Choking hazards:
- Small, round objects: grapes, hard candy, nuts, raisins, and beans
- Light dry food: Chips, popcorn, pretzels
- Chewy sticky foods: caramels, gummy bears, fruit rollups
- Vegetables: raw/undercooked/ cooked choking sized pieces
- Chunks of meat
- Skins: Chicken skin in large pieces, potato skins
- Unpeeled fruit: Anything with pits/seeds
- Stringy foods: Melted cheese on other foods
Preventive measures
- Keep child upright while eating
- Give small portions/ wait till their mouth is clear/ watch for food stored in cheeks
- Avoid chokable foods
- Cook pasta, rice, beans until soft
- Never leave child alone while eating
Learning to use the muscles in their mouth and throats.
Textures are a consideration when serving food
Avoid food: sticky and may not be manageable by kids.
Distinguish smells from foods
Allow them to fully integrate their sense of smell with as many examples of diff foods.
Trying to feed themselves: 7 skills.
hand-eye coordination
Strengthening the muscles in their hands
Learning the "Pincer grasp"
Distinguishing between what is "Squishy" and what is "Wiggly"
Learning the concepts of hot, warm, cold, slippery, colors, good, "yucky", hungry, and "all gone",
Learn manners, courtesy rules, and conversational skills from mealtime discussions.
Food poisoning
Immune systems of infants/ YC are not fully developed and cannot fight disease as well as adults
Produce less acid in their stomachs which can kill some harmful bacteria
Easier for them to get sick
Sources of food poisoning
Touch food w/o washing hands
Allow raw meat to contaminate other food
Thaw food on the kitchen counter
Eating partly cooked foor
FP can happen:
Red/pink hamburger, steak, or roast beef
Undercooked chicken or fish
Raw/partially cooked eggs
Storage problems
Cool food on the counter/range
use container which is not shallow.
Store raw meats above other food in refrigerator. ALWAYS store raw meant below.
Bacteria Carried by
- raw/uncooked meat
- Raw milk
- used styrofoam meat trays
- kitchen towels, dishcloths, sponges
- cutting boards
- Kitchen counters, silverwre, dishes
- pets
- you
Bacteria grow in:
- Milk
- Eggs
- meat
- poultry
- fish
Clean
Wash hands and child w/ soapy water
Cover mouth/nose when sneeze, turn your head and cough/sneeze into your elbow
wash kitchen towels. don't use sponges
Cutting boaardes should be run through the dishwasher4 for sanitizsing
Disinfect solution after ashing and finishing items used for preparing food
3 step method
wash dishes w/ warm soapy water
Rinse dishes w/ clean hot water
Submerge dishes in mild bleach for 1 min, air dry, use towel just to puts germs back on dishes
Separate:
Keep raw meat, poultry, and fish away from other foods to prevent contamination.
It is generally suggested that one cutting board be dedicated for use with raw meats and another for raw vegetables, etc. Use plastic or other nonporous cutting boards. Bacteria can hide in the cracks of wooden cutting boards.
Cook
- Germs grow best at room temperature.
- Cook food till it reaches a high enough internal temperature to kill the harmful bacteria.
- Always use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked foods.
- When using a microwave stir or rotate foods regularly to make sure there are no cold spots.
- Keep foods hot (>140° F) after cooking.
*Eggs
- Cooked eggs = firm yolks and firm whites.
- Scrambled eggs should be cooked until firm.
- No raw eggs. (homemade mayonnaise etc.)
- Don't taste batters containing raw eggs.
*Meats
Cook red meat until brown inside. The internal temperature of meat should be:
- Beef = 145° F
- Pork = 160° F
- Ground Beef = 160° F
Temperatures charts may vary, the above is USDA recommendations.
*Poultry
- Cook until juices are clear, not pink.
- Thickest part = 165° F
*Fish
- Cook until fillet flakes with a fork.
- Thickest part = 145° F
Safe Microwaving
- Watch for cold spots
- Watch for hot spots
- Stir and turn food
- Allow for standing time
- Check temperature
Chill:
- Refrigerate promptly.
- Keep cold foods (perishables) cold.
- Never let raw meat, poultry, eggs, or cooked meals sit at room temperature more than two hours (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
- Discard perishable foods on a regular basis. Shelf life varies for different foods.
Preparing formula bottle
Wash hands
Label bottle with name, date, and time of prep
don't pr4epare more formula than the child will eat in 1 sitting
refrigerate immediately
don't heat bottles in the microwave
Keep bottles away from heat sources/windows
heat/light can destroy nutrients
Preparing Milk bottles
Only accept br4east milk that is fresh/frozen
Don't heat in the microwave, heat by placing the bottle in warm water
Read name label carefully
Discard unused portions
Solid food
Sitting position
Seperat4e dishes, No sharing
Discard any food left in the dish, no r4eheating or reusing
No heating jars of baby food in the microwave, can explode
Immediately refrigerate any food left in jar
Other Food Issues regarding Infants and Toddlers
- Do not give honey or any product with honey to infants less than 12 months of age. Honey may cause botulism, a deadly food borne disease. Baking and cooking do not destroy the spores that lead to botulism.
- Do not serve any foods containing raw eggs, including homemade ice cream. Raw eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella.
- Potentially hazardous foods in the choking category are: round slices of hot dogs, whole grapes, marshmallows, nuts, popcorn, and pretzels.
Children under the age of two are growing fast and require a higherpercentage of calories from fat. They also need frequent feedings adjusted to their needs.
After age two, children need a variety of foods, meals low in fat, saturated fat & cholesterol, plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products, and moderate use of sugar & salt.
1. Give medications, prescriptions and nonprescription, only on the written approval of a parent, person, or agency having authority by court order to approve medical care.
2. Give prescription medications:
Only as specified on the prescription label; or as authorized in writing by a physician or other person legally authorized to prescribe medication.
3. Give the following classification of non-prescription medications with written parent authorization, only at the dose, duration, and method of administration specified on the manufacturer's label for the age or weight of the child needing the medication:
- Anti-histamines
- Non-aspirin fever reducers/ pain relievers
- Non-narcotic cough suppressants
- Sun screen
- Decongestants
- Diaper ointments and powders
- Anti-itching ointments or lotions
4. Give other non-prescription medication:
- Not included in the categories listed in subsection 3; or taken differently than indicated on the manufacturer's label; or lacking labeled instructions.
- Only when disbursement of other non-prescription medication is as required under this subsection.
- Authorized, in writing, by a physician; or based on established medical policy approved, in writing, by a physician or other person legally authorized toprescribe medication.
5. Accept from the child's parent, guardian, or responsible relative only medicine in the original container, labeled with:
The child's first and last names, the date the prescription was filled, or the medication's expiration date; and legible instructions for administration, such as manufacturer's instructions or prescription label.
6. Keep medication refrigerated or non-refrigerated, in an orderly fashion, inaccessible to the child.
(Which means: put medications in a locked container out of reach of children.)
7. Store external medication in a compartment separate from internal medication.
(Which means: medications taken orally (by mouth) are kept separate and in a different place from medications that are put on the skin. For example, cough medication is kept separate from diaper ointment.)
8. Keep a record of medications disbursed.
(You are required to keep a record of the amount given, the date and time given, and who gave the child the medication for each dosage of any medication dispersed. This includes diaper cream, hand lotion, sunscreen, and any other medication.)
9. Return to the parent or other responsible party, or dispose of medication no longer being taken.
(Which means: throw away expired medications)
10. At the licensee's option, permit self-administration of medication by a child in care if the:
- Child is physically and mentally capable of properly taking medication without assistance.
- Licensee includes in the child's file a parental or physician's written statement of the child's capacity to take medication without assistance.
- Licensee ensures the child's medications and other medical supplies are stored so the medications and medical supplies are inaccessible to another child in care.
record keeping
Every record keeping system for medication management should start with the parent permission form. This form should include:
- Child's name
- Name of Medication
- Frequency of dosage
- Parent's signature
- Reason for medication
- Dosage amount
- Expiration of dosage
- Date
This form should become a permanent part of the child's file. Do not throw away.
- Who gave the medication.
- The date and time the medication was given
- The amount of the medication given to the child. This form also becomes a part of the child's permanent file.
Lip balm, baby powders, Vaseline, sunscreen, hand lotion, and toothpaste all need written parental permission. Parents can sign blanket authorization for these items but parents must bring the items themselves and label it with their child's name. The item must be stored so that other children do not have access to it. Do not allow children to share these items. Never give aspirin to children under 18 years old without a doctor's written approval. Aspirin is linked to Reye's Syndrome, a serious disease that can be fatal to children.
What do you do to promote safety in the center? How often do you check for these? Often/Sometimes/Never?
- Untied shoes
- Playground hazards
- Posted emergency numbers
- Cleaning supplies locked up
- Children sitting when eating
- ID for anyone unknown picking up a child
- Exposed electrical cords
- Dangerous climbing or chair tipping
- Backpacks for medication, etc.
- Fences and equipment for necessary repairs
- First aid kids for needed supplies
- The size of small items for toddlers
- Non-toxic art materials
- Attendance list/head counts regularly
- Stop risky behaviors
- If a child develops a fever of 100 degrees or higher, they are considered contagious and need to go home.
- If a child vomits on 2 or more occasions within a 24 hour period, they need to go home.
- If a child has 3 or more watery/runny stools within a 24 hour period, they need to go home.
- If a child has a draining rash, he/ she should not be in the child care facility.
- If a child shows signs of pinkeye, or has eye discharge, child needs to go home and be treated.
- If a child has lice or nits, he/she should not be in the child care facility. A no nit policy is best to avoid spreading the lice.
- If the child has open or oozing sores, they need to be completely covered and parents should seek medical attention.
All communicable diseases are to be reported to the local/ state Department of Health if contracted by a child or staff member. These include but are not limited to:
• Mumps
• Giardiasis
• Rubeola
• Shigellosis
• German Measles
• Hepatitis
• Meningitis
• Whooping Cough
• Rheumatic Fever
• AIDS
• Salmonellosis
• E. Coli
• Tetanus
• Tuberculosis
• Diphtheria
