Burn Awareness Week

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By Nurse Diane

During the winter months the temperatures around the country have been freezing and below.  People use many different methods to heat their homes.  Many use electric heat, through vents or either electric portable heaters.  Some use gas heaters, others use oil or kerosene, even fire places. My grandmother's home had a gas heater that was attached to the wall; it was long and flat, much like a mirror in a dressing room.  As a child I remember standing in front of it on cold winter mornings as it warmed up my backside.

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There is alot of cooking going on during the winter months too.  Many people cook soups, stews, coffee and hot chocolate.  This extra cooking not only warms up the kitchen, but warms up your insides too.

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One of the dangers with all this heating and cooking is that it can lead to fires and burns. A friend of mine in Virginia has recently had two family members lose their homes to fire.  This week is Burn Awareness Week.  While most adults are aware of the temperatures associated with cooking and heaters, young children are not.  They are curious, and want to explore new and different things in their surroundings. It is important to remember that children, especially those ages 4 and under, may not perceive danger, have less control of their environment, may lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation and may not be able to tolerate the physical stress of a burn injury.

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According to safekids.org,

Every day, 352 children ages 19 and under are injured as a result of a fire or burn-related cause.

Among children under 5 years of age, scalds or contact burns are responsible for 90 percent of burn injuries.

Children have thinner skin than adults which can result in a more severe burn.

The most common places children experience scalds are in the kitchen or dining rooms and in the bathrooms.

The maximum recommended residential water temperature is 120˚F (48˚C).

Their site lists some safety tips for you to follow in the kitchen and bathroom.  They include:

KITCHEN AND HOT FOOD

Keep children at least 3 feet from hot appliances, pots, pans or food.

Use spill-resistant mugs when drinking hot liquids around children.

Avoid using tablecloths or anything a child can pull on and cause hot food to spill.

When cooking, use back burners and keep pot handles turned towards the back of the stove.

Always tuck cords from appliances where children cannot reach them.

Never hold a child when cooking something hot.

Test and stir all food before serving children to make sure it is cool enough to eat.

Supervise children closely when they are in or near the kitchen.

BATHROOM

Always test the bath water with your hand before bathing children.

When children are in or near the bath, watch them closely checking the water temperature frequently!

If you are unable to control the temperature that comes out of your faucet, install special tub spouts or shower heads that can shut off the flow of water when it gets too hot.

This week and every week - keep these tips in mind to prevent any accidental burns or scalding, and keep yourself and family safe.

World Breastfeeding Week

This week we recognize breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is the feeding breast milk to a baby directly from a human female breast.  Breast milk is the healhiest form of milk for infants.  Until the 19th century, thewas the only way that infants were fed.  It was only after World War II that infant formula's were used more than breastfeeding.

There are numerous benefits for breastfeeding, they include:

For the baby:

• Greater immune health:  During breastfeeding, antibodies pass to the baby.  This is one of the most important features of colostrum, the breast milk created for newborns.
• Fewer infections:  Studies have shown that breastfed infants have fewer cases of urinary tract infections, middle ear infections and upper respiratory infections.
•  Protection from SIDS:  Breastfed babies have better arousal from sleep at 2–3 months, the time when most cases of sudden infant death occurs
•   Higher intelligence
•     Less diabetes
•     Less childhood obesity
•     Less tendency to develop allergic diseases
•     Less overweight

Benefits for the mother:

• Bonding
• Hormone release
• Weight loss
• Postpartum infertility

 Breast feeding is also cost efficient, the milk is free, and no need for sterilizing bottles.  All pediatricians recommend breastfeeding, and the organization, La Leche League strongly encourages breastfeeding and offers information and support to all mothers before and after pregnancy.

There are some situations that  prevent breastfeeding.  These include the inability of the baby to latch on, if the mother is on medication, or unable to produce milk, diseases  such as HIV, and work or other types of separation.

As a nurse I would encourage pregnant women to breastfeed their babies for at least 6 months, which is recommended by pediatricians.  However, as a mother, I would not chastise a bottle feeding mother.  I did not breastfeed my child.  I imagine because it was not as popular as it is today.  There were alot of social stigmas attached to breast feeding, especially in public.  In fact, there are still issues that arise regularly about public breastfeeding, and indecent exposure.  In 2005 Barbara Walters made the comment on "The View" that she sat next to a nursing mother on a plane and became uncomfortable.  This caused an uproar and over 200 nursing mothers showed up at the station and held a "nurse in", nursing their babies outside.

In 2006 a woman was denied a seat on a flight because she was breastfeeding, and in 2007 a woman was asked to leave a Applebees restaurant for breastfeeding in public, stating indecent exposure as the reason.

While there has been much research on the benefits of nursing, I am not sure the same can't also be claimed by bottlefed babies.  My son, was and is very healthy, no medical problems, infections or diseases.  He is very intelligent, smarter than his mother he will tell you.  He was never obese and has a great bond with his mother.  His wife, on the other hand, was breastfed, and can't claim the same.  

So this week, as we recognize World breastfeeding week, I want to encourage all pregnant moms to consider breastfeeding your baby, and ask the family members to offer their support for that decision to promote healthy nutrition for the newborn, and a beautiful bonding experience for all.

    
For more information visit these sites:
http://www.llli.org/resources.html
http://www.breastfeeding.com/allabout.html