Safety and the Environment

Look both ways before you go to school
August 25, 2010

Back-to-school preparation can include road safety tips to help kids, and their parents, feel more at ease.

Backpack? Check. Lunch? Check. New shoes? Check. A get-to-school-safe routine? Uh ... Back-to-school preparation often focuses on the fun stuff like friends, clothes, and teachers. What may be missing from your child’s checklist is a sit-down discussion about the most routine part of the school day: getting there safely. Read More>>

C	Column- Perspectives from SickKids professionals
F	Feature- In-depth treatments of child health topics
N	News- Brief articles on current research
R	Research News- Updates on topics from our Resource Centres
S	Series- Multi-part features by world-leading experts

N	Look both ways before you go to school Back-to-school preparation can include road safety tips to help kids, and their parents, feel more at ease. (August 25, 2010)

R	Oh, my aching backpack! Return to school need not mean return to back pain (August 25, 2010)

F	How do I talk to my child about cyber bullying? Children spend an increasing amount of time online, and harassment is a growing problem. Learn what to do if your child has been bullied, has bullied others, or has seen cyber bullying. (August 06, 2010)

F	Summer safety: Preventing heat stroke and heat exhaustion To help ensure a safe, healthy summer, make sure you know how to prevent, recognize, and treat heat-related illness. (July 06, 2010)

N	The Choking Game: Is Your Child at Risk? Cheap thrills with dangerous consequences: what you can do to protect your child. (April 13, 2010)

N	Bullying: How it affects those who bully In the long term, bullies themselves are also their own victims (March 22, 2010)

N	72 hours: Is your family prepared for an emergency? An emergency plan and emergency kit could make all the difference to your family's comfort and safety (February 16, 2010)

N	Natural disaster: Water-borne and vector-borne diseases Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina or the July floods in Mumbai, India are often followed by diseases such as cholera, malaria, or hepatitis A. (January 22, 2010)

N	Holiday safety tips from the trauma experts at The Montreal Children's Hospital How to avoid accidents and have a safe and happy holiday instead (December 07, 2009)

N	The Internet: Breaking down barriers to communication for deaf teens Internet communication can help to empower hearing impaired teenagers. (November 04, 2009)

N	Child injuries on decline while homes still places of risk New study shows child injury rates have declined but you can still do more to childproof your home. (October 05, 2009)

F	Emergency birth control for teens Is providing Plan B an acknowledgement or approval of teen sexual behaviour? (September 30, 2009)

R	Codeine may be life-threatening in some children Codeine given after an adenotonsillectomy can be life-threatening for some toddlers. (September 24, 2009)

N	Five-year-olds living in poor urban neighbourhoods most at risk for homicide Data shows economically vulnerable kids most at risk for murder (May 29, 2009)

F	Beyond “Don’t talk to strangers”: keeping children safe from abduction Positive skills and confidence can help reduce the risk of kidnapping (May 25, 2009)

N	Preventing teenage hearing losses from iPod use Experts recommend ways to reduce the risk of teenage hearing loss from iPod use (May 20, 2009)

R	Antidepressant drugs, pregnancy, and birth defects Despite the conflicting studies, being depressed during pregnancy is riskier that taking antidepressants while carrying (April 27, 2009)

N	Swine Flu: infectious disease prevention at the hospital and beyond Protecting yourself from respiratory infection at home and at the hospital (April 27, 2009)

N	Active transportation More and more, children are travelling by car instead of walking, cycling, or using another form of active transportation. This can have a profound impact on their health, development, and safety. (April 13, 2009)

F	Brain, skull, helmet: Use all three On a child's first two-wheeler or a vertical rock face, helmets can prevent brain injury, if chosen and worn correctly. (March 31, 2009)

F	Cyber Bullying Part One Cyber bullying: a new and disturbing on-line trend (March 13, 2009)

N	Food-borne illness: protecting your family against food poisoning Safe food preparation is your responsibility (February 06, 2009)

C	Guest Surgeon's Corner: Scald prevention in the home (January 30, 2009)

F	Holiday safety tips Nine simple tips to help keep children safe (December 04, 2008)

F	The iPod and hearing loss in youth Listening to music with headphones or earbuds can cause hearing loss. If it's too loud, you're at risk for hearing problems (November 13, 2008)

R	Fathers' smoking and childhood brain tumours Planning on having a baby? New evidence suggests that dad may want to quit smoking too, even before conception occurs (November 07, 2008)

F	Trick or treat! Keep your little ghosts, princesses, and pirates safe this Halloween Halloween safety tips for all, even kids with food restrictions (October 24, 2008)

N	STIs up, teen pregnancy down in Canada Sexually transmitted disease rates in Canada and the United States, and how to lower them. (September 05, 2008)

N	The case for mandatory bike helmet use If the law says children must wear bicycle helmets when riding, cycling deaths go down. (September 05, 2008)

N	Dangers of sand play Accidental burial can be deadly (July 31, 2008)

N	Are swimming lessons enough to keep kids safe? Kids need more than swimming lessons to stay safe in the water (July 24, 2008)

R	Cell phones, brain tumours and kids: Health Canada clears the airwaves Do cell phones cause brain tumours in children? Hear what Health Canada has to say (April 25, 2008)

N	Crying foul at the Centers for Disease Control What do you do when someone poos in the pool? (March 20, 2008)

N	Avoid unintentional overdosing of toddlers with combination cough and cold medications Adults can unintentionally overdose children with over-the-counter medications because ingredient labelling and dosing instructions are confusing. (February 07, 2008)

N	Thomas, how could you? Lead in children's toys and surroundings Doctors and public health experts are still trying to find out whether lead levels common in the developed world are harming children. (January 11, 2008)

N	Summer safety: Avoiding harm from heat To help ensure a safe, healthy summer, make sure you know how to prevent, recognize, and treat heat-related illness. (August 02, 2007)

F	The hazards and benefits of eating dirt Although good clean dirt poses practically no hazard, a number of hidden threats in soil can harm children’s growing brains and bodies. (June 08, 2007)

R	Of pesticides and premature births Researchers have linked premature births with exposure to pesticides and nitrates. (May 25, 2007)

N	Peanut and tree nut allergies: Discovering the difference People who are allergic to peanuts may be allergic to tree nuts, and vice versa. It's important to learn about both. (May 25, 2007)

C	Demystifying sulphite sensitivity Sulphites are a common food additive and also a common cause of food allergy. Learn what to do if your child has a sulphite sensitivity. (April 30, 2007)

S	The Rights of Children Part Five: Youth justice and the rights of the child Punishing youth harshly increases criminal acts. What are the alternatives? (November 10, 2006)

N	Safety in the home: remove hazards to prevent injuries to young children A two-year study by five Canadian children's hospitals reveals hazards in many homes. (October 26, 2006)

N	Sport-related concussion in the young athlete: what do we know? The effects of sport-related concussions in children and teenagers are often underestimated or missed. (July 27, 2006)

N	Slip! Slap! Slop! The happy sounds of summer Sunburn has serious consequences for your child's skin. (June 30, 2006)

N	Cracking down on egg allergies People with egg allergies can still enjoy a wide range of foods. (June 15, 2006)

F	Talking about sex with your children Why an ongoing conversation about sex starting at a very young age is a better strategy than one big birds and bee lecture (April 20, 2006)

C	Safety in the operating room Patient safety is everyone's responsibility, and communication is key. (April 05, 2006)

F	Electromagnetic radiation and cancer fears Do power lines or cell phones cause cancer? For almost 30 years, scientists have been struggling to answer this question. It sounds simple, but it's not. (March 22, 2006)

N	Bodychecking takes a hit Hockey players aged 10 to 13 who are allowed to bodycheck are at higher risk for injury at that age, and also as they get older. (February 15, 2006)

N	Where did he learn that? Sometimes, children display inappropriate sexual behaviour beyond what they should know for their age. Behaviour of this type may or may not be a sign of abuse. (January 04, 2006)

N	ABCs of food allergies Whether you’re a food allergy expert or new to the scene, it is important to know the ABCs of eating safely and nutritiously while avoiding allergy-causing food. (December 07, 2005)

R	Treating depression during pregnancy It may be less risky for mothers to continue depression medications during pregnancy than to try to wean themselves off the medications. (November 23, 2005)

F	Protecting youself and your family: Bird flu update, October 2005 Updated information as of October 2005 on Avian Influenza (bird flu) and how to protect your family from getting infected should a pandemic occur. (October 20, 2005)

N	Injuries in the home a major cause of death in young children Babies at highest risk for home-related injury and death (September 16, 2005)

F	Child-friendly neighbourhoods How does where you live affect your children’s health? (September 16, 2005)

C	Helmets for injury prevention Do helmets work? In a new column, Dr. James Wright discusses helmets for sports and recreation. (September 09, 2005)

N	Booster seats required by law in Ontario As of September 1, 2005, booster seats will be mandatory for children who are not yet old enough or big enough for a regular seat belt. (August 26, 2005)

F	Water safety: a significant summer concern Safety tips for kids at home and on the water (August 12, 2005)

N	Dangers of sand play Accidental burial can be deadly (August 12, 2005)

N	Pollution, heat, and SIDS Researchers examine the role of heat and pollution in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. (August 05, 2005)

F	Cyber Bullying Part Two More on cyber bullying: what it is, who does it and how it can be stopped (July 08, 2005)

F	Living well with food allergies Practical advice about food allergies and how to safely cope with them (May 06, 2005)

N	Household products and wheezing in pre-school age children Researchers find a possible link between wheezing in young children and their mothers' use of household products during pregnancy. (May 06, 2005)

C	Peanut allergy: A common-sense approach In this month's column, Dr. Hugh O'Brodovich discusses how to avoid peanuts and be prepared for a reaction (April 15, 2005)

F	Bird Flu Part 2 of 3: Update as of April 2005 An in-depth look at the possibility of a avian flu pandemic and a situation update as of April 2005 (April 15, 2005)

N	Watch those commercial breaks A surprising number of commercials that air during major sporting events contain violent or risky behaviour — even at times when children are probably watching. (March 24, 2005)

F	Bird Flu Part 1 of 3: The facts about avian influenza What you should know about a possible bird flu pandemic. The first of a three part series on avian influenza (March 18, 2005)

N	Of siblings, birth month, and multiple sclerosis Two recently released studies about multiple sclerosis (MS) point to environmental factors in the development of the disease. (March 11, 2005)

N	The Burn Unit: An incredible place, but one that you want to avoid The health care team at the SickKids burn unit admit about 100 patients a year and perhaps surprisingly, 90% of the children are there because of scalding. (February 11, 2005)

N	Safety alert: Chocolate milk recall A batch of chocolate milk may be contaminated with a chemical sanitizer (February 01, 2005)

N	Don’t wait for swallowed magnets to reappear One magnet? Not a problem. More than one? See a doctor right away. (December 16, 2004)

N	Predictors of injury among young athletes Perception of ability and risk influence the risk of sports injuries among young adolescents. (December 09, 2004)

N	Toddlers' in-home injuries: child and parent factors Parental protectiveness decreases the risk of toddler injuries at home (October 29, 2004)

N	The effect of air pollution on children's lung development Exposure to air pollution affects children's respiratory health (October 26, 2004)

N	Maternal occupational exposure to solvents associated with poorer neurocognitive function in offspring Maternal exposure to organic solvents puts offspring at risk (October 13, 2004)

N	Acute childhood leukaemia and neighbouring gasoline stations French researchers have found an association between living next to gasoline stations or automobile repair garages during childhood and the risk of acute childhood leukaemia. (September 27, 2004)

N	Pollution, heat, and SIDS Pollution increases risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but heat does not. (June 18, 2004)

N	The case for booster seats Booster seats urged for kids age 4 to 9 (June 09, 2004)

F	Water safety watch Safety tips for kids at home and on the water (June 01, 2004)

F	The trouble with baby walkers Risk of serious injury prompts government ban (May 31, 2004)

Pregnancy Learn more about fetal development in our interactive timeline