Parents ask us more questions about car seats than all other safety topics combined. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions with answers. 1) Do I really have to wait until my child is 2 to turn their convertible car seat around? Yes. And you don’t have to be in a hurry to turn them around at 2 years old. Wait until they reach the height and/or weight limit for rear-facing for the seat. 2) My child is tall, and their legs touch the back of the seat when

Chicago was once known as the “railroad hub of the nation”. Our city was able to grow and prosper as railroads sent people and goods all over the nation. These passenger and freight lines continue to run even today. In the Chicago area, residents have a lot of exposure to trains and train tracks. I live in a suburb with three active freight lines and a commuter rail stop. Sometimes the behavior of the young people in our community stops me in my tracks – ignoring gates that a

Dear Parent, Thank you for taking care of me and thank you for trying to protect me but I must ask you a favor... please avoid having a gun in the house where I am using all my senses to discover everything around me, and if you decide that my safety entails you buying one, please read the following numbers: · In 2019, there were 171 deaths related to firearms in the age group 0-19 years old in the state of Illinois. · In the age group 0-14 years old there were 17 deaths in

Safe Sleep Tips: Preventing Injuries Related to Infant Sleep by Guest Blogger, Kai Holder Kai Holder is a second year MD/MPH candidate at Northwestern University. She is interested in maternal-child health, health equity and injury prevention. The phrase “SIDs”, otherwise known as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, may frighten many caregivers, however there are numerous health behaviors that caregivers can learn and implement that lower a babies risk for sleep related causes of i

We are seeking residents of Roseland, Auburn/Gresham, Englewood and Austin to become Safety Ambassadors and educate their friends, family...

It's National Poison Prevention Week. Here's a story from my family. It was the evening of the 4th of July several years ago and I was at a fireworks display with my family. I looked over at my young son and his whole mouth was glowing in the dark. He had bitten his glow stick. I panicked for a second because it looked so awful - how could something like that NOT be toxic? Then I remembered I had a number in my cell phone contacts that I could call for help. 1-800-222-1222

I was at the doctor’s office the other day and happened up on the December issue of O Magazine. Of course, the first section I turned to was Oprah’s Favorite things. Immediately, I started looking up a lot of the great gifts for others and (who am I kidding?) myself. Lots of really good food, clothes, gadgets. That list inspired me to write a blog about some of favorite safety things. While I can’t recommend specific products, maybe you’ll be inspired to buy one for someone o

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality...