In This Issue
 |
 |
| Our volunteer Vicky will greet you with a smile! |
Pregnancy Babies and Children's Expo
Planning a family? Already expecting? Have little ones in tow?
Discover what’s best for you, your pregnancy, baby or child at the Pregnancy Babies & Children’s Expo – the must see parenting event of the year!
Visit the Kidsafe NSW stand at the expo to collect your FREE Home Safety Checklist and safety information to help keep your kids safe!
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th of May 2013
Sydney Showground Exhibition Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
Discover all you need to know, with friendly experts from government departments, health organisations and respected support groups and companies all under one roof, saving you hours of time trawling for information on your own.
Be informed with the specialist speakers, chat with qualified midwives and uncover the newest and most practical products, along with seeing the trusty favourites - touch, try & even taste. Hands-on experience will ensure you leave with a great understanding of the best options available to suit your needs!
If you’re bringing the kids, keep them entertained with lots of fun FREE entertainment, including live Sesame Street character shows on the main stage and visit in comfort with the wide aisles & rest stops located all around the Expo and in the fully equipped Parent’s Rooms.
 |
A Message from the Executive Officer
Hi Everyone,
This morning I was reminded about changing smoke alarm batteries as mine was ‘beeping’ during the night! Thankfully it wasn’t smoke – but a faulty battery!
Other timely reminders include:
- The NSW Health Get Ready for Winter campaign. If you go to the Product Safety Australia website you’ll find information on how to stay safe as you keep warm this winter, including information on children’s nightwear and hot water bottles. Click here to view their top six tips and video.
- Our good friends from NSW Fire and Rescue strongly recommend that we do a home fire safety audit as winter approaches. Click here for more information and to download the Home Fire Safety Audit. Would you believe they even have information on fire safety in the snow! They also have great information for children. Click here to go to the the Brigade Kids webpage.
- Don’t forget if you are taking part in any winter fundraising activities please consider Kidsafe as your charity and visit Everyday Hero to pledge your support.
- Pool Owners in NSW are required to undertake a self certification check and register their swimming pool on the NSW Government Swimming Pool Register Website. Changes in laws also apply with regard to pool inspections for rental properties, properties for sale and for pools in hotels and caravan parks. Click here for more information and to register your pool.
So stay safe over the cooler months and take some time to read the other safety tips outlined in the Kidsafe Newsletter.
Warm regards,
Christine Erskine
Executive Officer
 |
 |
Grow Me Safely - Hints and Tips for Kidsafe Gardening
Kidsafe NSW has released ‘grow me safely’, a new website resource that provides information on gardening with children. The website provides plant lists for vegetable gardens and sensory gardens; plants to avoid; and injury data information.
Kidsafe NSW promotes natural play environments for children. As part of our commitment we are delighted to present a website resource that can support groups to plan for natural areas and develop vegetable gardens in their playspaces.
Gardening with children is promoted in the National Quality Framework for Education and Care Services, and the NSW Primary Syllabus.
The website resource was developed in response to enquiries regarding suitable plants in children’s gardens and funded by the 2011 Young Horticulturist of the Year Award (coordinated by the Australian Institute of Horticulture on behalf of the Ryde Horticulture Students Fund) and Kidsafe NSW. Many experts contributed to the review, content, images and injury data to ensure the resource is accurate, practical and promotes positive messages regarding gardening activities with children.
To access the website visit the Kidsafe NSW website and click on the ‘grow me safely’ sign at this link:
 |
Amber Teething Necklaces
Amber teething necklaces and bracelets consist of amber beads which are a fossilised tree resin and range in colour from yellow to white and beige to brown.
The warning notice was issued after ACCC testing of several of these products indicated that they could break into small parts and present a choking hazard to children under three years of age.
Strangulation may occur if the infant has the amber teething necklace permanently fastened around their neck, especially when they are sleeping.
What you should do:
- supervise the child when wearing the necklace
- remove the necklace from the infant when the infant is unattended even if it’s only for a short period of time
- remove the necklace from the infant while sleeping during the day or overnight
- do not allow the infant to chew on the necklace
- consider using a less risky form of pain relief
- always seek medical advice if you have any concerns about your child’s health and well-being.
For more information visit: Product Safety Australia
 |
Sleep Positioners
Baby sleep positioners that are designed to help infants sleep safely have been withdrawn from sale in the USA after officials warned they were ‘too dangerous to use.’ The sponge positioners are used to ensure a baby sleeps in one position with limited movement. They are often promoted as being useful in ensuring babies remain secure on their backs as they sleep and do not fall victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Parents are urged to:
- STOP using infant positioning products
- NEVER put sleep positioners under the baby or in the cot
- ALWAYS place a baby on their back at sleep time
For more information on safe sleeping contact Sids and Kids
 |
Baby Bath Aids
Baby bath aids are used to support infants while in a bath. Baby bath aids help keep a baby’s head up and out of the water, leaving the carer’s hands free to wash the baby. They can ease the strain on the carer’s back.
Baby bath aids are typically used in adult sized baths but can come with or be shaped into baby baths as well. There are a few different types of baby bath aids available including bath seats, cradles, hammocks, recliners, supports and rings. The suitability of these products changes as baby grows.
The aids are generally made of plastic, rubber or foam, but can also be made of fabric supported on a frame. Some have toys attached to them and some have a base that swivels.
Baby bath aids are not safety devices.
Safety Tips:
- Babies and young children in a bath aid always need the supervision of a competent adult
- Never leave a young child in the bath in the care of an older sibling
- Always keep at least one hand on the baby when using a bath aid to ensure the child does not slip under water
- Check that your child fits properly into the bath aid
- Check that there are no sharp edges or points on the bath aid to prevent your child being injured when using it
- Toys attached to bath aids should not have removable parts small enough, to fit in a baby or toddler’s mouth. Children may try to chew on or swallow these and choke
- Don’t use a baby bath seat with suction cups in a bath with an uneven or slip-resistant base, or where the enamel is worn—the suction cups will not stick to the bath surface
For more information visit Product Safety Australia.
 |
Household Cots with Drop Sides
Concern has been raised about the safety of drop side cots in Australia particularly the strength and integrity of the drop side itself, especially over a continued period of use.
Some key things to look out for are:
- loose or breaking slats, filler bars or rails in the drop side which create dangerous gaps which a child can become trapped in or fall through
- failing mechanisms and hardware which causes the drop side to separate; not engage; or lock properly or efficiently, creating hazardous gaps
- incorrect assembly (and perhaps use) of drop sides and a lack of ongoing maintenance of the cot and the hardware causing potential safety concerns
For more information visit Product Safety Australia
 |
Lorrie Fay Memorial Kidsafe NSW Scholarship
The Lorrie Fay Memorial Kidsafe NSW Scholarship was established in 2003 to encourage a University of NSW (UNSW) medical students to undertake an Honours thesis or project relevant to child safety issues. It is jointly funded by the University of NSW and a memorial donation recognising the contribution of Lorrie Fay to Kidsafe NSW.
2011 recipient Jodie Wheatley wins a highly commended award at the 2012 Australian College of Road Safety Conference for her paper: Risk factors for serious injury to child occupants 0-3 years in motor vehicle crashes.
This new research is important for parents and carers to know about because very few studies into serious injury in car crashes have focused specifically on the injury risks to babies and children less than three years old. Jodie Wheatley investigated the medical records of all children aged 0 to 3 who were admitted to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead after being seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash between 2001 and 2011. She studied the risk factors that may have affected 90 very young children injured or killed in car crashes.
Although we are told that over 99% of children in cars are now using restraints, Jodie found that nearly one in five of these seriously injured children was either not restrained at all or was in a restraint not appropriate for their age such as a booster seat or an adult seat belt. Her study shows the risks of moving children too early from their child restraints
The odds of serious injury were over three times greater for children in rural areas compared with metropolitan areas. Twice as many children were seriously injured in crashes in rural areas as in metropolitan areas. This worrying statistic was six times greater for those who were not using the right age-appropriate restraints.
Because this was a retrospective study into existing data Jodie’s research cannot tell us if the serious injuries that were suffered by some children using the right restraints were related to these restraints being improperly fitted or incorrectly done up. However some other research shows this might be a widespread problem. Jodie recommends that there should be a more detailed study to examine all the restraint factors that influence serious injury in small children.
For us as parents and carers, Jodie’s research is a reminder of how important it is that each child is always protected by the correct restraint appropriate to their age and that this is properly fitted and correctly done up. It also emphasises the need to take particular care when driving in rural areas with little children.
Click here for more information on the scholarship or contact Kidsafe NSW.
Kidsafe NSW Demonstration Playspace Renovation 2013
The demonstration playspace is being renovated (May - June 2013)
The renovated playspace will present an upgraded facility that meets best practice playspace design, includes equipment representative of this design, demonstrates compliance with the current Australian Standard and presents natural play elements.
Click here to view the design.
The aim of the playspace is to highlight the different types of play, various equipment and surfacing product types, the incorporation of the natural environment, native plant species, and ongoing management of playspaces.
The renovation has been possible by the generous support from the following organisations and businesses:
|
|
Kidsafe Hawkesbury Road Westmead NSW 2145 ABN: 29 532 079 872 Phone: (02) 9845 0899 ABN: 29 532 079 872 |
