Resource Spotlight: InsureKidsNow.gov

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"Children get sick so fast...One moment they are playing energetically; the next moment they're cranky and disorganized. Suddenly, they stagger or lie down. Their eyes glaze over and their color changes to either a fierce red or a chalk white. Their breathing rate doubles, and they seem to be gasping for breath. Small children whimper inconsolably or won't cry at all. They can't tell you whats wrong. They obviously feel awful. Their collapse is all the more sudden in that while they are playing, they resist giving up. When they finally do, they are so pitiful [but so cute]. All but the most experienced parents will feel a painful surge of anxiety."- Dr. T. Berry Brazelton M.D.

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InsureKidsNow.gov can provide a bit of relief from the anxiety parents feel when they have a sick child. Their website has information on how to apply for Medicaid or CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) here in Utah as well as other states. These insurances are affordable and can help pay for your child's Well-Child visits, emergencies, prescriptions and more.

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Medicaid and CHIP typically cover a range of benefits including:

Doctor Visits Emergency Care Hospital Care Vaccinations

Prescription Drugs Vision Hearing Dental

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Sun Safety

Just one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life. According to one U.S. study, 54% of children become sunburned or tanned in their second summer, versus 22% in their first. Many parents don’t know the best ways to protect their young children and with summer on it’s way, Welcome Baby thought it was best to advise on sun safety. The Skin Cancer Foundation and the FDA recommends the following sun safety tips for infants and babies.

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Infants: 0-6 months

Infants under 6 months of age should be kept out of the sun. Their skin is too sensitive for sunscreen. Sunscreens are recommended for children and adults. What makes babies so different? For one thing, babies' skin is much thinner than that of adults, and it absorbs the active, chemical ingredients in sunscreen more easily. For another, infants have a high surface-area to body-weight ratio compared to older children and adults. Both these factors mean that an infant's exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens is much greater, increasing the risk of allergic reaction or inflammation. To add to that an infant’s skin possesses little melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes, and provides some sun protection. Therefore, babies are especially susceptible to the sun’s damaging effects.

Tips for infant sun safety:

* Use removable mesh window shields to keep direct

sunlight from coming in through the windows of your

car or invest in UV window film, which can screen almost 100% of ultraviolet radiation without reducing

visibility.

 * Take walks early in the morning before 10 a.m. or late

afternoon after 4 p.m. and use a stroller with a

sun-protective cover.

* Dress baby in lightweight clothing that covers the

arms and legs.

* Choose a wide-brimmed hat or bonnet that protects

the baby’s face, neck, and ears. A baby who wears a

hat during the first few months will get used to having

it on.

* Provide adequate liquids to keep your infant hydrated.

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If adequate clothing and shade aren't available, apply small amounts of sunscreen only on areas of your baby's exposed skin, such as the face and back of the hands.

Babies:6-12 months

It’s now safe to use sunscreen on babies.

Tips for baby sun safety:

* All the protection methods explained above still

apply; however, now sunscreen use should be incorporated.

* Apply a broad-spectrum, SPF 15+ sunscreen to areas

left uncovered such as baby’s hands. Many companies

have tear-free formulas that won’t sting baby’s eyes.

* Most importantly, sunscreen must be applied 30 minutes before going outside.

(Sun Safety Tips for Infants, Babies, and Toddlers.(2010). Dermatology Nursing,38-39).

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Book Review: The Little Red Hen retold by Starfall

This English Folk Tale is one I'm sure you're familiar with. This story follows a little red hen who asks her friends to help make corn muffins, but when all of her friends only want to help her EAT them she finds it hard to share. Click here for a FREE online version of this book (It is a little different than the original version but it's easy for a young child to follow and even read). Your child can easily click through the pages as you read this book together.

The Little Red Hen

After reading this story make some healthy delicious muffins with your child. Ask them to help and include them in any step possible. They'll see the fun in helping and the reward of hard work, which is of course eating them! This muffin recipe uses Greek yogurt, blueberries and orange juice. Try it out! click below for directions.

Healthy Orange Blueberry Muffins 

Ingredients 
2 large eggs 
2/3 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup of sugar replacement such as honey or maple syrup)
1/2 cup canola oil 
1/4 cup apple sauce  
1/2 cup greek yogurt 
1/2 cup orange juice 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1- 1 1/2 cups of blueberries 
1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour 
1 1/2 cup sifted whole wheat flour  
2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp salt 
zest of 2 oranges- play with this until you get the right about of orange flavor you prefer

Optional Crumb topping 
1/2 cup all purpose flour 
1/2 cup brown sugar 
4 tbsp Earth Balance

-Recipe from Jocelyn

Healthy Orange Blueberry Muffins

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Playground Scavenger Hunt

Discovery Park

Last weekend I took my nieces and nephews to the discovery park in Pleasant Grove or as they call it "the park with the big red slide" (1550 North 100 East if you want to try this fun wooden park out). This is a park that they only visit a couple of times a year so they were all pretty excited. They were telling me all about the new and different things this park had that their other local parks didn't. I then came across this fun idea that you could do with your kids in a playgroup.

Playground Scavenger Hunt!

Use the list below to discover all of the different playground equipment at different parks close to you. This is an activity that could be ongoing for you and your kids. Visit at least 1 new park a month and check mark all of the different types of playground equipment your children tries out. This will get them active and excited to search for new parks to complete their lists. Feel free to add to it too!

Click here for a full printable version

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Resource Spotlight: Safe Kids Utah

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The Safe Kids Utah organization started in 1995 with the mission to make Utah a safer place for children by preventing unintentional injuries and fatalities. They do this by:

• raising community awareness
• influencing policies
• promoting safety
• establishing private/public partnerships

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Their website has information and resources on car seat safety, bike helmet safety, water safety, fire safety, Utah safety laws and much more. Here are some things to keep your child safe:

• The law in Utah is to keep your child in a booster seat until the age of 8
• You can have a Child Passenger Safety Technician take a look at your car to make sure your children are safely secure. There are several places around Utah that have Child Passenger Safety Technicians and a list of these can be found by clicking here
• Never leave your child in the car. The temperature in your car can increase up to 19 degrees in just 10 minutes. Its dangerous and children die from this every year. 
• Helmets should be worn every time a child rides a bike. Make it a habit! Let your child choose their own helmet; if it's "cool" then they'll want to wear it. There is a 5-step Helmet Fit Test you can do to make sure your child's head will be protected properly. 

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• Summer time is here and that means swimming, boating and lots of water! This is a fun time of year but don't get caught up in just the fun. Make sure your child wears an appropriately fitting life jacket on a boat and in the lake. Enroll your kids in swimming lessons so they can learn to float, tread water, and swim. This will be a life long skill that will never be wasted. Teach your kids to always swim with a buddy and stay close to the shore. 
• Learn CPR! Find a class near you offered by the American Red Cross.

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