Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘child’

 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.

Is there a flaw in the free Safebeat EKG testing being offered to Hillsborough County schools through All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg?

According to an online report, some local medical experts think so. 

Cardiologist, Jorge McCormack is exercising caution with the program.  In almost 20 years at Pediatric Cardiology Associates, McCormack says he has seen many children who have life-threatening heart conditions, but EKG’s have not revealed their problem.  The reason?  EKGs won’t detect irregularities of the coronary arteries, the second-leading cause of death in young athletes. Occasionally they’ll pick up on rhythm disorders.

Read the rest of this entry »

A USA Today Greenhouse report states that a dozen states are moving forward in considering restrictions this year on bisphenol A, an estrogen-like chemical implemented to solidify plastics in products such as bottles and cups, and widely used in  baby bottles.  The chemical is also present in the linings of metal cans, including infant formula, in order to hold up to high sterilization temperatures.

 According to WebMD, millions of tons of BPA are made annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 90% of Americans have measurable levels of BPA in their bodies.  Children have higher concentration levels of the chemical than adolescents or adults. 

 Last month, the FDA which in years past had deemed BPA safe, expressed “some concerns” due to new studies regarding the chemical’s potential side effects on the brain development of fetuses, infants and children. 

 The Greenhouse report states that Connecticut and Minnesota passed the first state mandate on BPA in food and drink containers intended for those 3 and younger.  Bills are now pending in Oregon, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington, D.C. 

Here are a few things to know about BPA, as summarized from an advisory by the Department of Health and Human Services:

    •    Plastic containers have triangular recycling codes on the bottom. Some   numbered 3 and 7 may contain BPA. Those numbered 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 very likely do not.
    •    Do not put warm or hot liquids into BPA containers.
    •    Do not use them if scratched.
    •    Most baby bottles are BPA-free because of voluntary changes by major manufacturers. Pacifiers and toys use materials without BPA.

The Dodson Law Firm is dedicated to providing  consumers the latest information and news related to child safety issues and injury protection. For additional  resources please visit our Florida Child Injury Lawyer website @http://www.jwdodsonlaw.com/practice_areas/child-injuries1.cfm

Close to 2,500 pull toys with wooden parts that can break or become dislodged and pose a choking hazard to a child were recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this week.  These toys manufactured by the Manhattan Group have been sold nationwide in gift and specialty shops as well as online and in catalogues.    

 Approximately 14,000 umbrella strollers that might amputate a child’s fingertips as they’re unfolded were also recalled. While there have been no known related incidents reported in either case, there have been reports of injuries related to children’s lamps and wind chime toys recalled this past week.

The childrens’ lamps involved in the CPSC recall are  360,000 Discovery Kids Animated Marine and Safari Kids lamps with defects in the printed circuit board which could cause an electrical short, posing a fire and burn hazard to children.  There have been 9 incidents reported including lamps catching on fire, smoke inhalation injury to a child and minor property damage. 

The decorative lamps are silver colored and have rotating films with marine or safari scenes. “Discovery Kids” is printed on the front top left corner. Consumers have been instructed to immediately stop using the lamps and contact the company, Innovage,  for a ful refund.

 The best recalls are those where an awareness to a potential hazard is realized before any child has been injured. 

A recent article in our local paper about a 9 month old baby almost drowning in a pool while being watched by grandparents is a stark reminder of our need to be vigilant when having children around swimming pools.

Even though both grandparents said they had a eye on the baby, a brief period of distraction has the potential to lead to a heartbreaking consequence .

Child and Infant Pool safety information is important for every parent. From KidsHealth.org, the Dodson Law Firm  provides a list of pool safety reminders for adults and kids.

• Always have an adult watch you when you are in the pool — even in your own backyard. Never go in the pool if an adult is not  around.
• Gates are around pools for a reason — to keep kids away from the water when there isn’t a lifeguard or adult around to watch them. Never go through any pool gates when they are closed. Stay safe and stay out!
• Always obey pool rules.
• Swim with a buddy.
• If you’re learning to swim, ask your mom or dad to make sure your flotation devices are Coast Guard approved.
• Walk slowly in the pool area. Don’t run.
• Swim at a depth that is safe for you. If you’re just learning to swim, stay in the shallow end.
• Don’t push or jump on others. You could accidentally hurt someone or yourself.
• Toys to help you float come in many shapes and sizes (an inner tube, air mattress, or beach ball, for example). Although they are fun and can help you while you learn to swim, what they can’t do is save a life. They’re toys that can lose air or float away.
• Don’t chew gum or eat while you swim — you could choke.

Be safe around pools and other swimming sources. With Spring around the corner, these rules are important to pool safety for children and infants.

Case reports from the cancer study clearly reinforce the findings. 

 Lead researcher, Susie Pearce of London’s University College Hospital, stated that in one instance, a young woman “thought she was going mad” after three months of headaches and 12 visits to doctors.  Upon breaking down and crying at her doctor’s office, she was referred to a specialist.  She subsequently was found to be suffering from neuroblastoma, a cancer of the nerve tissue.

 In a particularly alarming case, a 22-year-old woman had a variety of symptoms.  They included frequent diarrhea, abdominal pain and rectal bleeding.  These continued for nine or ten years before finally she was diagnosed with colon cancer.  The cancer had spread to her liver. The woman has since died.

 Receiving prompt medical care is of utmost importance when we suspect that a loved one such as a teen, young child or even ourselves, are suffering from an ailment or symptom.  If you think your symptoms are being overlooked, see another physician or speak to a specialist.