Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in pittsburgh, PA

OTC Medicine and Children: An Interview with Chandra Wilson

by Jennifer Signore

May 11, 2009

The lovely Caroline of Being Savvy Tampa was recently offered an exciting opportunity to be part of a mom blogger interview with Chandra Wilson, the very talented actor who plays Dr. Bailey on the hit television drama, Grey's Anatomy.  Chandra Wilson is the spokesperson for the Treat with Care Campaign, an initiative from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) to advocate for the safe use of children's over the counter medication (OTCs).  Caroline was gracious enough to share the information from the interview with a few other Savvy city editors, and I am glad to bring the interview right here to Being Savvy Pittsburgh.  Plus, I love Chandra's character on Grey's Anatomy, so this lets me live vicariously through Caroline.

As many of you know, the FDA changed its OTC recommendations, especially with cough and cold medicines, as they relate to children and now suggests they only be used for children four and older (previously, labels recommended use for ages two and older).  I know that many of us have wondered how we can help our children when they are sick without inadvertently harming them with medications.   That's exactly why the Treat With Care Campaign was launched.

Now, on to the interview with Chandra Wilson (as told by Caroline).

Chandra greeted us all warmly and was clearly happy to speak with us. She spoke to us not as the character she plays on "Greys", but as just another concerned mom. Each of us took turns asking questions about her use of OTCs and how we should be more cautious. She suggested the following tips while using OTCs.

*Read labels and never give your child more than the recommended dose
*Store medications out of reach AND out of sight of your children. The flavors can be enticing, so she even turns the labels with the cute grapes inward
*Never use an OTC for children younger than the recommended age of four or under (unless prescribed otherwise by a doctor)
*Never use adult medications for children
*Never use any medication for the purpose of making your child sleepy

Chandra also explained that OTC medications are dangerous when parents misuse them or children have taken them on their own and over-dosed. In fact, the FDA found this was occurring more often with children under the age of 4, hence the changes on labels. She told us that this campaign is simply just a good reminder to everyone about how we should administer OTCs - they are safe if they are used correctly and per the FDA's recommendations.

Finally, I did ask Chandra how she balances such a busy work schedule with being a mother to three children. She explained that she has a great support team in place. She has a day to day schedule and tries to stick with it. And while she has a plan in place, she always makes room for the human factor. Things can change daily and she tries to accommodate accordingly. Sometimes her kids might come to work or maybe one has to get to camp - whatever it is, she just tries to make room for it just like we all do.

It was a joy to speak with Chandra - I appreciated how real and relaxed the conversation was. Because she is not a doctor, she is a working mom just like so many of us. We laughed about our kids, we swapped stories and we talked about how important it is to protect our children. At the end of our half hour, I was truly a little sad to say
good-bye.

Thanks to the CHPA for offering me the opportunity speak to Chandra about the Treat with Care Campaign. And if you want to see more from Chandra, click here to watch her Treat with Care PSA about over the counter medication safety.

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Pet Emergency Pocket Guide

by Jennifer Signore

April 29, 2009

I recently had a chance to review the newest release from Informed, a company known for making handy, pocket size field guides.  The Pet Emergency Pocket Guide is just that--handy, portable, and a must-have for pet owners.   I have to admit that I am normally suspect of pocket guides because they are either so sparse on information as to be useless (or potentially dangerous, depending on the topic), or they try to overcompensate for size with lots of jargon and are, therefore, beyond what most users will find useful.

The Informed Pet Emergency Pocket Guide was such a pleasant surprise that I had my husband take a look as well to be sure I wasn't just being kind.  He agreed that this guide provides an appropriate level of information and that most people will find it makes a perfect addition to their pet care supplies.  Between the two of us, we have about 60 years of dog owning experience (that's in people years!) and a bit of basic veterinary training.  So, we are already quite comfortable with basic first aid and medical procedures for dogs.  Even so, we both learned a few new things from reading the Pet Emergency Pocket Guide.  And it covers such a wide range that you may turn to it more often that you might expect.  While it does address emergencies (as you would expect from the name) it also addresses everyday health, foods that can be harmful to your pet (I had no idea that avocados were harmful to dogs), first aid for the mundane and the serious, and special situations like birth and travel.   

Besides containing useful and useable information, the guide itself is designed well.  The compact size makes it easy to throw into a pack for hiking or travel.  Even at home, it won't take up much space.  The pages are waterproof, another essential for hiking and for items that might be near a dog...that slobbers.  The spiral binding is durable, and the tabbed index at the bottom of each page makes navigation simple.

The only negative I found was that the book seemed to be most useful to a dog owner, less so to cat owners, and had very little to offer for owners of other animals.  While the authors state that many first-aid techniques will generalize, they will still apply most readily to the two most common pets in this country, dogs and cats.   But since the majority of households own a dog or cat (or both), then the majority of households should be sure to pick up a copy of the Pet Emergency Pocket Guide.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a complimentary copy of the Pet Emergency Pocket Guide in exchange for my review.  I plan to keep the guide and use it well. 

Child Safety Kit

by Jennifer Signore

December 18, 2008

At this time of year, life is crazy with shopping, cooking, decorating, baking, and all of the little tasks that make the holidays special. That means it is also the perfect time to talk about safety with your kids. Before you decide that I am crazy, stop and think about when most accidents occur. When we are distracted because we are busy? Exactly. And that is just what the holidays tend  Read more...