HOW SAFE IS YOUR CHILD’S HELMET?
When it comes to helmets it’s not a matter of one size fits all. There are a whole range of different helmets of different sizes on the market and not all of them are suitable for the same activity. In…
COMMON FIRST AID MYTHS
I am often surprised by how some of my patients manage their injuries before they come to the emergency room. I think my own mother is also guilty of practicing some really strange methods whilst I was growing up. Over…
FIRST AID TIPS EVERY MOM SHOULD KNOW
I was recently asked by All4Women to put together my top 10 first aid tips for moms. I wanted to share these with all of you in this blog post. You can find more tips in my MiniKit Pocket Guide…
HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE IN THE SUN
1. SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN AND MORE SUNSCREEN! I cannot stress this enough. The damage that causes skin cancer in adulthood can start in childhood. Every child needs sunscreen, regardless of skin tone. Melanin is a pigment found in the skin that…
KEEP YOUR SWIMMING POOL SAFE THIS SUMMER
South Africa has updated its pool safety regulations this year and now all private swimming pools not only need to be fenced off, but they also need to be fitted with either a pool cover or safety net when not…
DROWNING 101: UNDERSTANDING THE BIOLOGY
Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death worldwide. In SA, the number of drownings has increased significantly over the years, with drowning mortality highest in children under 15 years of age. Shockingly, South Africa has been ranked…
A BUMP TO THE HEAD: WHEN SHOULD YOU WORRY?
I have attended to many children in the ER who have taken a tumble. In the US, falls account for around half the injury-related ER visits in children under 5 years of age. Most of these falls involve furniture such…
THE DANGERS OF PARTY BALLOONS
We recently celebrated my daughter’s two-year birthday and, of course, decorated the house with balloons. No children’s birthday party is complete without balloons and although they are very popular with kids, they can also be extremely dangerous. Which is why…
EMERGENCY NUMBERS EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW
It occurred to me the day I went back to work after my maternity leave that I didn’t know any other emergency number besides 10111. Thankfully I have never had to use this but I couldn’t risk leaving my daughter…