Dr. Claire McCarthy is a primary care physician and the Medical Communications Editor at Children’s Hospital Boston. Along with her blogs here on Thriving, you can find her at the Huffington Post and Boston.com. Follow her on Twitter @drClaire.
There have been times, when I’ve been trying to install a car seat for one of my kids, when I’ve wished I had an engineering degree instead of a medical degree.
I mean, honestly. Each one is different. The instructions don’t always make sense. The pictures don’t seem to correlate with the seat—or my car. There always seems to be a strap I can’t figure out how to adjust—or how to use at all. When I finally figure out how to put the seat belt through, it always seems to end up too loose—or too short. And once I think I have it right and put the kid in, either the straps are swimming on him—or they are so tight I can’t buckle them.
And this all seems to happen when I’m running late.
So I wasn’t even vaguely surprised when Safe Kids USA released a study showing that thousands of parents not only struggle when it comes to installing car seats, but do it wrong. Full story »
Children's staff were on hand for the Hubway launch in downtown Boston
In an effort to promote physical activity and reduce traffic in and around its campus, Children’s Hospital Boston is a proud co-sponsor of a new city-wide bike sharing program that kicked off Thursday at Boston’s City Hall. Dubbed the “New Balance Hubway,” the program provides 600 rental bicycles, which can be picked up and dropped off at any of the 61 solar-powered stations set up throughout the city.
People can register with the Hubway program online for discounted rates, or simply go to any Hubway station and borrow a bike. Once you’re done with your ride, you return the bike to the nearest Hubway station and your credit card or rider’s account will be automatically charged for the amount of time used. It’s like Zipcar, but with pedals.
Hubway program will start with 600 bikes and 61 rental stations, with more to follow
Modeled after proven successful bike share programs in cities like Paris, Montreal, Washington D.C. and Minneapolis, Children’s is hopeful that hospital employees, parents or visitors may pick up a bicycle near the hospital at one of the six local Hubway station and ride to an offsite meeting, run an errand downtown, or get some exercise on the Esplanade. Of course cyclists should always wear a helmet, and should you find yourself in the area but without the proper protection Children’s lobby Safety Store is now selling adult bike helmets for $10.
While on the topics of bikes, here are a few quick bike safety points for parents of young riders:
Some of the mistakes happen because parents don’t understand how to use the car seat properly. I’ve struggled myself trying to figure out the instructions on a seat! Some of the mistakes happen because people don’t know which seat to use, and how, and until when. And some of the mistakes happen because we get lazy—the harness is good enough, we think, even though it is a little loose. Or, darn, we left the booster seat in the other car, Junior is getting tall anyway, let’s just use the seatbelt.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children 4 years and older. Car safety seats prevent injuries—and save lives. But they aren’t going to do this if they aren’t used, and used properly.
Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics is issuing a policy statement on child passenger safety, in the hope of making it clear what parents and caregivers need to do to keep children safe in cars.
There are five recommendations:
They may hate it, but kids under 2 need to ride facing the rear of a car
1. Infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing seat until they are 2 years old—or until they reach the maximum height or weight for their rear-facing seat. Because of their body mechanics, they are safer this way. I know little kids like facing forward, but they have their whole lives ahead of them to ride that way; keep them turned around for now. Full story »
The following was written by Beatriz Fuentes, the Bilingual Community Outreach Coordinator for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, founder of Friends of Natalie and a member of the BEST Coalition.
Four years ago I lost my 21- year-old daughter Natalie in a car crash. She and her boyfriend left my house to visit a friend who lived just a few miles down the road. I watched from my porch as she jumped into the passenger seat and told me they’d be back in an hour or two. Unfortunately Natalie was wrong and I never saw her smiling face again. Full story »
CRUNCH!! The sickening sound and subsequent lurch forward were undeniable: the dreaded sound and feel of another car running directly into the back of mine. At first I was shaken, then utterly confused as to how it could have happened. Sure, the roads were a little slick from the rain, but that had lightened up a long time ago. Not only that, but traffic at the time was standing still! How, with dry roads and street congestion, did a driver manage to bump into my car? Full story »
In an effort to promote a safe prom season, John Knight, MD, director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research(CeASAR) launched Teen-safe.org, a website that explains the medical and social dangers of underage drinking. Here Knight discusses if and when you should search your teen’s room for contraband.
A recent NPR program noted the influence parents had over their children’s alcohol and drug use, and suggested a relaxed stance on underage drinking can be far more detrimental than many people may realize. The story quoted data from a Pennsylvania State University researcher whose findings mirror the sentiments of John Knight, MD, director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research(CeASAR), who has spoken out against this practice before.
In an effort to promote a safe prom season, John Knight, MD, director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research(CeASAR) launched Teen-safe.org, a website that explains the medical and social dangers of underage drinking. Here Knight discusses how parents can ensure their teen is safe at a prom night sleepover.
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
There have been times, when I’ve been trying to install a car seat for one of my kids, when I’ve wished I had an engineering degree instead of a medical degree.
