Child Poisonings From Eye Drops, Nose Sprays

Over-the-counter eyedrops and nose sprays contain powerful drugs that are poisonous in surprisingly small amounts if swallowed, the FDA warns.

Unwary parents often leave these products within easy reach of curious children. From 1997 through 2009, eyedrops injured more than 4,500 children under the age of 5 and nasal sprays injured more than 1,100, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Injury reports show that children can easily open the products, which do not come in child-resistant packages.

The drugs are surprisingly powerful. Swallowing less than a fifth of a teaspoon can seriously harm a child, the FDA says.

The eyedrops in question soothe redness by causing blood vessels in the eye to constrict. Visine is a popular brand; there are many generic versions. Nose drops work in a similar way, tightening blood vessels in the nose. Afrin, Dristan, and Mucinex are popular brands, and there are many generic versions.

New Vaccine Against Most Deadly Strain...

New Vaccine Against Most Deadly Strain of Meningitis could Soon be Offered to All Babies

The first vaccine to offer broad protection against meningitis B is to be licensed for use in the UK, drastically reducing the number of children killed by the disease.

There are 1,870 cases of meningitis B in the UK on average each year, resulting in up to 200 deaths – half of which occur in the under-fives.

As many as 400 children a year are also left with serious lifelong complications such as limb amputations, blindness, deafness and brain damage.

13 Infant Deaths Tied to Sleep Positioners

Officials Warn Sleep Positioners Pose Suffocation Risk

A product marketed to help keep babies safe while they sleep may have the opposite effect.

At least 13 infants have died since 1997 while lying in sleep positioners or sleep wedges, a new CDC report shows. The products often claim to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Researchers found all but one of the deaths involved infants aged 3 months or less. Most of the infants were placed on their sides to sleep in the sleep positioner, and many were later found lying on their stomachs.

Online Calculator to Predict Childhood Obesity

Parents can learn whether their newborn is at risk of becoming fat using a simple online calculator, according to scientists who say obesity can be tackled at birth.

Using a formula based on factors like the child's birth weight, their parents' body size and whether or not their mother smoked during pregnancy, the calculator can predict whether or not the baby is at risk of obesity during childhood.

Other factors include the mother's professional status, with children of less qualified parents more likely to become obese, and the size of the household, with children from smaller families at greater risk.

Researchers from Imperial College London, who programmed the online calculator, said they hoped it could help parents avoid allowing their children to gain too much weight.

Whooping Cough Claims Lives of 13 Babies...

Whooping Cough Claims Lives of 13 Babies in Past Year in Worst Outbreak in More than Two Decades

A total of 13 babies have died from whooping cough in the worst outbreak in more than 20 years.

There have been nearly 8,000 confirmed cases so far this year - the highest number since 1990.

Last month the Government began vaccinating pregnant women against the illness for the first time in an attempt to protect their babies.

Although whooping cough is not usually severe in adults, it can be deadly for newborns who can develop pneumonia.

Ministry of Health Needs to take Autistic Children...

Ministry of Health Needs to take Autistic Children Under its Wing

MANY parents face numerous problems with their autistic children. The Ministry of Health has not given any serious consideration to autism as a disease requiring utmost care and concern. As a result, autistic children have been attached to the Ministry of Social Affairs, which is not the appropriate place for them.

Autism is a disorder in the brain preventing children from acquiring skills or being able to communicate with society. Signs of autism appear in children at an early age and remain with them for the rest of their lives. If rehabilitation and training are not duly provided to the autistic children, they are not able to interact with society.

Feds Sue Nap Nanny Maker Over Infant Deaths

Five Infant Deaths Linked to Portable Baby Recliners

Cheap Vitamin D 'Would Boost Health'

Greater access to cheap vitamin D supplements would improve the health of at-risk groups, experts say.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) says up to 25% of UK children are vitamin D deficient, leading to a rise in rickets cases.

In the BBC's Scrubbing Up column, the college's Prof Mitch Blair called for concerted action to tackle the problem.

The government said those with the greatest need already received free supplements.

Extra Blood Transfusion Kills Child

JEDDAH — A Saudi has accused a North Jeddah private hospital of causing the death of his six-year-old son, by giving him an extra bag of blood. His son Salim suffered from Sickle Cell Anemia since birth.

He admitted his son to the hospital on Dec. 21 last year as he was suffering from great pain and weakness. The doctors diagnosed his ailment as a spleen problem that necessitated blood transfusion.

He remained at the hospital for 14 days. Two days after his son was discharged, he took him back to the hospital.

Children With Eczema: How to Stop the Scratching

When Stephanie Knox's 8-year-old daughter, Paige, starts scratching her eczema, sometimes she just can't stop. "It's really amazing how she can keep scratching and digging at her skin and still the itch doesn't go away," says Knox. "So we've had to come up with some creative ways to help soothe her itchiness and help her stop scratching."