Florida Child Injury Law Blog » information

Are Anti-Reflux Drugs Over-Prescribed to Children?

James Dodson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:48:08 +0000

We recently read an interesting write-up addressing a study performed at the Pediatric Specialty Center in New Orleans.

The report indicates doctors may be over-prescribing anti-reflux medication to infants. The study found fewer than 20% of the babies who had been prescribed the medication actually needed it. It’s thought that they may have just been exhibiting the normal behavior of “spitting up” that newborns experience.

Dr. Vikram Khoshoo, author of the study, suggested the drugs are being over prescribed because parents want something done to try to stop the regurgitation and irritability of the babies. Dr. Khoshoo adds that taking proper care in not over feeding your child and ensuring your baby is positioned upright after eating, should help decrease the chance of reflux.

The Dodson Law Firm cares about families and the health and safety of children. We share numerous resources related to child safety issues and child injury protection on our Florida Child Injury website, in an effort to better serve our community.

Florida Child Injury lawyer, working to make safety every child’s reality.

Traumatic Brain Injuries and Children

James Dodson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:30:10 +0000

We recently found this write-up from a CNN physician’s blog full of good information. Children under the age of four are just in the beginning of their developmental years. For babies and toddler their sense of balance is anything but astute. Because of this they often fall. All parents understand that falling is second nature to toddlers and for the most part shouldn’t cause undo alarm. But when a fall occurs by a stairwell or a hard sharp surface a more severe injury can occur.

Lisa McGuire, a doctor within the Injury Unit of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are telltale signs parents should look for that might indicate a TBI. They may include any of the following:

Sudden drowsiness
Inability to be alert
Loss of interest in favorite toys
Numbness of one side of the body
Difficulty recognizing familiar people
Vomiting or neck pain

The Dodson Law Firm has been representing personal injury clients for over twenty years. Our slip and fall attorneys are specialized in handling fall cases and understand the importance of prompt action to protect your claim.

Child and Infant Pool Safety | Prevent Drowning Deaths

James Dodson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:59:30 +0000

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.

Make Your Child Aware of Fires | Child Fire Safety Tips

James Dodson — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:32:43 +0000

Reading a recent article in the St. Petersburg Times about a 7 year old child who was playing with a lighter setting off a house fire which took firefighters 15 mintues to contain, reminds us all of the need to educate our children about the dangers of playing with fire.

Child fire safety education is important early in a child’s life. Playing with fire at a early age can lead to fires, burns, and severe scarring which can permanently injury a child for life.

A wonderful website for fire safety for children can be found at Kids Health. This website offers great safety tips on how you can educate your child while making sure your home is safe. Adult supervision and education are important to preventing a fire such as the one in the link listed above.

Additional safety information is available on our Florida Child Injury Lawyer website in the document library. Click here for a resource entitled ”Fire Safety 101.”