Tag: safety

If you could protect your child against a cancer-causing virus with three doses of a safe and effective vaccine, why wouldn’t you? While most parents are committed to vaccinating their child against all vaccine preventable diseases, some parents are still reluctant to have their child receive the HPV vaccine. In response to these concerns, Willows Pediatrics wants to remind families about the benefits of the vaccine and why we recommend it.
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Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? With Fairfield County experiencing both a minor earthquake and a major tropical storm in August, it’s definitely a good time to take stock of our lives and make sure we’re prepared when the next weather event or other emergency situation occurs!

Like many people in the area, we at Willows Pediatrics lost power and dealt with issues ranging from flooding to downed tree limbs during Irene last month. That’s why we wanted to share with you some advice on preparing for emergencies. The three steps we recommend for emergency preparedness are (1) get a kit; (2) make a plan; and (3) be informed! Read More

Whether your children have been home for the summer or away at camp, when mid-August hits everyone’s minds can’t help turn to “back to school” time! Along with the excitement of buying school supplies and finding out which teachers your children will have comes a bit of planning and preparation. Today Willows Pediatrics would like to address two big school-related issues: backpacks and school lunches.

On the subject of backpacks, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is working to educate students and their parents about the dangers of wearing backpacks that are either too heavy or worn improperly. Overly-heavy backpacks or those worn on one shoulder can cause pain in their neck, shoulders and back as well as posture-related issues. Read More

photo via flickr.com

Though it may have been the crib you spent time in as a child—and you did just fine—your old crib is most likely not suitable for your new baby. It’s tempting to purchase a used crib from a tag sale or to accept one from kindhearted family or friends whose children have grown up, but Willows Pediatrics recommends avoiding cribs that are more than 10 years old. (This means avoiding them at home, and also at day care centers and grandma’s house too!)

Here are just some of the dangers of older cribs:

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