New for Consumers banner

Release Date: February 2009

SAFE AND HEALTHY KIDS AT ANY AGE

If you have children, you’re used to proactively taking care of their health. And as you know, there’s more to it than washing their hands and brushing their teeth. Learn more in Safe and Healthy Kids, a free package of publications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Citizen Information Center.

When children are little, they’re especially vulnerable to choking. We’re conditioned to think about watching for things like small parts on toys or pieces of popped balloons. But 60 percent of the childhood choking episodes treated in emergency rooms are related to food. Children under four years old don’t have a full set of teeth, so they can’t chew foods like nuts, hot dogs, or hard candies very well. To keep kids safe, monitor older children who might give food to younger children and put unsafe items out of reach. And take the time learn the Heimlich maneuver, too, just in case. A refresher with helpful diagrams, as well as more tips to help you prevent children from choking, is in Safe and Healthy Kids.

Children can pick up infections everywhere—even from turtles. Common as pets or animals in petting zoos, turtles frequently carry salmonella. And since salmonella can be on turtles’ skin and shells and in places where they’ve been (like tanks, bedding, floors or countertops), you need to be careful when kids are around them. Safe and Healthy Kids shows you how to prevent salmonella infections and identify the symptoms in case a child does become infected.

A healthy mouth requires regular toothbrushing, but it might also require braces. Things have changed a lot since you or your friends wore them. Now there’s less metal, more flexible wires, and less frequent visits to the orthodontist. But braces still help prevent bite problems that could cause gum decay or jaw pain, especially if they’re put on while a child’s jaw is still growing. If your dentist thinks it’s time to consider braces, read the Safe and Healthy Kids package to see what you’re really facing.

From toddler to pre-teen, it takes work to keep the children in your life healthy. Safe and Healthy Kids aims to make your job just a little easier. There are three ways to order this free package:

  • Send your name and address to Safe and Healthy Kids, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

  • Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/n85safeandhealthykids.htm to place your order online or to read or print these and hundreds of other federal publications for free.

  • Or call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That’s 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and ask for the Safe and Healthy Kids package.

Get even more information and take advantage of online government resources at www.USA.gov and www.GobiernoUSA.gov—your official English and Spanish web portals to the Federal government.

###

GSA #2898

Return to Feature Releases