Children's products are frequently recalled. Did you know that Reese's Purpose publishes an easy to use Monthly Recall Digest. Reese's Purpose is an organization whose goal is to advocate to protect children form hidden dangers and threats to their safety. Visit their website at https://www.reesespurpose.org/prodcut-recall-notices-digest The latest digest in English and Spanish is available below.

In March, we celebrate Poison Prevention Month in Illinois. In this month’s blog we are going to sing the praises of the Illinois Poison Center (IPC). The IPC provides free poison help and resources for all Illinois resources.  Did your child eat too many gummy vitamins? Bite into a glow stick? Drink a household cleaner because it was the same color as juice or sports drink? Or did you mix cleaning chemicals without realizing it? Take someone else’s medicine by mistake? The p

It’s Super Bowl Week! Lots of American buy TVs to watch the big game. Sometimes the old television ends up in a bedroom. There is one step in these purchases and moves that many families miss – anchoring the television. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 11,300 are treated in a hospital emergency room each year due to TV, furniture and appliance tip-overs. Some children don’t survive these tip-over incidents and 77% of fatalities involved children under 6

Did you know that in 2020, the biggest cause of death for children and teens (ages 1-18) was firearm accidents? It caused 3,219 young lives lost, even more than car crashes or cancer (1). Some of these deaths happened because of accidents, while others were from people hurting themselves on purpose. Let's focus on how to keep kids safe if there's a gun at home. But remember, the safest option is not to have a gun in the house. Suicides: Out of the 3,219 youths who died becaus

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

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Prevention, Politics, and Policy Andy Rapoport is a student in the Masters of Public Health (MPH) program at Northwestern University, pursuing a concentration in Community Health Research. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, there were several times that our house fire alarm by the kitchen began to beep; thankfully, it was a mere nuisance, due to smoke from cooking, and not from an actual fire. With my grandfather and uncle as former firefighters,

Want to make your home safer for your family in the New Year? Here are a few simple steps. They don't take a lot of time to do and you'll feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete them. 1) Subscribe to product recall alerts. Products are recalled all the time. In the last week, swimsuits, infant rompers, candle holders and ceiling fans were recalled. I would venture to say that you may not have heard about any of them. The fact is that very few recalled products ac

I love a practical gift and always fill my family's stocking with extremely practical things like dental floss, socks, etc. As I've been working to get my family's stocking stuffed, I started thinking about easy to pick up items that would enhance your family's safety. Here are some ideas if you like practical gifts, too. -Smoke Detectors for every floor of your family's home and near every bedroom -Carbon Monoxide Detectors for every floor of your family's home -Batteries fo

We're still in COVID times and families are home together more than ever. Recently, poison centers are reporting increased calls about unintentional marijuana edible poisonings in young children. The fact is that even though we have laws in Illinois about the shapes of edibles, to curious kids, they look a lot like regular treats. Edibles also contain high concentrations of THC which can be quite dangerous to kids. Parents - please keep you marijuana edibles up high and out

School-at-Home Safety during COVID-19 Around the country, decisions are being made about the upcoming academic year in light of the...

This article in the Chicago Tribune outlines the dilemma perfectly. It’s a hot summer and we want a way to cool off but beaches and public pools are closed. So, we are turning to some alternative ways to cool off that may present some unintended safety risks. I, too, bought one of those self-set pools referred to in the article. Being the safety-oriented person that I am, I did put a fence around it per our town’s municipal code. But th e fact remains that there is an awful

Since the stay at home order was issued in Illinois, I've been working remotely. Luckily, my home office is right next to the window. As I look outside, I'm seeing more and more kids riding their bikes. Most of the younger kids are wearing helmets, many of the older ones are not. Everyone and I mean everyone (little kids, big kids, teenagers AND parents) should be wearing one when they're riding. They are a really important safety device and can prevent brain injury in many

Many of us are spending a lot more time at home with our families due to social distancing measures and stay at home orders. Those of us...

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

FAQ about Infant Inclined Sleepers and Crib Bumper Pads On December 16, 2019, the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019 passed the U.S. House in a bipartisan vote. If enacted, this Act would ban infant inclined sleep products and padded crib bumper pads which have led to dozens of infant deaths. To ensure a true understanding of safe sleep we point parents and caregivers to the current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) principles on safe sleep . We strongly encourage paren

Every year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) releases a report based on the most recent statistics regarding injuries and deaths associated with nursery products used by children ages five and under.Injuries and fatalities are collected through the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). NEISS is an online database that holds emergency department visits and statistics associated with commonly used consumer products. Nursery product-related i

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