They issued the recall after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration.  It’s reported that some of the products may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than what is stated on the label. 

 Parents are being advised that they should not be giving the medication to their children.  This is said to be a precautionary measure.  The recall has been issued in the United States as well as eleven other countries.

 For product recall information, please visit the McNeil Consumer Healthcare website. 

 The Dodson Law Firm supports recalls that take quick and decisive action reducing the risk of child injury. 

 Florida Child Injury Attorney, working to make safety every child’s reality for more than twenty-five years.

  For a free case review please call our office toll free at (888) 340-0840. 

With spring here and summer fast approaching, children are out and about in playgrounds all across the country.  With proper care and guidance playgrounds should be a safe environment for your child.  Are they receiving enough supervision, though?  Fall  injuries are the number one reason why children aged 5 to 9 are taken to the emergency room. 

 Here are some tips pediatrician, Dr. Susan Surry explains parents and caregivers can implement to help keep their child safer at the playground and prevent unintentional injury.

• Check playground equipment for any damage, including loose bars or broken swings
• Ensure that the equipment is the right size and meets the physical abilities of your child
• Teach children playground safety rules and consistently reinforce them
• Don’t take skipping ropes onto playground structures
• Stand next to your child when they’re learning a new skill

 The Law Office of James W. Dodson, protecting children and representing families of injured victims in Florida personal injury claims. For a free case review, please call our toll free number at (888) 340-0840.

Dr. Julian Haber, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the Child Study Center in Forth Worth, Texas  is the author of a book titled, “ADHD, The Great Misdiagnosis.”

In this book, Dr. Haber, who has a background of 49 years in medicine, offers aid for parents and professionals searching for a correct diagnosis for children who are struggling at school.

 Possessing the symptoms of ADHD shouldn’t be misconstrued as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  To complicate matters more, the symptoms of ADHD can be present in over thirty other disorders.  They range from problems with the sensory systems, mental illness, or scholastic, psychosocial, and medical issues.

Dr. Haber refers to these as “ADHD Imitators.”  Here’s a list of 10 possible imitators of ADHD:

• Hearing and vision problems
• Learning disabilities
• Dysgraphia or difficulties with writing
• Mental retardation
• Personality conflicts, either with a teacher or other students
• Depression
• Childhood psychosis
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Thyroid disorders

For the complete list please visit KeepKidsHealthy.com.

Florida Child Injury Lawyer protecting the rights of injured children for over 20 years.