Make every sleep for baby a safe sleep this holiday season
Crestin Jessup watches over her newborn Nation who is all set for a safe sleep .
This holiday season make every sleep for baby a safe sleep
Stop mosquitoes visiting your home
With the weather getting warmer , mosquitoes can start to appear more frequently .
“ Mosquitoes can bite your skin and can cause reactions such as itching , redness and swelling ,” says Medical Officer of Health , Dr Phil Shoemack . If left untreated , the bites can sometimes become infected . A good way to prevent being bitten is to stop mosquitoes from establishing their home near your home .
Mosquitoes like to live and breed in standing , still water – any kind , anywhere . “ Getting rid of things that hold water around your home is a simple way to stop them ,” says Dr Shoemack .
PRACTICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO :
Keep swimming pools well chlorinated and filtered , and free of dead leaves .
Empty and clean animal and pet drinking water .
Empty paddling pools . Seal or cover rainwater tanks .
Overturn boats , canoes and dinghies – in fact , anything you have to store outside that could hold water .
Get rid of all old tyres and drill holes in the bottom of tyre swings .
For more information visit the Ministry of Health website and search for mosquito – www . health . govt . nz
As the holiday season approaches , families are more likely to be on the move . It is important that babies always have a safe place to sleep . Relying on a makeshift bed while on holiday poses risk of suffocation for babies in their first year of life . Planning ahead to always have a safe sleep environment for your baby will reduce risk .
To keep babies safe during sleep , always follow these simple rules :
PLACE baby in his or her own bed , face clear of loose bedding and NO pillows , hats , bibs and soft toys ELIMINATE exposure to smoking , alcohol and drug use , and have a smokefree family , home and car POSITION baby flat and on the back as their drive to breathe works best in this position ENCOURAGE and support mum to breast-feed to help protect baby .
Cool to Move
Holidays are spent outdoors and travelling to and from our favourite places . Always check that babies travel in a safety approved carseat that is correctly fitted in the vehicle . Covered carseats , or prams or strollers where babies lie to sleep can heat up quickly when out in the sun . For babies , this can cause overheating , reduced airflow and make it difficult for them to breathe .
To protect babies from the sun , cover them , not the carseat , pram or stroller . Use light , cotton clothing and a light wrap , and keep them in a cool and shaded area on hot days . Water , sand and concrete can reflect UV light that causes sunburn , so avoid placing prams and strollers near these areas .
Safe hands
Holiday season is ‘ party season ’ as friends and families celebrate and have fun together . It is important those with babies always have a safe , sober caregiver or babysitter with ‘ Safe Hands .’
Produced by Raewyn Lucas , Karen Palmer and Natasha Rawiri , BOPDHB
SAFE HANDS WILL : Handle babies gently .
Always place babies flat and on their back for sleep .
Never expose babies to smoking , alcohol or drugs .
Do safety checks of babies beds and remove pillows , loose wraps and soft toys .
Stay close and respond to babies needs for food , comfort and safety .
Pictured from left are Teneille Ogilvy ( BOPDHB Oral Health Promotor ), Robin Hanley Central Kids Apanui , competition winner Haidee Awhimate , Madison Awhimate , Liz Spence ( EBPHA Smokefree Lead ). Front – Seth Awhimate .
Kindy kids to benefit from Stoptober
Children at Central Kids Apanui are moving to better outdoor music as a result of the recent quit smoking Stoptober challenge .
This year the Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance ( EBPHA ) and the Bay of Plenty District Health Board ( BOPDHB ) ran a Facebook competition to raise awareness about Stoptober , a national stop smoking campaign in October designed to encourage people to register to kick the habit .
The winner of that competition , Whakatāne mum Haidee Awhimate won a voucher and also chose Central Kids Apanui as the recipient of a $ 250 voucher from Noel Leeming .
Central Kids Apanui head teacher Keryn Thompson says they used the money to purchase an outdoor speaker .
“ Music and movement are a crucial part of our programme . Our old speaker wasn ’ t designed for the outdoors and tended to stop and start . Now we have the portable outdoor speaker hanging in a tree and the children are really enjoying dancing and moving to music outside .”
If you would like help to quit smoking , free local support is available . Free Phone : 0800 HĀPAINGA ( 427 246 ).