Car Seats Marathon County Health Department collaborates with the Wausau Area Safe Kids Coalition to help families with safety needs. The Coalition coordinates community events promoting safety for children including car seat inspections and bike helmet sales. To learn more about the Safe Kids Wausau Area Chapter see the links below.
http://safekidswi.org/SafeKidsWisconsin-WausauArea.asp
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/pages/Safe-Kids-Wausau-Area/179236808783151
Healthy Homes Families with newborns are offered a home safety assessment as part of our services through Start Right. The assessment addresses common safety concerns for families with newborns and young children including assuring working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, educating on a safe sleep environment for infants, exposure to secondhand smoke, and the risks of lead based paint. The nurse also discusses the need for outlet covers, safety latches, safety gates and blind cord wraps. In addition, safe drinking water for families with private wells and a well test for families engaged in services are offered.
Helpful links: Wisconsin Poison Center: http://www.wisconsinpoison.org American Association of Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222 Safety and Prevention: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Home-Safety-Heres-How.aspx Home Safety Checklists: http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/household_checklist.html To find out more about toys, household items, and other products that have been recalled please go to: http://recalls.gov/cpsc.html
LEAD Marathon County Health Department has a public health nurse and environmental health professionals that work with families whose children have had evidence of exposure to lead. Lead exposure is responsible for serious health issues in children. As the Wisconsin Department of Health Services states “Lead exposure in young children can cause reduced IQ and attention span, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and a range of other health and behavioral effects. Most exposures occur in homes or daycares built before 1978 where lead-based paint has deteriorated… Prevention of lead poisoning can be accomplished by eliminating lead-based paint hazards before children are exposed. Wisconsin's goal is to eliminate this disease by working to make Wisconsin's housing lead-safe, and by improving the detection and treatment of lead poisoning in children” (http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lead/). If you think you may have lead based paint in or around your home please call the health department at 715-261-1900.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/5054.html
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/all-around/Pages/Lead-Screening-for-Children.aspx
Well Water If you are interested in getting your well water tested please click here http://www.co.marathon.wi.us/Departments/HealthDepartment/WaterTestingLab/PrivateWellTesting.aspx
For more information on Radon, Asbestos, Mold, and Air Quality see the Environmental Services tab on the left.
To find out more about toys, household items, and other products that have been recalled please go to: http://recalls.gov/cpsc.html
Safe Sleep Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, describes the sudden and unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year of age. Some ways to reduce the risk of SIDS include: putting infants in their own crib or bassinet to sleep, placing them on their backs to sleep, keeping extra toys and blankets out of the crib or bassinet, and preventing second hand smoke exposure. For more information about SIDS and safe sleep please check out links below.
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/safe_sleep_gen.cfm http://www.aspirus.org/media/Safe%20Sleep%20Safety%20Seconds.pdf http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSparentsafesleep.pdf
Cribs for Kids Marathon County Cribs for Kids program ensures every newborn has a safe place to sleep. Low-income families who are unable to afford a crib or bassinet for their baby are able to secure a Graco portable crib at a nominal cost. Along with receiving a portable crib, a Start Right public health nurse or family educator provides one-on-one education to parents on safe-sleep practices. A follow-up telephone call is made three months later to assess and reinforce parent’s safe-sleep practices. To learn more about the Cribs for Kids program please call 715-261-1900.
Domestic Violence Domestic violence is defined as a “learned pattern of physical, verbal, sexual and/or emotional behaviors in which one person in a relationship uses force and intimidation to dominate or control the other person. The partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Domestic violence occurs in all ages, races, genders and social classes. The violence takes many forms and can happen all the time or once in a while” (http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Public/MilwaukeeCounty/DistrictAttorney/domestic_violence1.pdf). Domestic violence is never acceptable.
Provided below are links for support and information. http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/intimatepartnerviolence/index.html The Women’s Community - is located in Wausau, and provides a number of services for men and women and their families. http://womenscommunity.org/ Confidential Hotline 715-842-7323 Toll Free 1-888-665-1234 More information on legal rights by state and other resources: http://www.womenslaw.org/