ANGELINAPOLK_FallWinter2009_WEB

Angelina and Polk Counties Fall/Winter 2009

BeSafe ChildTM

Since 1994

2 BeSafeChild Magazine 2009

Lufkin Independent School DistrictOur Mission is to facilitate optimal learning for all students and to enable them to lead fulfilling and productive lives in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex society.

BeSafeChild magazine 2009 3

Community Coordinator For BeSafe Publications NeededReach out to the community with our child safety & health

magazine, and earn income too. Call Royce Ewing at 903-586-3767 or email resume to [email protected]

BeSafe Publications ~ 566 C.R. 4103, Jacksonville, TX 75766903-586-3767 1-800-233-8568 Fax 903-586-0333

www.besafechild.com email: [email protected]/Editor: Royce Ewing Graphic Design/Layout: Claudette Wooddell

Office: Patricia Goar ©Copyright 2009 BeSafe PublicationsWe make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information within these pages. We

cannot, however, assume any liability of any kind for its validity or completeness or for additional or changed information subsequent to the date the information contained herei n was submitted for

publication. BeSafe Publications welcomes your suggestions and inquiries. Articles from profes-sionals in child safety and health are also encouraged. While we retain our copyright position, we do grant permission to responsible parties to duplicate our articles in the interest of child safety, health

and good character.

CHECK US OUT ON OUR NEW WEB SITEw w w . b e s a f e c h i l d . c o mOur Edit ions Are On Line!

Helpful Toll-Free Numbers•

Texas Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 ••

Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) •Abuse Hotline: 1-800-252-5400

•Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)•

Vision & Hearing Screening 1-800-252-8023 Ext. 6687•

OfficeofAttorneyGeneralChildSupport:1-800-252-8014••

Centers for Disease Control & Protection (1-800-CDC-INFO)•1-800-232-4636

•Texas Youth Hotline 1-800-210-2278•

•Runaway Hotline 1-800-580-4357•


Insid

e BeS

afeC

hild Vision Is Key To

Infant Development.................5Just For Mom & Dad: Tips To Help Parents Overcome Obesity............6Combatting Childhood Obesity:Instill Healthy Habits Early................7Help Children Devolop Reading Habits...........................840 Assets For Elementary Age Children.......................9Giving Children A Good Night’s Rest...............10 LATCH That Car Seat......................11Hand Washing Tips...........................11Memorial Offers Life Saving Tips For The Flu Season...........12Head Lice Facts..................................13Coping With A Child’s Illness...........14Protecting Children From A Common Respiratory virus..................15

ON THE COVER: Bryant Krenek, CEO and President of Memorial, Back Row: Jacob Huff-stetler, Dustin Huffstetler, Mycah McDonald.Front Row: Alexander Tiu, Julio C. Flores, Jr., Sara Kraemer, Andrew Kraemer, & Austin Hale.

Share These Thoughts With Your

Child:All mothers are physically handi-

capped. They only have two hands.

~Anonymous

Don’t aim to be an earthly saint, with eyes fixed on a star, just try to be the fellow that your mother

thinks you are.~Will S. Adkin

My mother gave me a bumble-bee pin when I started work. She

said:”Aerodynamically, bees shouldn’t be able to fly. But they

do. Remember that.”~Jill E. Barad

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

~Joe Saban


Vision Is Key To Infant DevelopmentSource: InfantSee, Dr. Peter Kehoe

Parents need to be knowledgeable about how to evaluate their infant’s visual devel-

opment.That’s because it’s es-timated that one in 10 children is at risk from an undiagnosed eye or vision problem that, if left untreated, can lead to difficultieslaterinschoolor even permanent vision loss.Knowing whether a ba-by’s vision is maturing on schedule can be confus-ing, so parents should be aware of some basic signs of normal development:Forthefirstsixtoeight•weeks, babies’ eyes don’t always track together-and that’s normal. The American Optometric Associa-tion (AOA) advises that parents should only be concerned if the eyes never track together.Duringthefirstfourmonths,aninfant•should begin to follow moving objects with his or her eyes and start reaching for things.Between months eight and 12, babies are •

using both eyes together to judge distance and to grasp and throw objects with greater precision. Crawling is important for devel-

oping the eye-hand-foot-body coordination he’ll need for normal movement for the rest of his life. To check visual development or address prob-lems that parents have observed, a baby’s eyes should be exam-ined before his firstbirthday.Although vision and eye health problems aren’t common, it’s important to iden-tify children who havespecificrisk

factors early so that any issues can be addressed before they negatively affect a child’s overall develop-ment and quality of life.Visit the Web site at www.infantsee.org.

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Tips To Help You Overcome ObesitySource: National Institute of Health & Dr. Shawn Talbot

You may be able to save yourself and your family from what’s being called an obesity

epidemic, once you learn the three important steps to take.Obesity,whichsignificantlyraisesaperson’sriskfor life-threatening diseases, now affects a grow-ing number of Americans. According to nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., 75 percent of Americans are projected to be overweight or obese within a decade. The National Institutes of Health says obesity costs taxpayers $117 billion annually and is esti-mated to kill more than 100,000 Americans each year. Many obesity experts say that this maybethefirstgenerationofchildrento have a shorter life expectancy than that of their parents. Former surgeon general Richard Carmona has even said, “Obesity is destroying our society from within.”Dr. Talbott helped create an award-winning,filmthatsuggestswaystoreversethisdeadlytrend.Thefilmtakesa broad look at many causes of obesity, including food choices.Dr. Talbott recommends:

Knowing your weight and knowing •what your ideal weight should be.Getting help from experts; talking •with a doctor, dietitian or nurse.Eatingfiveto10servingsofbrightlycolored•fruits and vegetables each day to provide tissue-

protecting antioxidants.Consumingenoughnutsandfattyfishfortheir•naturalfattyacidsandabilitytocontrolinflam-mation throughout the body.Ensuring adequate servings of lean protein to •provide the amino acids and other nutrients to build and repair soft tissues such as muscles, as well as provide vitamins and minerals for energy metabolism.Getting enough whole grain carbs to support •energy demands.

In addition, he says, an often-overlooked fac-tor in losing weight is dealing with stress. The

American Psychological Association says nearly a third of Americans are living with extreme stress, with half handling it by eating poorly. “Stress is just as important a fac-tor to control as diet and exercise. Unlessyoucontrolallthreeinthesame program, you’re spinning your wheels,” said Dr. Talbott.For the average American, however, eliminating stressors is not an op-tion. Dr. Talbott explains it’s about handling stress differently to avoid the “stress fat” the body thinks it needs to survive those tough times. Called“KillerAtLarge,”thefilm

is available where DVDs are sold. In addition, portions can be seen at www.KillerAt-Large.com.


Combating Childhood Obesity: Instill Healthy Habits EarlySource: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, AMA, & Evenflo

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of

children between the ages of 2 and 5 who are considered overweight has nearly qua-drupled over the past few decades. Today, approximately 20 percent of toddlers fall into the overweight category, compared with just 5percentagenerationago.Onesignificantfactor may be the increase in portion sizes, which have more than tripled in recent years.As the childhood obesity rate contin-ues to rise, parents can take proactive steps to help their toddlers build a foundation of life-long healthy habits. MyPyramid.gov, a projectoftheU.S.Department of Agri-culture that is focused on changing the way American families eat, states that parents are themostimportantinfluencesontheirchil-dren’s eating habits. Simple practices such as teaching correct portion control and encour-aging self-serving play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight.During the toddler years, children possess the natural instinct of knowing when they are hungry and when they are full, which makes it the perfect time to encourage them to listen totheirbodiesandfindwaystomakefamilymealtime a fun, educational experience.

FollowingaretipsfromEvenflotohelptod-dlers develop lifelong healthy eating habits:

Make portion control a priority• : Por-tionsizesarebiggerthanever.Evenflohasdeveloped a new line of toddler-feeding products called Smart Steps, designed to address portion control and teach children and parents the amount of food they need.

Apply a self-serve policy• : The American Medical Associa-tion (AMA) recommends allow-ing children to serve themselves so that they can self-regulate their meals. During the ages of 3 to 5, kids’ natural instinct of feeling hungry versus feeling full is changing; now is the time to help them listen to their bod-ies.

Turn off the TV• : Just like adults, children will consume more calories when they eat in front of the television. Kids are

more likely to pay attention to signs of fullness when they aren’t distracted by a favorite cartoon character.Don’t worry if at first you don’t suc-• ceed: MyPyramid.gov recommends feeding children a wide variety of healthy foods, but it’s normal for kids to balk at unfamil-iar choices. You may need to offer the new food up to 10 times before it is deemed familiar and acceptable, so remember to try, and try again. It’s also helpful to introduce a new food in tiny portions, so that little ones can “taste” without being overwhelmed.

For more information about child nutrition, visit www.evenflo.com/smartsteps.

Or visit www.MyPyramid.gov


Help Children Develop Reading HabitsGetting a child to read can be chal-

lenging, but a recent survey found that96percentofU.S.andCanadianparents recognize the importance of having strong reading skills for school and as an adult.“AsU.S.literacyratesworsen,parentsneed to make daily reading a prior-ity for themselves and their children. Our soci-ety cannot afford a gen-eration that doesn’t enjoy reading,” says Dr. Mary Mokris, education spe-cialist for Kumon Math and Reading Centers. Activities such as playing outside, watching a movie and eating together are more important to today’s families than reading together. “Spending as little as 15 minutes a day reading together helps children of any age improve literacy, analytical and lifelong learn-ing skills while fostering a love for the English language,” said Mokris, who offers the following tips to promote literacy at home: 1) Bring reading home-Create a read-ing area in your house that has com-fortable furniture, good lighting and,

most importantly, magazines, news-papers and books your children will enjoy. 2) Start a parent-child book club-Par-ents can learn more about their child’s interests and children will get more comfortable reading and sharing in front of peers.

3) Read the book, watch the movie and discuss-It gives children and adults an opportunity to discuss the content, dilemmas and moral implications of the story. This combination sharpens both comprehen-sion and decoding abili-ties, two of the most im-portant skills for learning.

4) Physical reading-Make reading a part of your outdoor playtime. Read to your child and ask him to act out what he has just heard. Older children can read a play and then perform it. 5) Read and explore-Have each fam-ily member choose an area attraction that he or she would like to visit. Have older children read about the area and play tour guide for the day. Visit www.kumon.com

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Did you know that you can make a difference in a

child’s life? Even if you are not a parent, or a teacher,

you have a chance to be an asset to a child. It may be

a child in your neighborhood or at your church, and

believe it or not being an asset builder is simple. Have

you ever read to a child or driven carefully through a

neighborhood? Have you ever cheered a child on at

his/her game, concert, play or other performance?

Many asset building moments are everyday events and

may seem like no big deal to you, but they can add up

to make a big difference in a child’s life.

Research done by the Search Institute shows the

importance of what they call “developmental assets”,

the essential building blocks needed to set a strong

foundation for growing kids. There are eight

categories of assets: Support, Empowerment,

Boundaries and Expectations, Constructive use of

Time, Commitment to Learning, Positive Values,

Social Competencies, and Positive Identity. Within

these eight categories, they have broken down the

forty assets needed by each age group from infants to

teens. Elementary-age children (6-11 years) need the

following 40 Assets to Succeed:

SUPPORT

1. Family life provides love and support.

2. Family communication is positive and open.

3. Child receives support from other adults.

4. Child experiences caring neighbors.

5. School provides a caring climate.

6. Parent(s) is involved in child’s schooling

EMPOWERMENT

1. Community values children.

2. Children have useful roles.

3. Child and family serve others.

4. Home, school, and neighborhood are safe.

BOUNDARIES & EXPECTATIONS

1. Family sets clear rules and consequences.

2. School sets clear rules and consequences.

3. Neighbors monitor the child’s behavior.

4. Adults model responsible behavior.

5. Child’s friends model responsible behavior.

6. Parents and teachers have realistically high

expectations.

CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF TIME

1. Child participates in creative activities.

2. Child participates in school or community

programs.

3. Family participates in religious community.

4. Child spends most evenings and weekends at

home.

COMMITMENT TO LEARNING

1. Child is motivated to do well in school.

2. Child is attentive and engaged in learning.

3. Child does homework when assigned.

4. Child cares about her or his school.

5. Child reads alone and with adults.

POSITIVE VALUE

1. Child cares about others.

2. Child begins valuing equality and social justice.

3. Child begins to act with integrity.

4. Child values honesty.

5. Child accepts appropriate responsibility.

6. Child begins to value good health habits.

SOCIAL COMPETENCIES

1. Child develops simple planning and decision-

making skills.

2. Child interacts well with other children and

adults.

3. Child is comfortable with people from different

cultures.

4. Child learns how to resist negative pressure from

others.

5. Child attempts to solve conflicts nonviolently.

POSITIVE IDENTITY

1. Child feels he or she has some control over

things that happen.

2. Child has high self-esteem.

3. Child has a sense of purpose.

4. Child is optimistic about her or his own future.

You may think you need to be a parent or teacher,

have lots of spare time, or be outgoing or famous to build

a child’s assets but that is not true. Here are a few ideas

to start building assets for an elementary-age child you

know. You can send them articles on subjects that

interest them or let them read to you. To go a step

further, you can volunteer to lead a youth program or

invite a child to a service project in your community.

How will you get involved? For more ideas and

information on asset building please visit

www.search-institute.org.

40 Assets for Elementary-Age Children

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Giving Kids A Good Night’s RestA recent survey conducted by GoodNites(r)

found nine out of 10 parents and kids participate in a pre-bedtime routine, while nearlyhalfofparentscanfinditastruggletoput their kids to bed. Bedtime routines can be disrupted by anxiety over issues ranging from fear of the dark to bedwetting, making itdifficultforkidstogetthesleeptheyneed.To help parents ease stress at night, parenting expert Judsen Culbreth, former editor-in-chief at Working Mother and Parent & Child maga-zines, offers the following tips.

Reserve the Time• Consistent quality time spent with your children-even just minutes a day-helps you both unwind and reconnect from busy sched-ules. Select a time at night to turn off any distractions such as cell phones or computers to focus on your kids.

Chart Their Progress• To ensure your children stay on task during their bedtime routines, create special charts. Illustrate or photograph each step of their routine and number them in the order your children prefer. Post the chart on your chil-dren’s bedroom doors or walls and let your kids place stickers on the charts after they’ve completed each task.

Fear of the Dark• Help your kids feel secure by leaving a light on or putting nightlights throughout the house. Or leave their bedroom door open at night so they feel closer to you.

Monster Squad• Remove clutter from under the bed in case your child wants to do a pre-bedtime check for monsters. Decorate a spray bottle with stickers and the words “Monster Repellant” andfillitwithwater.Allowyourchildtospray his or her bedroom door at night.

Concerns About Tomorrow• To ease any negative thoughts your child may have about the next day, create a “worry box.”

As part of your nighttime routine, discuss any concerns about tomorrow with your child and drop a bead, coin or small trinket into the box for each worry. Explain to your children that now all the worries are in the box and can wait, so they can focus on getting the rest they need.

Bedwetting:• Bedtime can be an especially stressful time for children if they’re nervous about wetting the bed. In fact, 20 percent of kids have trouble sleeping through the night because of bedwetting. To help kids manage bedwetting until they outgrow it, try new GoodNites(r) Sleep Boxers and Sleep Shorts. They look like any shorts a child would wear to bed but with all-in-one disposablenighttimeprotectionspecificallydesigned for boys or girls, so your child can feelconfidentwhilegoingtosleep.

Visit the newly enhanced GoodNites.com Web site for bedwetting facts, advice and solutions and to hear about other families’ experiences with bedwetting.

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Check us out:www.besafechild.com


Avoiding Constipation In ChildrenChildren become constipated for many reasons,

and though rarely serious, constipation can cause discomfort and frustration for parents.

What You Should KnowChildrenoftengetconstipationfromalow-fiberdiet or from withholding stool because they don’t want to stop playing, don’t want to use a public bathroom or are afraid of having a painful bowel movement. Some signs of constipation are:

fewer bowel movements than usual•hard, dry or large stools•painfulordifficultbowelmovements•abdominal pain and cramping•stool in the underwear•

What to DoConstipation is often helped by:eatinghigh-fiberfoods•having healthy bowel habits•taking laxatives-but only with •a doctor’s approval

If constipation lasts longer than two weeks or is accompanied by symptoms such as bloody stools, vomiting, fever, a swollen abdomen or weight loss, see a doctor. Constipation is usually

harmless, but it can be a sign of a more serious health problem.

For More Informationwww.digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipationchild.

Constipation, though rarely seri-ous, can be a problematic condi-

tion for children and parents.

Graphics from Edu-Dula

According to the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), three out of four kids are not as secure in the car as they could be because their car seats are not being used correctly.While it’s certainly true most parents want todo everything in their power to protect theirchildren, it’s also true they may not know aboutasimplifiedan-choring system that’s built into most new cars to help make it easier to install car seats.Known as LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), the system

was developed to make it easier for parents to correctly install child safety seats into vehicles. Yet 40percent

of parents still rely on the ve-hicles’ seat belts when installing their car seat rather than using LATCH.In addition, only 55 percent of parents report sing the upper tether, which provides additional attachment of the child safety seat to the vehicle and has been shown to reduce forward move-ment of the child’s head, mini-mizing risk of head impact.For additional information about the LATCH system and other safety measures, visit

www.safercar.gov. The site includes instructional videos and helpful informational resources.

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Teach your kids to pay attention to what they touch and to wash their hands immediately

when in the following situations: •Beforeandafteryoueat•Beforeyoutouchyoureyes,noseormouth•Afteryoupetananimal•Afteryoutouchplantsorsoil•Afteryouvisitahospitalornursinghome•Afteryoucomeincontactwithanybodyfluidsor touch items that may have come in contact withbodyfluids.•Afteryouusearestroom Tell them to sing the “Happy Birthday” song while washing their hands with soap. Once they arefinishsingingthesongthentheycanrinsetheir hands. Encourage them to always try to sneeze or cough into a tissue or their shirt sleeve if possible. Kids tend to spread infections more readily. Teaching your kids these tips will help and set an example by following them yourself.

Hand Washing Tips For Your Child


Itisestimatedbetweenoneandfivemillionpeoplewillgetthefluthiswinter.Evenmore startling is more than 226,000 people will be hospitalized with nearly 36,000 peo-pledyingfromflucomplications.MemorialHealth System of East Texas is making an effort to lower the risk factors in East Texas by visiting area businesses and schools and spreading the message on how to stay healthy thisfluseason.InfectionControlNurseBar-bara Raines, R.N. is hoping her message is contagious as she visits area school students. “Hand washing is extremely important in the fightagainsttheflu,”saidMs.Raines.“Ifweall would take time to wash our hands prop-erly we would help lower the risk of contract-ingthefluvirus.”According to Ms. Raines, there are three typesofflu:The“seasonal”flu;NovelH1N1flu-anewinfluenzaviruswhichwasfirstdetectedintheUnitedStatesthisyearandhasspreadworldwide;andtheBirdflu,orAvianflu.Ms.Rainessaysthereisgener-ally an incubation period of one to four days. However,apersoncaninfectothersforfivedaysbeforethefirstdaysymptomsappear.

The period of infection also can be longer in children.Influenzaisspreadbycoughing,sneezingornasal secretions. Other illnesses can have the same symptoms and are often mistaken forinfluenza.Anyonecangetinfluenza,butrates of infection are highest among children. The good news is that the infection only lasts a few days. If your child contracts the virus she/he may experience fever, sore throat, chills, fatigue, cough, headache and muscle aches. The Centers for Disease Control recom-mends all children from six months through eighteen years of age. Caregivers for children frombirthuptofiveyearsofageshouldalsogetthevaccine.Allergicreactionstoinflu-enzaarerare.However,sincetheinfluenzavaccine virus is grown in eggs, people with severe egg allergy should not get the vac-cine. If your child has had a reaction after a previousdoseofinfluenzavaccine,tellyourdoctor. For more information on the Memorial public health seminars for your school or business contact 936-631-3438.

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The cold winter months are coming and so are head lice. Many families will be

faced with the worrisome creatures this year. In this article are some facts about head lice and what you can do if your child and you get them. •Itchingisthefirstsignofheallice,unlessyour child has a very light case. Check your child’s head and scalp all over es-pecially behind the ears and near the neckline and the back of the neck when scratching begins.•Lookforliceandtheir eggs or “nits.” You may see the nitsbeforeyoufindalousebecauseeachlouse can lay up to 150 at a time.•Youmayfirstfindliceornitsonthehairatthe “nape” of the neck (back of the head where the hair stops and the neck begins) and behind the ears. But, they can live anywhere; so, look all over the scalp.•Ifyouknowofanotherchild with head lice, be alert that your child may contract lice too. Children get lice from other children. There is no incubation period. When live lice move from one child to another; they are “home” and can begin laying eggs immediately.•Childrengetheadliceal-most as much as the common cold. Millions get them at least one time, once a year.•Theycannothop,jumporflybutcancrawlfromchildto child anytime children are close together, during play or sports or even nap time.•Sharingcombs,brushes,hair fasteners, hats, caps, coats, neck scarves and even head phones spread them, too. Sharing a locker or cub-byhole with a lice-infested child is a common way to spread lice. Lice can attach to your child while sitting on carper or furniture. Lice can even attach to stuffed toys.

•Childrengetlicemorethanteensoradults.Any child can get head lice! It doesn’t matter where they live or go to school; how much money their parents have or, if boy or girl, black, white or brown.•Achildisn’tsickoruncleaniftheyhavehead lice. Taking baths won’t kill lice or keep children from getting head lice. And, if a child has head lice, it certainly doesn’t mean they have bad parents.Dealingwithliceisdifficult,sometimesembarrassing and can be overwhelming to anyone caring for children. You can take care of your child’s head lice problem at home without a visit to the doctor or clinic. Treat-ment should be with shampoo or cream rinse approved by the FDA that can be purchased without a prescription at the drug store, gro-cery store or other places that carry drug store products.

Head Lice FactsSource: Lufkin ISD School Health Advisory Council


Coping With A Child’s IllnessSource: The National Children’s Cancer Society

Having a child with cancer is per-haps the most stressful ordeal that

any parent could experience. Good coping skills are essential for improv-ing your ability to handle the stress and keeping the cancer experience from ruling your life.Fortunately, there is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with cancer and their families-not only the financialhardshipsbut also the emotional stress. The National Children’s Cancer So-ciety (N.C.C.S.) pro-vides both emotional support and direct financialassistancetofamilies of children with cancer.N.C.C.S. offers these suggestions for deal-ing with your emotions:

Give yourself permission to deal with •positive and negative feelings. Rec-ognize that these feelings are normal and healthy.Become a part of your child’s treat-•ment team. You know your child best and the team will need your input.Recognize which areas of your •child’s life can be controlled and which cannot.Know that some questions may not •

have answers.Learn to accept help and support from •others.Connect with other parents through •the Message Board on the N.C.C.S. Web site.

“When a child is diagnosed with can-cer, families are faced with a host of stresses, from the stress of the diagno-

sis itself and its treat-ment to employ-ment and financialstresses to emo-tional stress, all of which com-pound the

situation,” says Jessica Cook, MSW, program coordinator for the Pediatric Oncology Program at The National Children’s Cancer Society. “Frequently, caregivers put aside their needs to en-sure their child’s well-being. In work-ing with families, I have found that being the best caregiver to their child often means taking care of themselves first.”

For more tips for parents on how to deal with their emotional stress during this challenging time, visit the Web site at

www.nationalchildrenscancersociety.org.

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Protecting Children From A Common Respiratory Virus

With cough and cold season back in swing, parents with infants

and small children should be on the lookout for a common virus that may lead to potentially serious complications-RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). Nearly half of all children areinfectedduringtheirfirstyear of life, and almost all children get an RSV infec-tion by the age of 2. Accord-ing to the American Acad-emy of Pediatrics, RSV is the leading cause of bronchi-olitis and pneumonia among children under 2 years old. Recent studies suggest that there is an association be-tween RSV-induced bronchi-olitis and asthma within the firstdecadeoflife.RSV is a virus that causes acute respi-ratory illness in patients of all ages. While symptoms usually resemble the common cold and are fought off in a matter of days, cold-like symptoms accompaniedbywheezingordifficultybreathing may be indicative of RSV. Among those at greatest risk from RSV are babies born prematurely, as well as children with lung or heart

disease. Infants who attend child care or day care, and those with school-age siblings, also have an increased risk for

RSV infections. RSV is highly conta-gious. It can be spread when a person coughs or sneezes, and it can live on surfaces such as toys, countertops or doorknobs, and on hands and clothing. It is important for RSV to be diagnosed-and distinguished from other, similar illnesses with similar symp-toms-so that proper medical attention can be administered to minimize infection and risk to the patient.

Health care professionals recognize the benefitsofutilizingrapidRSVteststo aid clinical diagnosis and manage-ment of patient care. The QuickVue RSV test allows for the rapid detection of RSV. The test is both accurate and gives results in 15 minutes. It is manu-factured by the makers of the Quick-VueInfluenzaA+Btest.Formoreinformation, visit www.rsvtesting.com

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16 BeSafeChild Magazine 2009Lufkin Livingston San Augustine Memorial Specialty Hospital936-634-8111 Visit us online at memorialhealth.org

When accidents happen

Exceptional Emergency Care and Patient Flow 32 total rooms 3 trauma rooms Designated pediatric rooms Increased number of trained and experienced sta� Rooftop helipad for air ambulance 24 hour security and video surveillance monitoring Nurses specialized in heart and stroke care

Dedicated stroke team Telemedicine partnership with Methodist Hospital tPA administering treatments for stroke patients In department lab, respiratory and imaging sta� 24 hour radiology New Intensive Care Unit (ICU) located on 3rd �oor New Progressive Care Unit (PCU) located on 4th �oor

Trust the most advanced Emergency Department in East Texas

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