How vaccines protect children against disease

Today’s guest post comes to us from Ryan Varela, the CEO of Boost Health Insurance, and he writes about how vaccines protect children against disease. Vaccines protect children against disease because they have helped in reduce or completely eliminate many infectious diseases from diptheria, polio to even chickenpox and small pox. Some still beleive that vaccines cause autism in children and that is simply not true. Even the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have information proving that vaccines do not cause autism in children and are vital for public health. An outbreak can happen when parents fail to vaccinate their children. Of course, for each parent, it is a personal decision they must make, but when it comes to vaccines, my wife and I are firm believers in the value and importance of getting our children vaccinated.

Thanks for the great article, Ryan. We hope everyone else enjoys it too.

Some have claimed

Enjoy.
– Will

How vaccines protect children against disease that may result in death or serious illness?

Vaccinating your children is the best and most effective way of protecting them from fatal diseases or illnesses. In this article, we are going to talk about how vaccines protect children against disease and how they can really help.

In the United States and many European countries, vaccines have helped in reducing or eliminating completely many infectious diseases, which once harmed or killed many infants or children.

However, some of these diseases still exist and can result to premature deaths, but with proper vaccinations, children can be protected from them. Some diseases are becoming rare both in United States, Europe, Africa and Asia, thanks to the help of these vaccinations. The only way to completely eliminate these diseases is through regular immunization process.

The essence of vaccination is not just to protect our children, but also to protect their own children and their children’s children and the public’s health overall. Vaccinations have made viral diseases like polio, meningitis, small pox etc. to be reduced to near eradication around the world.

How do vaccines work?

Vaccines help to boost the immune system of your child, so that if the body comes into contact with any specific germ, the immune system will quickly recognize it and fight it. Vaccines protect children against disease because those who are properly vaccinated will either not become sick or will rarely become sick. If you truly want to protect your children from life threatening and often dangerous diseases, then the best thing to do is to vaccinate your baby according to CDC guidelines.

Which deadly diseases were wiped out by vaccines?

Over the years, vaccines have helped in boosting our healthcare system. There are so many examples of diseases that have been completely wiped out by vaccines. For the purpose of this article, we shall look into three diseases namely diphtheria, chickenpox, and polio.

Diphtheria

This is an obscure disease that has been killing babies for many years, until babies started to get diphtheria vaccines. Today, common vaccines protect children against disease like the DTap administered to babies that completely protects them against whopping cough or pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria. Although, it is highly preventable, but it is no longer a killer disease.

Diphtheria makes a child to develop a thick covering on their throats or in the back of their nose. This disease’s impact can have consequences rendered in multiple ways. It can lead to paralysis, heart failure, difficulty breathing and even death. Ensure you vaccinate your child against diphtheria today.

For maximum protection, healthcare specialists recommend that you give your child at least five doses of DTap vaccine. Your child will get each of these doses within 2 months, 4 months and 6 months of birth, then 15 to 18 months and between 4 to 6 years of age.

Chickenpox

Next in our list of how vaccines protect children against disease is a serious illnesses is chickenpox. Chickenpox is a killer disease that causes fever or itchy rash of blisters on your child. If a child contracts chickenpox, he or she will have many blisters numbering up to 500 all over their body. Chickenpox is a life threatening disease among babies, especially those with weakened immune system. Vaccinating your child is the safest way of keeping him or her healthy. For best protection, healthcare specialists recommend that you give your child at least 2 doses of chickenpox injections. The first can be given within 12 to 15 months, and 4 through 6 years.

Polio

Finally, in our list of ways that vaccines protect children against disease is polio, a deadly infectious and crippling disease that is caused by poliovirus. It is a communicable disease which can pass from one person to another. Polio is so dangerous that it can affect the victim’s spinal cord or brain, thereby cause paralysis. As an anecdote, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt contracted polio and was paralyzed as a result and the March of Dimes formed to eradicate this disease from the planet and still thrives today in working "to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality". This illness is no joke and another reason why vaccines protect children against disease and you should take heed.

The United States, today, is polio-free, thanks to vigilant and persistent vaccination of children in our country. But in some parts of the world, especially Asia and Africa, polio is still a life threatening disease. Ensuring that children are properly vaccinated against polio remains the ideal way of eradicating polio in the world.

Healthcare experts recommend that every child should get four dosages of polio vaccines, which is known as IPV for maximum protection. The first dose will be given at 2 months, another at 4 months, then the third one can come between 6 through 18 months and finally 4 through 6 years.

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About the Guest Post Author

Ryan Varela is the CEO of Boost Health Insurance which provides customized and affordable health care plans for thousands of customers across the United States. Aside from writing on the topic of how vaccines protect children against disease, Ryan has nearly a decade of experience in the health care industry and continues to serve the greater need to educate and deliver access to affordable options to those who need health care the most.

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“Why does my baby sweat so much?”

Today’s guest post comes to us from Lily Hayes, founder of TheBabyLands.com, and she writes about the question some parents may ask, “Why does my baby sweat so much?” She offers some insight into why babies sweat, ways to keep them cool and when to seek out medical attention for a baby who might be sweating when they shouldn’t be. Overall, this article offers some valuable information for you to consider when answering the question, “Why does my baby sweat so much?”

Enjoy.
– Will

Find out why your baby sweats

Most new parents are worried about one thing in common, when they see their baby sweat too much. The question that gets them worked up is, “Why does my baby sweat so much?” There are many reasons for this and if you are really interested to know more about this, then read this post to the very end and get all the details.

Tell me more about why does my baby sweat so much?

As mentioned earlier there could be many causes that trigger sweating in a baby. Both external as well as internal factors should be taken into consideration while taking a close look into this matter. Did you know that the temperature of the room can make babies sweat?

That said, you should keep the baby room ventilated and keep a fan or air conditioner on mildly (depending on the temperate zone you are living in). At an early age, the body temperature of any baby can be on higher side so direct contact with air is mandatory to cool him/her off and putting your baby under and AC is not harmful and often recommended by doctors as well.

Yes, but one thing you should be advised of is to visit a doctor if you think your baby is sweating profusely. Being a parent, if you find something to be alarming, it may be found not to be the case, but, as a precaution, you should still seeking advice from a medical professional to determine a solution. Nonetheless, here are is a set of explanations that can give you some relief.

1. Overtly clothed: This is a major problem with most first time parents as they do not know what amount of clothing can keep their babies protected. Often, the simplest thing is to do is clothe your baby in something that keeps them relaxed and not much more. They need to be able to crawl, walk, run or even fall comfortably. Make sure you don’t overdo this with overly thick clothing.
2. Truth about sweat glands: This is something that every parent should know, babies do not have active sweat glands, except for one. The only active sweat gland lies in their head and that is why more often, you may notice that they sweat in their heads.
3. Sweating as you feed: This is common sense, you support the baby’s head with either your palms or by placing the baby in your lap. Because you are supporting the baby’s head, that makes them sweat. It is that simple!
4. Sweating at night: You may have noticed them to be sweating the most when they sleep. This is why you may observe that during their sleep a baby may sweat more. In reality, babies do not toss and turn, like someone older, and they tend to sleep in one position for long periods of time. Some do not turn at all and a few may turn a little, this makes them sweat more.
5. Signs to worry about: If you have noticed your baby sweats excessively while eating, then that should raise an alarm for some kind of a disorder. It could be infection, sleep apnea, congenital heart disease or even sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS, in which a baby goes deep into sleep and it is difficult to wake your baby. Please consult a doctor or a pediatrician if you observe any of these symptoms in your baby.

Precautions to take

Don’t worry, babies sweat in general more than adults, even if they do not have active sweat glands! Now, you know a part of the “why does my baby sweat so much?” What you need to know is how to stop your baby from sweating and making them comfortable. Here are a few ways that you can keep in mind while doing so:

• Give them a thorough bath from head to toe with nice warm water everyday
• Wash their hair once in every 2 to 3 days and then quickly dry their hair
• If possible engage them into some kind of a play right after bath (outdoor playing will be better if the weather is nice)
• Trim their hair once in a span of 40 to 50 days, on average, as this will give them the relief and you will notice less sweating (although it may be difficult to trim their baby curls)
• Keep your house smoke, allergen and germ free
• Avoid keeping or letting them go near perfumes, deodorants or even incense sticks
• Do not use a knit cap during winters for indoor use
• Tuck them up with a blanket and do not put a kint cap on baby’s head during cold nights
• During Summers, dress your baby in cotton clothes
• Dress them lightly, the way you would when you feel the weather is very warm and don’t hesitate to use the baby powder where needed.
• Let them sleep in a big place where they can move their body easily and help make self adjustment easier while sleeping.
• Ensure that their night dress feels like you sleeping without a cover
• While feeding, find out the best position that keeps the head the free and aired
• Temperature of the room should be kept within a range of 68 to 72° F.

Overall, maintain a basic hygiene that keeps them relaxed and fresh all the time. Afterall, keeping your baby happy is an imperative that all parents want and we know you are no different. As some advice, let them adapt to their surroundings in a natural way.

Again, in order to keep your baby cheerful, you need to focus on things that will make them cozy and you will, in turn, have a content baby around. This is the healthiest thing to do and your baby will not get sick because of all the care that you show them.

Now that you know so much about babies and their sweating, you must not be apprehensive about it anymore. Just remember to keep your baby:

• In a well ventilated room
• Clothe them comfortably
• Maintain an ambient comfortable temperature

Everything will be fine if you do all of these three things. It is my hope that I have answered all your questions in regard, to this seemingly simple question, “why does my baby sweat so much?” Does your baby seem to sweat quite a bit? What did you find out about why your baby sweats a lot? We want to know. Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions or if you have some feedback on this article in the comments section below.

About the Guest Post Author

I am Lily Hayes, a writer and teacher by profession who firmly believes that motherhood is the fulfilling experience we can ever have in this world and founder of TheBabyLands.com. I have spent years being an expert in what I do. I love my job immensely because I love to share and create things that will have a big impact on people. In fact, I have already written various e-books about self-development and parenting. Follow me on Twitter @TheBabyLandsCom

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By sponsoring this article, your sponsorship will display for a period of 180 days (6 months). If, for any reason, and it is up to the discretion of the authors of Windy Pinwheel, we feel content linked to or the name provided does not coincide with the objectives of this site for our audience we will issue a refund and pull the sponsorship of the article. This action does not limit you from sponsoring an article on our site again. However, by sponsoring again, we will issue the same review criteria as the prior sponsorship and if it fails, we will follow the same process as before and issue a refund and pull down the sponsorship. We truly appreciate the support of our audience and hope you can help offset our costs of operating this site by sponsoring our site articles.

For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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5 fun ways to cook using a pressure cooker

Today’s guest post comes to us from Chef Faisal Aziz at Best Pressure Cooker Reviews a website dedicated to the fun and food you can cook using a pressure cooker. This article outlines just how safe a pressure cooker can be to use if you follow Faisal’s 5 easy to follow tips on safe cooking using a pressure cooker. Growing up my mom used to cook using a pressure cooker to make deep fried prawns and scallops and the best fried chicken this side of the Mississippi. My mom’s family had midwest roots and the food I ate younger was a reflection of those roots. I can tell you that food that comes from a pressure cooker is like nothing else. It is so juicy and moist and not everything has to be deep fried. It is just that some of the tastiest food usually is that comes from a pressure cooker. That being said, please take a look at the article below and find out how much fun and how safe it is to cook using a pressure cooker.

Enjoy.
– Will

Enlightening details about the 5 most important steps for safe pressure cooking

Introduction to safe pressure cooking

Pressure cookers are considered some of the most convenient and safest cooking options. This is because a pressure cooker does not require much supervision while you cook using a pressure cooker. One just needs to set the timer and wait for the food to cook since the timer will switch off when the food is cooked. This means it is not necessary to stay nearby while the food is cooking and as a result one can start cooking and proceed to do other things. However, it is always important to observe safety while you cook using a pressure cooker. Here are the 5 most important steps for safe pressure cooking:

1. Ensure there is ample space
   As the name suggests, pressure cookers use pressure and steam to cook different kinds of foods. This means that there needs to be enough space inside the pot for the pressure. Because of this, it is important to avoid filling the cooking pots to the brim. This is because there will be no space for pressure and this can cause accidents. There are also some types of foods which expand when they are cooked and one needs to consider the space they will occupy after they expand.
2. Avoid opening the lid before the cooker is switched off
   It is always recommended that one should wait until the food is properly cooked until you move to open the cooker. Opening before the food is cooked will allow the pressure which was cooking the food to escape. Besides hindering proper cooking, this can be dangerous because the pressure also release steam which is usually hot. The hot steam can cause burns and it can be even more dangerous when it gets into one’s face. This makes it important to keep the lid on until the cooker is switched off. You can read power pressure cooker reviews for more instructions here on the necessary safety precautions one needs to take when handling a pressure cooker.
3. Regulate Pressure
   Pressure cookers come with options to adjust the pressure and heat levels depending on what is being cooked and the stage of cooking. Some types of food require a lot of heat so that they can cook properly and therefore they need high pressure levels. By not monitoring the pressure levels the pressure can be too much and eventually cause accidents. If a person is cooking while doing other things, it is advisable to use moderate pressure levels which are not likely to cause accidents.



4. Utilizing The Timer
   The timer of the pressure cooker is meant to stop the cooker once the time set has elapsed. But some people do not use a timer and this can cause problems. When the timer is not set, one can forget about the food getting cooked or get engaged in other things, consequently allowing the cooker to run unmonitored. The pressure cooker can experience problems or cause accidents if it remains running for long hours. This is why it is important to set the timer since it will stop the cooker even if the person cooking is not present.
5. Place The Cooker On A Firm Flat Place
   Even if there is no enough space it is always advisable to look for space which will hold the cooker firmly while it is cooking. This avoids the accidents that can be caused by the cooker tipping over and falling to the floor. This is one of the simplest safety tips but one where most people do not pay much attention to it. Therefore, by following the outlined steps one can safely do pressure cooking and enjoy well cooked foods.

It is my hope that when following these 5 basic safety measures when cooking with a pressure cooker, you will not only find out how easy it is to use a pressure cooker, but you will also learn to make many great meals with this fantastic cooking device. Please stop by my website and find out more about the fun and great tasting meals you can make with a pressure cooker.

About the Guest Post Author

Chef Faisal Aziz is the author of Best Pressure Cooker Reviews, a hobby niche blogger. Faisal loves to cook and publish his experience with his pressure cooker at Best Pressure Cooker Reviews.

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For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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4 food safety rules you can’t overlook when cooking with children

Today’s guest post comes to us from Lauren D. Brown atMess Makes Food and she writes about 4 must-follow food safety rules when cooking with children. Nothing can be more rewarding that doing an activity with your child where they are learning. One of those activities is cooking with children and helping them to learn to prepare and cook a meal from start to finish, including safely storing the food after the meal. Lauren speaks about how to properly ensure the safety of your family when it comes to cooking with children that might be something a child would not think about from washing hands to food prep to storage, Lauren covers each aspect as a reminder so that we all remain healthy and happy in our household. I really enjoyed the read. I hope you do too.

Enjoy.
– Will

4 must-follow food safety rules when cooking with children

Healthy cooking must start with food safety. If parents want to cook with their children often, a good way to start is by using something easy when cooking for kids, such as teach them how to cook rice using rice cooker or ask them to help you wash your vegetables carefully. It is necessary to teach them the fundamental rules of cooking, but it still enables a safe cooking with children experience. Let’s allow our kids to be food safety explorers! Don’t let bacteria have the ability to grow! Right now, we will learn the basics, including, clean, separate, cook, and chill.

4 Basic rules on food safety – checklist for children

Basically, food poisoning, due to viruses and bacteria, can be prevented by four simple rules when both parents and children are preparing a meal:

1. Clean – Wash your own and your children’s hands often

No one can deny the importance of washing your hands. Nonetheless, aside from that, cleaning all the surfaces of your kitchen is also vital, in particular, the countertops, the kitchen appliance, the reusable bags, and others (even if you need to peel or slice anything before cooking).

Taking a specific example, the inside of your microwave is easy to get dirty, owing to the food that can cover the insides of the microwave, so the bacteria can grow quickly. Correspondingly, it is necessary to clean both the outside and inside, involving, the buttons and handles to prevent food poisoning.

Washing hands in the right and most thorough way will dramatically decrease or remove the risk of food poisoning. Additionally, the spread of flu or cold is also minimized a significantly. Here are some things to always consider. You should also was wash your hands:

• Before and after eating, preparing the meal, after handling the pet, using the toilet, changing diapers.
• With the warm soapy water ~ 20 seconds. Asking your kids to sing a song while washing their hands can help these 20 seconds breeze on by.
• Cleaning the surfaces of the kitchen, particularly, the countertops, freezer, tables, fridge, shelves, and others

2. Separate – store your foods in a separate way – poultry, eggs, raw meat, and seafood

Cross-contamination can happen once germs from raw/ unclean objects (meat, fish, poultry,…) are placed close to the ready-to-eat or cooked dishes.

• Keep your foods separate so that it can prevent the cooked foods from cross-contamination by raw poultry, egg, meat, and seafood.
• Utilize more than a single cutting board – one for the cooked/ready-to-eat foods (vegetables, bread, fruits,…) and another for seafood, raw meat, and poultry.
• Clean these cutting boards with the warm soapy water after using and put them in your dishwasher. Additionally, you should also utilize a sanitizing solution or bleach solution on your cutting boards and don’t forget to rinse thoroughly with water after that that activity.
• Be sure to discard old cutting boards when you begin to see cracks, excessive scars of knives, and crevices.

3. Chill – Refrigerate properly to 40F or lower

The majority of the food safety programs recommend that housewives should refrigerate their foods properly at a suitable temperature. The purpose is to prevent food poisoning and slow the growing process of bacteria.

• Sets your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and fridge under 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place a fridge thermometer in your fridge. Don’t forget to check it frequently.
• Put the foods that you bought from the store in the refrigerator and freezer right away, especially the perishable foods.
• Refrigerate any leftover foods from your meal.
• Store your foods in small containers ~ 2 inches or less.
• Consume packaged foods based on its use-by date/date of expiration.
• Use cold-running water or the microwave in order to thaw the frozen foods before cooking with children.
• Marinate your meats in the refrigerator.

4. Chill – Refrigerate properly to 400F or lower

Meat, egg, fish, seafood, and poultry must be cooked at the proper temperature so as to destroy any harmful bacteria. Even though you cook with modern appliances such as using a toaster oven, it’s also necessary to choose the right temperature for your dishes.

• To check to make sure each of the following meats are done: poultry, meat, seafood, fish, and dishes with eggs. Be sure to utilize a food thermometer if you are unsure of when a certain type of meat isn’t cooked completely yet.
• Leftover foods must be reheated at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. For older adults, reheat all deli style meat as well.
• Boil the meat marinade ~ few minutes if you want to use it for your meal.
• Follow the proper temperature below for your dish:
  • + Lamb, beef, veal ~ 1450F;
  • + Ground lamb, beef, veal ~ 1450F;
  • + Pork ~ 1600F;
  • + Egg dishes, casseroles ~ 1600F;
  • + Poultry ~ 1650F;
  • + Leftover ~ 1650F;
  • + Ground poultry ~ 1650F;
  • + Using a fork with and knife to open opaque meat to check how done it is on the inside;

It is my hope that these 4 rules will help parents have a healthy cooking with children experience. At the same time, the risk of food poisoning is also minimized and/or eliminated by keeping everyone safe from germs.

About the Guest Post Author

I’m Lauren, founder of Mess Makes Food. My passion is delicious dishes from all over the world. I like to introduce my healthy recipes to my readers. I also want to share my opinions on how to choose best kitchen gadgets and some tips on cooking processes. Make, have, and enjoy many great meals together with your children!

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By sponsoring this article, your sponsorship will display for a period of 180 days (6 months). If, for any reason, and it is up to the discretion of the authors of Windy Pinwheel, we feel content linked to or the name provided does not coincide with the objectives of this site for our audience we will issue a refund and pull the sponsorship of the article. This action does not limit you from sponsoring an article on our site again. However, by sponsoring again, we will issue the same review criteria as the prior sponsorship and if it fails, we will follow the same process as before and issue a refund and pull down the sponsorship. We truly appreciate the support of our audience and hope you can help offset our costs of operating this site by sponsoring our site articles.

For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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Baby proofing in 10 easy steps

Today’s guest post comes to us from Crystal Watson at MakeYourBabyLaugh and she writes about how to make your home safe for your baby when baby proofing. This article is very through, from electrical outlets, to owning a gun safe, to pets and even when your baby sleeps, Crystals covers many of the possible ways to make your home safe for your baby.

Enjoy.
– Will

10 tips on making your home safe for your baby

Home is a place where children grow and learn; a place where they find love, care and comfort. It is also a place where they can get to see, touch, explore and also experience the world that is around them, so that their young minds and bodies can develop properly. Home is also a place where children need to feel secure.

However, home injuries are a leading source of accidental death for children. There are Almost 21 million medical visits as well 20,000 deaths each year that are caused by home accidents. Some of the home accidents include your child being bitten by a pet to choking on balloons.

Nevertheless, home injuries can be avoided through education as well as baby proofing prevention in ways to make your home safe for your baby and young children. Parents can put safety measures in their homes and also teach their children a few practical rules. Becoming a parent is a blessing in several ways. However, there are some challenges that come with being a parent, such as protecting your child from harm. Here are some tips to make your home safe for your baby when baby proofing. When it comes to baby proofing your home, leave nothing to chance.

1. Never leave your child alone near water. Children love splashing in water at bath time or when playing as they do not know the possible hazards of water. Drowning is very possible in water that is above half an inch. This makes bathtubs, pools, sinks, as well as pails very dangerous. For your child’s safety, it’s important that you prevent situations that can cause accidents. Therefore, you should never leave your child alone near water.



2. Install safety gates. One of the most popular causes of injuries to children is accidental falls. You should therefore take precautions that can help to prevent a serious problem. The effects of the injury usually depend on the distance of the fall, so you should know the dangers of the heights.

   You must never let your child sit on a bed or even a counter unattended. You should also ensure that the stairs, as well as the hallways are clear and free of any mess that can cause your child to trip and fall. It is recommended that you install safety gates so as to block a child from accessing the staircase.

3. Keep your child safe from household cleaners and chemicals. Most of the many products in our homes are possibly poisonous if swallowed. In order for you to childproof/baby proof your home, you have to think from the perspective of a child. Ensure that you install cabinet guards on every cabinet where you store cleaners, chemicals and garden fertilizers. Also store the products in their containers; don’t store them in containers that your child may mistake them for food.

   Store medicines in a cabinet that is locked or keep them in a place that your child can not access.



4. Cover electrical outlets. Electrical shocks are one of the major causes of deaths as well as injuries. Electrical shocks occur when a child touches an object that is electrically charged, while touching a surface which can conduct the electricity to the ground. Electrical safety devices, appropriate grounding and also avoiding dangerous situations can greatly help to prevent electrical shocks.



5. Keep sleep areas safe. Suffocation is a major cause of accidental injury-related death. About 60% of suffocation cases occur when a baby is sleeping. A child’s nose and mouth may be accidentally covered by fluffy pillows, comforters or even stuffed animals which restrict your child from breathing.

   You should therefore ensure that your baby’s crib is as bare as possible. You should also use a light blanket and tuck its ends below the mattress so as to create a pocket. The blanket should also reach the center of your infant’s chest so that it cannot be pulled above his head. You should dress your child in warm pajamas when the weather is cool instead of covering him/her with additional blankets.

6. Baby safety equipment. When planning for your baby, a baby swing might be low on your list of preferences. After all, it’s a piece of baby gear which takes up a significant amount of space at home. Nonetheless, this is still a very useful piece of equipment for baby safety.

   Although it might be a necessity like diapers, having a good baby swing is one of the most useful pieces of gear in the baby’s first six months of life. As such, you should always choose the best swing for baby. Beyond mere convenience, babies require soothing and the parent’s arms are usually the best places for it. However, all arms do require a break and a baby swing is a perfect option in such circumstances.

7. Install an alarm. In the case of a fire that may break out, you will have little time to escape from the heat, smoke as well as deadly gasses. You can increase your survival chances by installing and also maintaining smoke alarms.

   If fireplaces, space heaters, central heating, furnaces as well as water heaters are not well ventilated or they leak, the hazardous gasses may escape. Set up a carbon monoxide detector and a fire detector, and ensure that they are properly maintained so as to secure your home.

8. Store a gun safely. In case you own a gun, it is your responsibility to ensure that you use it safely. You must ensure that the weapon is not loaded with ammunition when you store it. You must also store it in a safe place that your children cannot access. Locked cabinets, gun safes as well as other storing options that can help you store your gun securely are also available.



9. Keep small items away from your child. Many injuries are caused when children are not able to breathe properly because food or any other object has blocked their airways and can cause choking. Most of the choking injuries happen with food, so should ensure that your child’s meals or snacks are cut into pieces that can be swallowed easily. You should also keep small candies, carrots, hotdogs, nuts, grapes, and popcorn, out of the reach of your children when unsupervised as they can cause choking.

   Ensure that all small household items, such as buttons, jewelry, coins, small balls and pins are properly stored away from your child’s reach so as to avoid unintentional choking. Furthermore, do not select toys that have many small parts until your child is old enough to use them properly.



10. Keep children safe around the family pet. Pets bring love as well as companionship to many families. Nevertheless, more than 155,000 children in the United States are bitten by their pets every year, and most of the bites are caused by a familiar pet. Each and every pet possesses the potential to bite, especially when they are scared, threatened or even when they are over excited. You must ensure that you choose a pet that well suits the lifestyle of your family.

Summary

Children are always curious. They like exploring new things. They also like to put things into their mouth and stick fingers in unusual areas, play with hanging cords, and push/pull over furniture. Bearing this in mind, even the most harmless room at home can be a minefield of danger for them.

Luckily, there are many measures that you can take so as to protect your children from injuries or accident within the house. The above article gives you some safety tips that will help keep your baby out of the harm’s way.

About the Guest Post Author

Crystal is the founder of MakeYourBabyLaugh. She started to write the blog to help mothers and fathers who are struggling to raise their children. She hopes that her experiences in child-rearing can inspire and help parents overcome their parenting struggles.

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Pool safety is no joke

Today’s guest post comes to us from Sean Morris at LearnFit.com. He writes about pool safety in the off-season. Even though we are in Northern Nevada, some of us might have pools in our backyards. Pool safety with young children is no joke. It can only take seconds for a toddler or young child to drown. Please take these precautions when wrapping up your Summer fun zone in the backyard. Thank you for your fantastic article, Sean. We really appreciate the contribution.

Enjoy.
– Will

4 ways to protect your child from drowning in the off-season

Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) names drowning as the top cause of unintentional deaths for children ages 1-4 years? An astounding 58% of these occur in in-ground pools.

But never fear: here are four ways to ensure pool safety to protect your little one from drowning during the off-season.

1. Invest in a pool fence.

A pool fence can be the ultimate safeguard for your home when it comes to pool safety. All kids have the tendency to wander off to forbidden areas, and this can include your backyard and pool area. In fact, more than 75 percent of children who drown are seen five minutes or less before they are discovered in the pool. Reduce the risk dramatically by blocking off the water, and ensure the gate to enter has a self-latching, child-safety lock on it to deter even the craftiest of children.

2. Ensure that pool drain and filter covers are secure and out of reach.

From 2005 to 2007, 24 cases (and two deaths) were reported of a child becoming trapped in a pool or spa drain. Kids have been known to play with an open drain only to have hair, a hand or a foot get caught in the suction, leaving them unable to escape. Public pools are required by law to adhere to specific child-safe drain covers; these kinds of covers might be a valuable option for your own home as a pool safety measure!

3. Keep that rescue equipment right where it is.

If you have a pool and a young child, you certainly have a life preserver and shepherd’s hook by the pool. Keep them there! Even if your pool is covered for the season, even if your gate is locked and secured, always keep your pool safety tools handy.

4. Consider an extra, louder layer of protection.

Consider adding an alarm to your pool area, especially if your child is particularly precocious and ambitious, add an alarm to your pool gate. This could save precious seconds if a toddler figures out the child-safety locks. Remember, it takes only seconds for a child to drown.

“Off-season” doesn’t mean “out of danger.” When it comes to pool safety, even the most conscientious parents can have close calls. Remember these tips and keep your child safe from drowning no matter the season!

About the Guest Post Author

Sean Morris recently left his career as a social worker to be a stay-at-home dad to his wonderful kids. He and a couple of his friends created LearnFit.org. On the site, he enjoys writing about parenting, marriage, how to achieve work-life balance, and more.

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For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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Are you a household chef, cook or foodie? This post is for you.

As an owner of Cutco cutlery (I used to sell them while in college), I pretty much consider myself a knife snob. Our latest guest post author, Julia Jones from Boston, MA, offers her own insight below regarding your choice in cutlery for use in your home.

Enjoy.
– Will

Using The Right Knives For Your Cooking

At a first glance, it might look difficult to make the distinction between a quality knife and a random one. After all, you can’t tell how the quality of a knife is by looking at it, turning it around, inspecting and touching it. Instead, you need to use it for a while in order to determine whether or not it meets your needs. After all, different people have different quality standards. The more you use the respective knife, the easier it becomes to recommend it further. With all these, there are some aspects to look at in order to figure how good and durable a knife will be.

Look for a perfect assembly

A perfect assembly is a main necessity. Make sure there are no useless parts in its assembly. Instead, everything should match. Look at the bonding between the blade and the handle before anything else. It is important for these two parts to blend with no gaps. Gaps are extremely important for the overall hygiene. If these things present any irregularities, the respective gaps become excellent environments for growing bacteria. It is easy to realize that such microorganisms will infect anything you use the knife for.

Safety comes first

In knives, safety is directly proportional with ergonomics. An ergonomic handle makes the operation safe and secure. The handle must be properly created to be kept with no risks at all. It should not slip either. After all, chances are you will cook with your hands wet due to all the groceries that require cleaning upfront. An ergonomic design and a perfect weight will allow you to use the knife with no safety risks at all.

Inspect the blade responsibly

The metallic blade and the way it was manufactured will tell you a lot about the quality standards. Knives are no longer made like ten years ago. Today, there are a wide number of advanced technologies that can seriously enhance the cutting capability. Moreover, durability is not to be ignored either. The sharper a knife is, the better it will maintain its blade and cutting qualities. Moreover, you should know that a quality knife will maintain its blade in a good shape for long periods of time.

Look at the blade surface

The blade surface can be enriched with all kinds of elements, only to make the knife more efficient in cutting particular foods. Different foods require different types of blades. But if there is one thing that matches to all kinds of knives, that is the surface quality. The better polished it is, the more durable it becomes in front of oxidation.

Not sure about the brand?

The brand is not always relevant, yet some brands are world renowned for their quality standards. Choosing one of these brands will ensure that the manufacturing technologies are performed at the highest standards. There are plenty of technological procedures required to manufacture a top notch knife and each of them must be maintained by the book. All these things lead to a good final result, as well as an exquisite cooking performance.

About the Guest Post Author

Julia is an avid food enthusiast who loves everything about cooking and especially using modern tech in cooking that can make even a novice cook look like an expert chef. She occasionally shares her opinion about the latest and craziest kitchen gadgets on the Kitchen Gadgets Wars blog.

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By sponsoring this article, your sponsorship will display for a period of 180 days (6 months). If, for any reason, and it is up to the discretion of the authors of Windy Pinwheel, we feel content linked to or the name provided does not coincide with the objectives of this site for our audience we will issue a refund and pull the sponsorship of the article. This action does not limit you from sponsoring an article on our site again. However, by sponsoring again, we will issue the same review criteria as the prior sponsorship and if it fails, we will follow the same process as before and issue a refund and pull down the sponsorship. We truly appreciate the support of our audience and hope you can help offset our costs of operating this site by sponsoring our site articles.

For all reviews, please exercise discretion. If the sponsor of the article is in conflict of the topic of the article, we will pull down the sponsorship to remove any conflict of interest with the article at-hand. For instance, there is an article about a hamburger restaurant and a competing hamburger restaurant sponsors the article; we will pull the sponsorship and issue a refund.

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