FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 18, 2018 • HEALTH & WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 51
health & wellness
Newborn to 13+: Car safety tips for kids of all ages
For many parents, you buckle up your
kids and off you go to day care, school or
the park. You trust their car seat or booster
seat will keep your child safe should
something happen, but are you sure the
seat you installed months or years ago is
truly secure?
“I am deeply concerned that nearly
half of all car seats are not used correctly,”
says Heidi King, deputy administrator
of the National Highway Traffi c Safety
Administration (NHTSA). “You don’t
have to be a parent to play a part in protecting
children. I urge everyone to follow
these simple tips to ensure kids stay safe
in the car at every age.”
The right car seat is the
best protection in a crash
Every 33 seconds, a child under 13 years
old is involved in a car crash, according
to NHTSA data. Even more startling: Car
crashes are a leading cause of death for
children ages 1-13.
One of the most common mistakes parents
and caregivers make is moving children
to the next car seat too soon. No
matter their age, you need to make sure
that the car seat you use is the right one
for your child’s age, as well as their size
(based on their weight and height).
Newborn to 3 years (infant
and rear-facing car seat)
Th e youngest passengers should remain
in a rear-facing car seat until they reach
the maximum weight or height of their
seat. Th is positioning better absorbs the
force of an impact, making it a better
option for small passengers whose necks
and spines are still developing. In fact,
car seats have been shown to reduce fatal
injury by 71 percent for infants (under
one year old) in passenger cars.
Keep in mind, even if your child’s feet
touch the back of the vehicle seat, that
doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready for
a forward-facing seat. Parents shouldn’t
move their toddlers into a forward-facing
car seat until they’ve hit the maximum
height or weight limit of their current
car seat.
4-7 years old (forward
facing car seat)
At this age your child will likely use a
forward-facing car seat with a harness.
One critical step for installing this car seat
correctly is making sure to secure it with
its tether, not just a seat belt. Th e tether is
an adjustable strap with a hook that can
be found at the top of most forward-facing
car seats. When you secure the tether
to the tether anchor in your vehicle, it
keeps the car seat from moving forward
in a crash, helping protect your child
from head and neck injuries.
Additionally, always make sure the chest
clip is secured across the chest rather than
on the belly. Th ese clips have a tendency
to move down, so it’s up to caregivers to
align it properly. Make it a habit to always
slide the clip up to the appropriate place
aft er buckling your child in to their seat.
8-12 years old (booster seat)
Aft er a child exceeds the age and size
limits of their forward-facing seat, they
can transition to a booster seat. A booster
seat lift s a child up and helps their body
properly align with the vehicle’s existing
seat belt.
Kids should stay in a booster seat until
they are big enough to sit properly with
the lap and shoulder belt securely buckled.
Th at means the lap belt is snug across
their upper thighs, not their stomach,
and the shoulder belt is snug across their
shoulder and chest, not their neck or face.
“Tweens” and preteens
(seat belt)
Once your child is big enough to ride
safely without needing a car seat or booster
seat, keep in mind the back seat is still the
safest place. All kids 13 and under should
ride in the back, even if they try to convince
you the front is the “cool” place to be.
For more advice and to fi nd a car seat
check location near you, visit NHTSA.
gov/Th eRightSeat.
Courtesy BPT
3 Tips for a Healthy Baby
When you’re a new parent, once you’ve
successfully navigated the fi rst car ride
home from the hospital and the euphoria of
this new little life begins to fade, you’re left
with one resounding question: now what?
Over the years, you’ll have many responsibilities
as a parent, but your most important
focus in those early days, weeks and months
is your child’s health and development,
including his or her brain, gut and senses.
Brain
Numerous studies off er evidence that
a child’s learning abilities are developed
during early childhood, meaning before
even heading off to school. Th at’s why it’s
important to begin nurturing your baby’s
cognitive development from the start.
Th at doesn’t mean you need to reach
for the fl ash cards right away, though.
Instead, focus on simply talking, singing
and playing together. Th ese activities
can help develop vocabulary and other
important cognitive functions. As your
baby develops, pay attention to what captures
his or her attention and encourage
exploration of toys, textures and other
items of interest.
Gut
When it comes to a baby’s gut health,
the fi rst six months are critical. It’s during
this time period when babies have yet
to be introduced to solid food that the
immune system and metabolism are
developing and being programmed for
the future. Research published in “Cell”
shows good gut bacteria during infancy,
specifi cally Bifi dobacterium, plays a critical
role in establishing strong immune
systems and metabolism.
“It’s important for infants to have
an abundance of benefi cial bacteria,
such as Bifi dobacterium, in their gut
early in life,” said Dr. Tracy Shafi zadeh,
PhD, gut health expert for Evivo.
“Unfortunately, as an unintended consequence
of modern medical practices
such as antibiotics and C-sections,
it is estimated that nine out of 10
babies have exceptionally low levels of
Bifi dobacterium. Th is allows an overgrowth
of bad gut bacteria, which is
linked to short- and long-term health
conditions such as colic, eczema, allergies,
asthma, diabetes and obesity.”
Th ere is, however, a way for parents to
identify if their baby has high or low levels
of Bifi dobacterium by asking three
simple questions. If the answer is “yes”
to any of these questions, there’s a good
chance your baby’s Bifi dobacterium levels
are low.
• Were you or your baby given antibiotics
during pregnancy, childbirth or in the
fi rst six months aft er childbirth?
• Were you or your baby born via
C-section?
• Does your baby have diaper rash or
have 5-plus loose, watery poops per
day?
If you’re concerned about your baby’s
gut health, talk with your pediatrician
about an option like Evivo, the fi rst and
only baby probiotic clinically proven to
restore the levels of B. infantis, a specific
strain of Bifi dobacterium, in a baby’s
gut and reduce bad gut bacteria linked to
colic, eczema, allergies, diabetes and obesity
by 80 percent.
Senses
Sensory cues are what allow your baby
to take in information about surroundings.
Exposing your baby to various sensory
experiences funnels a wealth of information
to help develop skills and better
understand the visual, audible, olfactory
and textural stimulants that he or she
encounters.
As your child grows older, these early
experiences can help him or her recognize
diff erent colors, sounds, smells and tastes,
some of which may later distinguish likes
and dislikes, such as an enjoyment of one
type of food and distaste for another.
Find more information and ideas for
ways to improve your baby’s health at
evivo.com.
Courtesy Family Features