The issue of seat belts on our nation’s buses has not gone unconsidered. In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported to Congress that the costs and drawbacks of requiring seat belts in school buses would outweigh any potential benefit of requiring children to wearing belts.

The Transportation Research Board says what parents need to know is that children are much safer on school buses than in the family car. Eight times safer, in fact, their studies show. At work to protect children aboard school buses is an integrated engineering design called “compartmentalization,” which provides a passive restraint system, very much like the way eggs in a carton are protected from breaking. Heavily padded and high-backed seats are placed close together and are firmly anchored in place, so in the event of a crash, they absorb the impact, preventing injury to the children.

We all know that accidents can happen at any time and to any one. But hopefully, this information can help put parents  minds at ease that children are safe riding on the school bus.

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.

Reports say the boy had been standing with his mother at the corner of Cleveland Street and Frederica Avenue when he suddenly left the sidewalk and ran into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

Paramedics treated the child and he was then airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center due to serious injuries.  The driver of the vehicle has not been charged but the accident is under investigation.

Children, especially toddlers, are too often seriously or fatally injured as pedestrians. Toddlers (age 1 to 2) sustain the highest number of pedestrian injuries,  primarily due to their small size and limited traffic experience. Dangers for young children on the move include: darting out into traffic, playing in or near the street and riding a tricycle or bicycle in a parking lot, driveway or street. The news report states the child had been standing on the sidewalk with his mother prior to darting out into the street.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to injury around traffic because they can not judge distance or how fast a car is speeding toward them. They move quickly and run into the street without warning and are difficult  for drivers to see because of their small size.

Take these steps to safety:

Supervise, supervise, supervise!

Talk to them about street safety.

Set a safe example for children.

Find safe places for them to play.

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

 The hard truth though, is  strokes are among the top 10 killers of children.  According to the American Heart Association, the risk of stroke in children 18 and younger is 11 per 100,000, or about 9,000 incidents a year.  Strokes also occur in about 1 out of every 4,000 births. 

 For more information on strokes and how they affect children, please visit know-stroke.org.

Our Florida Child Injury lawyers are committed to providing consumers with the latest child health and safety resources, product recall information and accident and injury prevention news available.

 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

 CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum said, “This landmark agreement for an injunction sets a precedent for any firm attempting to distribute hazardous products to our nation’s children.  We are committed to the safety of children’s products and we will use the full force of our enforcement powers to prevent the sale of harmful products.” With this fine, Daiso has initiated a new product quality and safety program.

Lead is a dangerous substance for young children.  Young children and babies are more susceptible to the dangers of lead poisoning  because they frequently put their fingers and hands into their mouths. Young children’s bodies also absorb more lead because they are growing and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects. When lead poisoning is not detected early, children can suffer: brain damage  and nervous system damage, headaches, behavior and learning problems,  slowed growth and hearing problems.

If you suspect there is  lead in your home or that your family has been exposed to lead, have their lead levels measured with a simple blood test.

If your child suffered an accident or an injury because of the negligence of another person, contact our Florida Child Injury lawyer for a FREE consultation @ 1-888-340-0840.

 A condition called pre-diabetes brings great concern. Youngsters with this condition were at almost double the risk of dying before 55, and those plagued with high blood pressure were at some increased risk. Obesity however was the factor most closely related with an early death, researchers said.

 “The message here is that if you take your kid to the doctor and the doctor says, ‘Well, their blood pressure is O.K., their cholesterol is O.K. and their sugar’s O.K..,’ the kid who’s obese still warrants our attention,” said Dr. Peter F. Belamarich, chief of specialty medicine at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx.

 In Florida, 33% of children are considered overweight or obese.  This is higher than the national average of 31.6%.  These statistics have gradually risen since 2003.

Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News

As reported by the New York’s Lower Hudson website, “Injury rates have been increasing year after year. It’s a serious problem,” said Don Mays, senior director of product safety and technical policy for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. “The good news is that it’s very preventable.”

Just a reminder to keep children safe while watching the Super Bowl game this weekend and also throughout the year!

The two organizations collaborate in more than 150 cities to host walk to school events. In the United States, these events take place on International Walk to School Day. This event is slated for October 6^th later this year.  “Safe Kids Walk This Way” initiates year-round school safety committees in order for students to have safer pedestrian environments.

 Safe Kids has posted some invaluable pedestrian safety rules on their website.  Children can be careless at times, spending five minutes with you child(ren) to reinforce some good rules of common sense is well worth the time and will protect your child from unintentional injury or potential dangers!

Lead poisoning is a child common injury and can result in: nervous system injury, brain damage, seizures or convulsions, growth or mental retardation, coma and even death.

Within the article, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that approximately 250,000 children in the United States have blood levels greater than 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood, which is the level that the CDC considers deserving of public health action.

Many child injury cases with lead have been brought against landlords and property owners  for failing to maintain older rental properties where children and their familes live. Parents should also be aware of chemicals in certain toys which have been recalled due to product defects.

For additional information find a related link here  from a previous blog posted on our Florida Child Injury website.