Sleep Safety Tips

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Published on Thursday, 10 September 2015 17:09

Everything you need to know to keep your kids safe while sleeping.

There is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby, specially for parents who are often overtired themselves. By following a few simple tips, you can create a safer sleeping environment for your baby.

Make Sure Your Crib Is Up-to-Date

• Check that your crib meets safety standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), and make sure it has all the right pieces.
• If you can fit a can of soda between the slats of a crib, that means a child's head, hand or foot  could get stuck.
• If the sides go down, don't use the crib.
• We know that stuffed animals, bumpers and all those cute accessories make a baby's crib seem warm and cozy. Unfortunately, they can often do more harm than good. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet is all you need to make your baby slepp like a baby.
• Corner posts of the crib should not stick up more than one-sixteenth of an inch. It doesn't seem like much, but anything more can be risky.
• Check to make sure there are no design cutouts in the headboard or footboard.
• If your crib doesn't meet CPSC standards, don't use it.
• If you are getting a used crib, check to see if it has been recalled at www.recalls.gov.

Help Your Baby Sleep Safely

• Lay your baby on his or her back to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• If you're worried about keeping your baby warm on those cold winter nights, try using a sleepsack (wearable blanket). They're pretty cozy.
• Babies should not sleep on beds, sofas, recliners, chairs, soft surfaces, bouncy chairs or baby swings. If this happens, make sure to return your baby to a safe sleep environment.
• We know that stuffed animals, bumpers and all those cute accessories make a baby's crib seem warm and cozy. Unfortunately, they can often do more harm than good. Soft bedding can block a baby's airway during sleep. A firm mattress covered with a tight-fitting sheet is all you need to make your baby sleep like a baby.
• New parent's have a million things to do, but learning CPR should be on the top of the list. It will give you tremendous peace of mind - and the more peace of mind you have as a parent, the better.

Position Your Child's Crib or Bed in the Right Place

• Avoid placing a crib, bed, high chair or playpen near windows, draperies, blinds, ore wall mounted decorative accessories with cords.
• Do not hang anything on or above a baby's crib on a string or cord.
• Room-sharing is a safer option than having your baby sleep in bed with you. Place your baby's crib, play yard or bassinet in your room for more convenient feeding and close contact.
• Remember to always return your baby to his or her own crib when you're ready to go back to sleep. This is tough sometimes because parents are often more tired than the babies, but it is much safer.
• If your child has a bunk bed, check the guard rails on the top bunk. Make sure that ther isn't enough space between the guardrail and bed frame or the head and footboards that a leg or arm could get trapped.

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

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Published on Thursday, 10 September 2015 16:10

One in 3 children in the United States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease

The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In honor of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Andrew County Health Departmentencourages your family to make healthy changes together.

Get active outside

• Walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride, or play basketball at the park.

Limit screen time

• Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games) to 2 hours or less a day.

Make healthy meals

• Buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods.

Taking small steps as a family can help your child stay at a healthy weight.

Sponsor: American College of Sports Medicine

September is National Cholesterol Education Month

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Published on Wednesday, 02 September 2015 08:46

Learn what steps you can take to prevent high cholesterol or to reduce your LDL "bad" cholesterol level.

Too much cholesterol in the blood is one of the main risk factors for heart disease and stroke—two leading causes of death in the United States. One way to prevent these diseases is to detect high cholesterol and treat it when it is found.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs. But when you have too much in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries and form blockages. This can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL is also called "good" cholesterol. LDL is called "bad" cholesterol. When we talk about high cholesterol, we are talking about "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Seventy-one million American adults have high cholesterol, but only one-third of them have the condition under control.¹ September is National Cholesterol Education Month—a good time to resolve to get your cholesterol screened.

What role does screening play?

Screening is the key to detecting high cholesterol. Because high cholesterol does not have symptoms, many people do not know that their cholesterol is too high. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your cholesterol level.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years.²

You may need to have your cholesterol checked more often if any of the following statements applies to you:

• Your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or higher.
• You are a man older than age 45 or a woman older than age 50.
• Your HDL cholesterol is lower than 40 mg/dL
• You have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke.³

Although the number of people who said they were screened for cholesterol within the previous 5 years increased from 73% to 76% from 2005-2009,4 only a handful of states have met the 82% Healthy People 2020 objective, and disparities in getting screened persist.5

How can you prevent or treat high cholesterol?

Make therapeutic lifestyle changes by

• Eating a healthy diet. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats, which tend to raise cholesterol levels. Other types of fats, such as polyunsaturated fats, can actually lower blood cholesterol levels. Eating fiber also can help lower cholesterol.
• Exercising regularly. Physical activity can help lower cholesterol. The Surgeon General recommends that adults engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 2 hours and 30 minutes every week.
• Maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can raise your cholesterol levels. Losing weight can help lower your cholesterol.
• Not smoking. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible.

Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions and stay on your medications, if prescribed, to control your cholesterol.

Are there clinical and community programs to help address high cholesterol?

A variety of community and clinical activities address screening and treatment for high cholesterol:

The Million Hearts initiative is a national effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the United States by 2017, by bringing together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private sector partners. Million Hearts focuses on (1) Improving the "ABCS" of cardiovascular health—Aspirin when appropriate, blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation; and (2) Empowering Americans to make healthy choices such as preventing or quitting tobacco use and reducing salt (sodium) and trans fat consumption.

All states and the District of Columbia are now funded to address heart disease and stroke prevention, with 32 receiving additional funding to enhance their program and reach more people. This includes increasing quality improvement efforts in health systems, such as using health information technology and team-based care as well as community-clinical linkage to support self-management outside of clinical settings, along with health extenders such as community pharmacists and community health workers.

CDC's National Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention program supports states implementing evidence-based practices in community and clinical settings, specifically highlighting cholesterol control within communities.

 The National Cholesterol Education Program provides evidence-based resources and recommendations to health care providers, and new guidelines for cholesterol are in development.

For more information about cholesterol and how you can prevent high cholesterol or keep it in check, see "Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC" from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.⁶

Sources

1. CDC. Vital signs: prevalence, treatment, and control of high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol—United States, 1999–2002 and 2005–2008. MMWR. 2011;60(4):109–14.
2. The American Heart Association. How to Get Your Cholesterol Tested Website.
3. The American Heart Association. Life's Simple 7 Website.
4. CDC. Prevalence of cholesterol screening and high blood cholesterol among adults—United States, 2005, 2007, and 2009. MMWR. 2012;61(35):697–702.
5. Healthy People. Heart disease and stroke. Healthy People 2020 Objective HDS-6.
6. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC[PDF - 1.74MB].NIH Publication No. 06-5235. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2005.

September is Fruit and Veggies - More Matters Month

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Published on Tuesday, 01 September 2015 16:07

Fruits & Veggies - More Matters is here to help you focus your attention on eating MORE fruits and vegetables! Add one more. Try something new. Educate yourself. Teach the kids. Try a new recipe. 

The Facts

More than 90 percent of both adults and children do not eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate nutrition guide. But just remember two (2) things . . . fill half your plate with fruits & veggies at every eating occasion (including snacks) AND all forms . . . fresh frozen canned, dried and 100% juice . . . count toward your daily intake!

What You Can Do

America's More Matters Pledge to Fight Obesity

The obesity rate in American children has tripled over the past 30 years, and their expected lifespan is now less than their parents! There are things you can do at home . . . and at school . . . to help change this! Take the PLEDGE - Let Us Help You Stop this Trend!

Fruits & Veggie Happenings in Your Local Community

Things are happening in your local schools and grocery stores to help increase fruit and vegetable consumption and address childhood obesity and public health in general. Search by Zip to see what's happening in your local community OR Add Your Own Program.

Fruit & Vegetable News

Check out the latest in fruit & veggie news. Read about everything from headliners and rumors . . . to research and policies that could affect you and your family. We're your 'go to' source for fruit and vegetable information and news. Go to In the News

Ways to Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Day

Everyone can benefit from eating just one more serving of fruits and veggies.

Learn more here.