Child pacifiers Recalled due to Choking Hazard

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of more than 16,000 pacifiers sold between 2007 and 2008 under the name "My Baby Soothers". These pacifiers have a plastic part that becomes loose from the base and can choke an infant or young child. Great. Who remembers the name of a pacifier they bought 2 years ago? What are the chances of these really being taken out of circulation? There are thousands of these pacifiers that will be re-used, "recycled" from an older child to a younger child and no parent will ever know about the risks or this recall. The real question is how did this get on the market to begin with? The answer: it was easy. There was no testing for safety, no one really looking over the shoulder of the manufacturer. Lawsuits against companies that put untested, unsafe products on the market are the only way to protect the public. Real government regulations, regulations with teeth, can never get through congress due to the politicking of the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups that are concerned first and foremost with profits. A baby choking to death here or there is just part of life. Injuries to children like this are avoidable. There is no excuse for this kind of thing happening. For more information about this and other recalls involving children's products, click here.

Consumers should be careful when using Tylenol with children

Acetominophen (sold as a generic) or Tylenol by the popular brand name, is one of the most popular over-the-counter drugs used to treat fever and pain.  What most consumers don't know is that it is also the most common drugs associated with toxic overdose.  The most serious potential problem is liver damage, although it is rare. Generally symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain will occur within 24-48 hours.  The toxic doses for children are much lower than adults, so even though "tylenol" may seem harmless, keep it out of the reach of children - or anyone who may not read the instructions.

Orthopedic Surgeons Offer Back to School Tips for Parents and KIds

Children susceptible to post traumatic stress from pedestrian injuries

The American Academy of Pediatricians has issued a policy statement on "Pedestrian Safety" for children. While deaths hover around 900 children per year, more than 5300 children are injured to the extent that hospitalization is necessary, and up to 51000 are involved in pedestrian accidents. The American Academy of Pediatricians says "...post-traumatic stress syndrome commonly follows even minor pedestrian injury."  Among other recommendations they encourage strategies to minimize the exposure of children to high speed, high volume traffic.

Child Pedestrian Accidents Can Be Avoided in Tennessee

A Tennessee pedestrian accident is often devastating just from the simple physics of this type of collision.  Someone who is hit by a car has little protection in the crash and the outcome is often catastrophic, especially if the pedestrian is a child.  Children are often victims of pedestrian accidents because they sometimes make quick decisions without thinking about the consequences.  For example, it is not uncommon to see a child dart into a neighborhood street to retrieve a soccer ball or try to cross the street on their bicycle before a car comes.

Parents should teach their kids about safety around cars, which can reduce the risk of injury or death from a pedestrian crash.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that parents teach their children by explanation.  For example, a parent should explain to their child how they themselves cross the street, by looking in both directions for cars and crossing when there is a WALK signal. 

Children should also learn where they should walk.  They should be taught to walk on the sidewalk and if one is not available, to walk facing traffic.  Children should never run when crossing the street and should be looking for oncoming cars at all times.

Preschoolers should be supervised, as young children do not realize the dangers of cars.  Their short stature can also make it hard for larger vehicles to see them.

If your child has been the victim of a pedestrian accident in Tennessee, contact a Nashville injury attorney at Phillip Miller & Associates at 1-800-337-HURT or 1-615-356-2000 for legal advice.

Tennessee Dog Bite Victims are Often Children

Children tend to be more trusting than adults and are not afraid to approach dogs.  They also frequently miss the warning signs that a dog will give letting the victim know of an impending attack.   

Every year, approximately 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs and a large percentage of the victims are children.  Even though certain dog breeds have been known to be more aggressive, any dog can attack a child.

Young dog bite victims often sustain bites on their faces that can lead to serious scarring and disfigurement.  A dog bite carries a risk of infection, tetanus and rabies.  Children also more likely to be involved in a dog attack that proves fatal and often these attacks are unprovoked. 

Dog bites not only inflict emotional pain, but these events can also impact the child emotionally.  Many children who are bitten by dogs develop a fear of these animals.  This fear can be so debilitating that they panic when they see dogs at parks or other public places.  Children have also been known to be too afraid to go to a friend or relative’s house who owns a dog.

The dog’s owner can be held liable in some cases.  If your child has been bitten by a dog in Tennessee, you need to contact a Nashville dog bite lawyer immediately for legal advice.  Contact Phillip Miller & Associates today at (615) 356-2000 or (800) 337-HURT to go over your legal options.

Motorcycle Injuries and Children

Toys R Congress...

Last year Congress passed a bill that President Bush signed into law that was supposed to make children safer by reducing the risk of lead poisoning in toys. Instead, the new law has caused a more a dangerous problem and a huge economic issue.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has decided that children’s motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles violate the new standards, because of lead in the brakes, tire valves and gears, and has ordered dealers to stop selling them. This decision has left the multibillion-dollar industry in a depression, potentially losing as much as $1 billion.

But here is an even worse problem…according to experts, there is virtually zero threat of lead poisoning from riding a motorcycle. The true threat of serious injury to kids happens when they are forced to ride heavy adult bikes. The introduction of smaller cycles for kids under 12 had increased safety in recent years.

According to a study by the Motorcycle Industry Council, "90% of the youth fatalities and injuries on motorcycles occur when kids ride adult vehicles." That is what kids will ride if the CPSC ban stays in effect. Concerned citizens are trying to appeal the law, but so far it seems Washington isn’t interested. I will keep you posted, but in the meantime, keep your kids off those adult bikes.

Ride Safe-Loco Logan

This is purely my opinion, not legal advice. I am an investigator, not a lawyer. For legal advice, please contact Phillip Miller & Associates at 1-800-337-HURT

The Ten Worst Toys

Whether a toy is safe or not depends on the stage of a child's development.  Young ones tend to put anything into their mouths. While it's one thing to see a child put something dirty and disgusting in their mouth, it's the small things that can cause choking that are the most dangerous.  For that reason, toys with small parts that could cause choking must be clearly labeled so as to warn the purchaser that they are not suitable for children under the age of three. Art materials such as crayons and paint should be marked with the label "ASTM D-4236."  This designation means that a toxicologist has reviewed the product.  

If you are looking for actual lists of recalled or unsafe toys, the CPSC has recall information on its website, www.cpsc.gov.  Another good resource is World Against Toys Causing Harm, or W.A.T.C.H. Since 1973, W.A.T.C.H. has released an annual "10 Worst Toys" list. For the current "10 Worst Toys" click here.

Drug Research Targets Children, Researcher Under Investigation

Children need the protection of all adults, all institutions. When it comes to drug research we all want the same things. Safe, effective drugs that will heal our children when they are sick or keep them healthy and protect them from illness and disease.
Drug research for adults has had its problems. Researchers have taken money from drug companies and then published studies showing how good the drugs are - without letting anyone know they had been paid by the drug company. Now that same problem has occurred with a Psychiatrist at Harvard who has published studies advocating the use of a particular drug company's psychotropic drugs with children.  He was paid $1.6 million dollars by Johnson & Johnson over a 6 year period. He reported only $200,000 of that income to Harvard.  Why? If his research was solid why compromise it by hiding payments made by a drug company? The problem now is that his research is suspect, and children who might have benefited from good, ethical research will have to wait.  For more information, click here.

Swimming Lessons a Must for Toddlers

Swimming lessons are associated with an 88% reduction in the risks of drowning among toddlers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that there are approximately 2725 children under 5 are treated annually for near drowning, and 260 or more are killed. With warmer months ahead, and pools opening, now's a good time to get that toddler to the Y or community center for some swimming lessons.  For more information about this study, click here.