Back-to-School Tips from Community Medical Center

News from Community Medical Center

August 2013

Back-to-School Backpack Safety Tips from Community Medical Center

It is the start of another school year, and children all around the region are preparing to head back to the books. Backpacks are a popular way for children to carry all their necessities to and from school. However backpacks worn incorrectly or are too heavy can cause injury to children and teens.

For tips on getting the right backpack for your child, click here.

Start the New School Year Off Right with a Healthy Breakfast Every Morning

"A healthy breakfast refuels your body with nutrients," says Eileen Keating, a Registered Dietitian at Community Medical Center, "You and your child may not make up the nutrients missed at breakfast, which provides food energy for the morning's activities."

Breakfast skippers also have a harder time fitting important nutrients into their diet. Many foods eaten at breakfast contain significant amounts of vitamins C and D, calcium, iron, and fiber.

To continue reading, click here.

Hey Kids, Riding Your Bike? Wear a Helmet. It's the Law!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 550,000 people are treated in emergency departments for injuries related to bicycle riding each year. The Pediatric Emergency Department at Community Medical Center reminds all parents and children that in New Jersey, state law requires anyone under age 17 must wear a helmet while bicycling, skateboarding or rollerskating/blading.

Vikram Varma, MD, chairman of Emergency Medicine at Community Medical Center, said, "Injuries to a child's brain do not heal like a broken bone, cut or scrape. Brain injuries, if survived, can have devastating effects that last a lifetime. The reality is the most common cause of death among children riding bicycles is head injury."

For more information and safety tips, click here.