Utah’s two senators cast opposing votes on Friday regarding a proposed commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The first Republican challenger, Becky Edwards, has announced a run to unseat Sen. Mike Lee. And President Joe Biden wants to know whether COVID-19 could have started in a lab in Wuhan.
Heidi Hatch is joined by Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello to discuss these developments and other Utah political news you might have missed this week.
As the weather warms up, parents and caretakers need to pay extra attention to protect children from accidental heatstroke in cars.
People should never leave a child in a vehicle – even for a minute – to prevent unintended injury or even death.
Jade Elliott spoke with Jessica Strong, community health manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, to discuss how to keep your children safe.
“Even if it’s not that warm outside, the insides of cars heat up quickly and can present a serious hazard for children,” said Jessica Strong, community health manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. “Everyone must remain vigilant to never leave a child alone in a car for any amount of time to prevent a tragedy.”
About 40 children across the country die each year after being left in a hot vehicle, Strong said.
In Utah, 13 children have died in hot vehicles since 1990, and others have suffered injuries in “close calls.”
Yet 2020 was one of the lowest years for heat stroke deaths in recent memory, at 25 deaths nationwide. In Utah, no hot car deaths were reported.
“My speculation is that with fewer people driving, and more parents working from home, there were fewer opportunities to leave children in cars, resulting in fewer deaths,” Strong said. “My hope, though, is that this decrease is the start of a trend in the right direction, which will continue until the number of deaths reaches zero.”
Strong says accidental heat stroke tragedies can happen to anyone, and often occur when caretakers forget a child is in the car.
Stress, fatigue, and change of routine can push a person’s brain into autopilot, making it easier to forget. Summer time can present more risk of injury due to hot weather and changes in routine, including children out of school and families staying up late for activities.
Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital is offering these tips to help caretakers remember that a child is inside a vehicle to prevent unintentional injuries:
– Never leave your child alone in a vehicle – even for a few minutes. A child’s body temperature can increase 3-5 times faster than an adult’s. Cracking a window has very little effect on the temperature inside the car.
Always check your vehicle before leaving it.
Keep a visual reminder that a child is with you, like a stuffed animal or diaper bag in the seat next to you.
Place something you’ll need when you arrive at your destination, like your briefcase, backpack, purse or cell phone, in the back seat. That way, when you reach for the item, you’ll likely see the child.
If you see a child left alone in a car, contact the police or call 911.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
It’s graduation season and kids are going to be attending end-of-the-year graduation parties.
Parents empowered encourages parents to talk to their kids before they head out for the night and to ask them the five Ws.
Who will they be with?
Where are they going?
What are they doing?
When will they be home?
Will alcohol be present?
When kids get home, follow up and ask what happened, who was there and if there was alcohol.
Also, make sure your kids know you will pick them up with no questions asked if there is alcohol. Most importantly, talk to your children about expectations about underage drinking, because believe it or not, you are the most influential person in their life.
Surveys done in Utah schools show parents are the number-one reason kids say they choose not to drink. For ideas on how to talk to your kids, you can go to ParentsEmpowered.org or download a new podcast with Heidi Hatch on KUTV.com.
It’s nice to open the windows to let fresh spring air circulate the home. But open windows also bring hidden dangers for children, said Jessica Strong, community health manager at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
“Windows are a fall hazard for kids, and the consequences can be severe,” Strong said. “Window screens are a great way to keep bugs out, but not kids in.”
Jade Elliott spoke with Jessica Strong, community health manager, Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, to discuss how to keep your children safe on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast.
Nearly 15,000 children are injured by falling out of windows every year. Often, children were leaning against window screens before they fell.
Window screens are designed to easily pop out in case of a fire or other emergency to help people easily escape. As a result, they give way with moderate pressure.
“The best way to keep children safe from window falls is to keep them away from open windows,” Strong said. “There are a number of precautions that can be taken, but it’s important to remember there is no substitute for adult supervision. Most window falls occur when children are alone.”
Here are some other tips for preventing window falls:
Keep windows closed and locked.
Before opening a window, make sure it is inaccessible to children.
Keep furniture or anything children can climb on away from windows.
Teach children only to open windows with permission and help from adults.
Consider installing window locks, guards, or other safety equipment to prevent children from opening windows too wide — or at all — without help from an adult.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
Its our playoff preview edition of the Talkin’ Jazz podcast as Jazz anchor Alema Harrington joins our Dave Fox. This week Alema makes his “play-in games” picks, and you may be surprised which team Alema believes will face the Jazz in round one.
Plus the “starter off the bench”! That’s right, Alema has coined the phrase and he’ll explain why, plus why the 1 seed has significant historical value!
Plus the latest edition of Matty Komma’s top 5 NBA plays of the week!
Heidi Hatch, Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello are ready to de-brief after another week of news.
Gov. Spencer Cox: Masks can be ditched the last week of school: He said schools will still have the option to require masks during the last week, but the state will no longer mandate the rule.
“There is no amount of money that is too much to help us get an extra 5% or 10% of people vaccinated,” Cox said.
CDC says vaccinated can toss the mask: Why Now? In a move to send the country back toward pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places.
The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
Liz Cheney voted out of House leadership: Rep. Blake Moore voted to keep her, Owens did not vote, Curtis and Stewart voted for change.
Sen. Mitt Romney backed Cheney, Lee would not weigh in on the issue because it was in the House.
Plus, Heidi’s whirlwind trip to Washington, D.C. for an exclusive sit down with Utah’s Senators, in the same room at the same time. Watch 2 News at 10 on Thursday, May 20.
Bonding with a new baby is critical. But when the baby’s bond with the mother is very strong, dads may feel as if they are less important in the baby’s life.
Jade Elliott spoke with Dr. Neal Davis, pediatrician and medical director of pediatric community-based care for Intermountain Healthcare, on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast. Dr. Davis said a dad’s interaction with newborns and children as they grow up is critical in child development.
The strongest bonds start with a father’s interactions with the mother, Dr. Davis said.
“This cannot be overstated: The most fundamental way that dads can create that early bond with their babies is to be a supportive, healthy partner for the mother,” he said. “The relationship with the mother over time is connected to a dad’s ability to engage positively with the child.”
Data show that dads bring a different approach to interactions, from their voices to their choices of play, that help babies develop and grow, Dr. Davis said.
Yet some dads encounter barriers to engaging with their child. Mental wellness can be a challenge, be it depression – experienced before or after the birth of a child – lack of sleep, or financial stresses. Some infants and toddlers may cry if they’re not with their mother, which can be discouraging.
It’s important to recognize that children go through different phases and attachments, Dr. Davis said. “Dads staying engaged, nurturing, and active with children matters, because phases and attachments change.”
Dr. Davis provides these tips to help new dads bond with baby:
-Put the phone down! Texting, talking, or scrolling disrupts meaningful interactions with children.
-Go outside, take a walk, and explore the bigger world together. Look at trees, smell flowers, sit on the grass. This could ease the initial emotional reaction of the child’s attachment to mom.
-Attend well-child and medical appointments.
-Understand the child’s development phases, and be flexible. For young children, dads can make funny faces, animal sounds, or sing; turn on music and dance; wrestle or play chase.
-Read books together. This could mean finding a tiger in a picture book, roaring together and chasing each other around like tigers.
-Be patient, be engaged and be yourself.
“Dads are different than moms, they’re going to parent differently than moms, and that can be very good for the child to pick up on nuances from a different parent,” Dr. Davis said. “There are no perfect parents, and we’re all trying and engaging with children the best that we can. Just keep on going.”
Click here to listen to our dads and postpartum depression podcast mentioned in this episode.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
Host Heidi Hatch welcome guests Greg Hughes and Maura Carabello, from different sides of the political spectrum to talk about the top issues.
This week on the Take 2 Podcast, they did into Utah’s COVID-19 restrictions that are largely gone, except masks in K – 12 schools with a look at parents protesting at a school board meeting demanding an end to the mandate in schools.
As part of the discussion, Utah businesses are deciding the next best step. Hale Centre Theater welcomes masks but does not require them while the Bayou Bar won’t let you in unless you have a vaccine card. A bar across the street is going the opposite direction. No masks, everyone welcome.
Also part of the discussion:
Utah Supreme Court Ruling: The Utah Supreme Court has issued a ruling about transgender rights. In a 4-1 decision, the Court ordered judges statewide to grant “gender marker” changes to transgender individuals.
FLOTUS visits Utah: Dr. Jill Biden stopped in Utah Wednesday to push the President’s education goals.
GOP Convention is history: Romney was booed but not censured. “You can boo all you like,” Romney said. “I’ve been a Republican all of my life. My dad was the governor of Michigan and I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012.”
798-711 Censure vote fails
New leadership: Carson Jorgensen and Jordan Hess were elected by state delegates as chair and vice chair of the Utah GOP. Jorgensen is a sixth-generation sheep rancher from Mount Pleasant- who also runs a bridle business and farms crops.
“I don’t think we should make it about people. Too often politics becomes about one person, we don’t like that person, we don’t like their attitude, and then we’re turned off towards them. I’m more looking towards policy right now. We need to rally around policy, because that’s something we can all get behind regardless of personality. And that is a big problem inside of the party right now.”
Former Gov. Gary Herbert has a new job: Herbert announced he’s joining the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce as its new executive chairman.
When you find out you’re pregnant, it seems to change everything. Suddenly you’re thinking not just about yourself, but about the baby you’re carrying. You may have questions about what substances or environmental exposures may be harmful to you or your baby while you’re pregnant.
There’s the usual medical advice about avoiding alcohol or illegal or prescription drugs when you’re pregnant. Plus, it seems many people are much more aware of their environment these days and the products they use. If you’re pregnant, that adds an additional layer of wondering what over the counter medications are safe to use, and if chemicals or poor air quality could cause harm to you or your baby.
Jade Elliott spoke with Virginia Homewood, an OB/Gyn with Intermountain Healthcare on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to explain some of the substances to avoid, some obvious and some you may not be as familiar with.
Why is it important to avoid toxic substances when you’re pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant? Is it to protect you or the baby?
When we think about toxic exposures during pregnancy, some things can be somewhat harmful to mom, but often we’re typically more concerned about the effect of the exposures on the developing fetus.
What are the most important substances to avoid when you’re pregnant?
Alcoholic beverages – We don’t know if there’s a safe level you can consume when you’re pregnant, so the best advice is to not consume any. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Drinking alcohol has been linked to severe developmental issues, learning difficulties, attention deficit disorders, and other developmental problems that don’t appear until later in a baby’s life.
Illegal Drugs – There are so many types of illegal drugs and the effects are varied depending on the drug. With narcotics, we see addiction in the baby. Then the baby suffers from withdrawal symptoms. It can cause neurodevelopmental problems as well. Other drugs affect the pregnancy and can cause complications for the mother, like high blood pressure or preterm labor.
Smoking – Smoking cigarettes can increase your chance of miscarriage or preterm labor. It also can affect fetal growth, and increases the chances of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. Vaping during pregnancy would also be harmful, since e-cigarettes contain nicotine. E-cigarettes are less-regulated than regular cigarettes and that means the amount of nicotine or other substances in them is harder to determine.
What other toxins should be avoided during pregnancy?
Mercury – Pregnant women should limit mercury, which is found in some fish. Mercury affects neurodevelopment and the brain of the developing fetus. Limit your choices to low-mercury fish. Fish is an excellent source of lean protein and the fish oil found in fish is especially healthy, so it’s important to find the balance. A good goal is to eat two servings of low mercury fish per week. Lake fish and shellfish are safe to eat.
Avoid these types of fish if you’re pregnant:
King mackerel
Marlin
Orange roughy
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish (from Gulf of Mexico)
Big eye tuna
Fish with lowest levels of mercury include:
Canned tuna,
Cod
Flounder
Haddock
Pollock
Shellfish
Salmon
Sardines
Tilapia
Trout (freshwater)
Whitefish
For more information see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations for pregnant women about fish.
Hair and nail salons
We don’t know if the chemicals to color or perm your hair or do your nails are harmful or not. If you can smell it, it’s probably not good. Skip the salon temporarily or make sure the area is well-ventilated.
The best strategy is to adopt the mindset that fewer exposures is better. Reduce your exposure to things that are harmful.
What toxic exposures might there be in your own home?
Chemicals used in plastics such as phthalates. BPA is example. BPA has been removed from most baby products, but it’s replaced with other BPP or other similar bisphenol molecules.
Be aware of plastics and use them safely. Don’t reuse disposable plastic bottles. Don’t re-heat food in the microwave in plastic, like Tupperware or plastic wrap. Heat food in a dish or in glass. Cover the dish with waxed paper or a paper plate. The plastics leach into the food. Especially avoid plastics marked #7 and #3.
Toxins in food or personal care products
Read packages and labels and understand what is in your food or beauty products. Organic food costs more, but is a good option if you’re concerned about pesticides. The Environmental Working Group has a list of produce that rates those highest in pesticides, called The Dirty dozen as well as a list of produce with low amounts of pesticides, called The Clean 15. They also have a page called Skin Deep that has information about the ingredients in personal care products.
Eating and preparing food
Pregnant women should make sure meats are cooked all the way through before eating. Deli-meats, need to be heated and not eaten cold. And if you’re pregnant, only eat dairy products that are pasteurized.
Keep your house dust free. Mop your floors. Use a HEPA filter on vacuum. This will help reduce toxins in your home.
Opt for natural cleaning products. You can create your own with vinegar. You can soak citrus fruit in it for a better scent. A lot of cleaners are not studied in pregnant women, so we just don’t know if they’re safe. When you are using cleaning products, keep the room well-ventilated.
Avoid flame retardants. Try to buy infant clothing without flame retardants, because they contain toxins. Flame retardants are common in pajamas, costumes, and furniture.
Are there certain over the counter medications that should be avoided during pregnancy?
Any medication has a potential for harm during pregnancy. It’s best to not take anything before you talk to your doctor or midwife. They can help you know if over the counter medications are safe and when it is safe to take them. They can also help review any prescription medications you have. For pain relief, Tylenol is preferred over Advil or aspirin for pregnant women.
Are there certain prescription medications that should be avoided?
Medications that should not be taken when you’re thinking of getting pregnant or during pregnancy would include the acne medication Accutane, ace inhibitors, and some blood pressure or diabetes medications.
If you’re taking medication and thinking of getting pregnant go in for a check-up. Many women have put off going to the doctor during the pandemic, but Intermountain has many safety protocols in place to protect you and your provider from COVID-19.
Does it matter what trimester you’re in as far as reducing exposure to environmental toxins or medications?
Generally, during the first trimester, in the early development stages, is when your baby is most at risk of being affected by exposures. But it varies, from medication to medication. Some are a concern later in pregnancy.
What about toxic exposures in the workplace?
Let your doctor or midwife know about your work environment. You’ll want to minimize your exposure if you work with cleaners or chemicals, whether you work in a factory, warehouse, dry cleaners, salon or in healthcare.
Where can women go for more information? Talk with your provider about any medications you’re taking or substances you’re concerned about.
Another great resource is Mother to Baby, the nation’s leading authority and most trusted source of evidence-based information on the safety of medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. It’s a no-cost information service available to mothers, health professionals, and the general public via chat, text, phone, and email in both English and Spanish. It’s recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Women’s Health.
The phone number for Mother to Baby is 1-866.626.6847.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.
