most common cancer in Canada, Things to Avoid: and rates of are increasing. To help prevent skin  Avoid getting a tan or cancer: .  Don’t expose children to UV Spring 2017 Enjoy the Safely - Protect rays to meet your skin and eyes needs. Use food or 1. Sun Safety supplements instead.

1. Time of Day: If you can, limit 2. Triple P® (Positive Parenting time in the sun when the UV Sun Safety Factsheets Program) Classes Index is 3 or higher, usually 1.

between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. 2. Sun Tanning / 3. International Kangaroo Care 3. Children Awareness Day 2. Shade: Seek shade or make 4. Outdoor Sports and

shade by using an , Recreation 4. Best Start - ``Risks of a UV protective tent or pop- 5. Outdoor Workers Cannabis on Fertility, up shade shelter. Pregnancy, Breastfeeding Submitted by Sasha Girden PHN and Parenting`` 3. Cover Up: Wear clothes that at MLHU

cover as much skin as [email protected] 5. New Canadian 24-Hour possible or UV-protective Movement Guidelines for clothing. Wear a wide Children and Youth (aged 5- brimmed hat or baseball cap Triple P® (Positive 17 years) with flaps that cover the Parenting Program) Classes head, neck and ears. 6. Preparing for Parenthood prenatal classes 4. Sunscreen: Apply plenty of The Middlesex-London Health sunscreen with SPF 30 or Unit provides FREE Triple P 7. Be Efficient …Give Active more, labelled ‘broad (Positive Parenting Program) Transportation a GO! spectrum’ and ‘water classes for parents and resistant’. Reapply when caregivers of children (1 – 12 8. Little Minds Matter needed (especially after years). This is an evidence- swimming, sweating, or based with a discussion 9. The Aging Workforce…making towelling). Use a sunscreen group format where parents can it work! lip balm. learn positive parenting strategies. 10. Resource Page 5. : Wear close fitting / wrap-around Topics being offered this spring sunglasses with UV 400 or include: developing good bed Sun Safety 100% UV protection/ time routines; hassle free Children’s and babies’ shopping with children; dealing Canadians have been increasing sunglasses should be with disobedience and dealing their time in the sun, and UV rays unbreakable. with fighting & aggression. from the sun can harm the skin and eyes. is the

For more information about these  Reduces pain during during pregnancy and on FREE classes, locations, and newborn procedures and parenting. This resource how to register, visit immunizations summarizes the current www.healthunit.com/triple-p-  Helps baby sleep knowledge about the effects of classes  Boosts breast milk cannabis. To register for a session, call production 519-663-5317 ext. 2378.  Supports bonding

Submitted by Dorothy McCann PHN at MLHU [email protected]

International Kangaroo

Care Awareness Day

May 15th is Kangaroo Care Awareness Day!

Kangaroo Care, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), or Skin-to- Skin-to-skin time helps both mom Submitted by Melissa Knowler Skin is the name for holding a and dad get to know their new PHN at MLHU young baby bare chest to bare little baby. [email protected] chest. It is ideally done immediately after birth and as Skin-to-skin…the healthiest place much as possible during the first to begin! NEW! Canadian 24-Hour few days, and beyond. It is good Movement Guidelines for for premature and healthy full- To learn more about skin-to-skin, term babies. call and speak to a Public Health Children and Youth (aged 5- Nurse at Health Connection 519- 17 years) Holding babies skin-to-skin in the 663-5317 ext. 2280 or go to early hours after birth helps www.healthunit.com/skin-to-skin The Canadian 24-Hour newborns adjust to being outside Movement Guidelines for the womb. Skin-to-skin for Submitted by Laura Dueck, RN Children and Youth (aged 5-17 newborns is beneficial because PHN [email protected] it: years) are the result of new  Stabilizes blood sugar levels research in disease prevention and heart rate Best Start has just released a and health promotion for school-  Transfers good bacteria from new resource called “Risks of aged children. mom to baby Cannabis on Fertility, Pregnancy,  Supports the initiation of Breastfeeding and Parenting”. The Guidelines recommend “high breastfeeding, as alert This resource is for women and levels of physical activity, low babies can use their natural men, who are thinking about levels of sedentary behavior, and instincts to locate, latch on, becoming parents, are pregnant, sufficient sleep each day”.1: and breastfeed or who are new parents. It provides information about the  A minimum of 60 minutes of Continued skin-to-skin helps: effects of cannabis on fertility, physical activity every day: o activities can be  Reduce baby’s stress and pregnancy, breastfeeding, on spread out over the crying children and adolescents when their mothers used cannabis day

o activities should cause Preparing for Parenthood harder breathing and prenatal classes sweating such as bike riding, skipping, Prenatal preparation is about climbing on playground equipment, and more than birth plans and baby Be Efficient … dancing care. Preparing for Parenthood Give Active Transportation a  Several hours each day of classes focus on the couple and light activities: how they can prepare their GO! o walking to school relationship for a new family o helping with household Using a motor vehicle is chores (inside and member. Through large and supposed to be an efficient outside) small group discussion, parents- means of getting to destinations  Active kids sleep better: to-be gain the knowledge and such as work, school or o ages 5 to 13 years skills to cope with this major shopping. For this reason, many need 9 - 11 hours each transition. Strategies to improve people drive to and from work. But just how efficient is it to night communication patterns are o ages 14 to 17 year spend time waiting in traffic cues, discussed within the context of olds need 8 - 10 hours especially during peak travel each night common transition to parenthood times? In some cases, using an  Sit less, move more challenges. Topics include active mode of transportation o limit recreational work/life balance, team (AT) such as walking, biking or screen time to no more parenting, financial worries, the bus can take about the same than 2 hours finding helpful help, intimacy, and amount of time as driving … or less! Consider that the average o limited sitting for time management. The class is extended periods amount of time it takes to travel 1 offered once a month and is km by walking is just 12 minutes Now that spring is here, it’s a facilitated by a female Public and by cycling, just 5 minutes. great time for the whole family to Health Nurse and a male http://www.london.ca/residents/E get outside. Find an activity that facilitator with expertise in family nvironment/environmental- you and your family enjoy, can initiatives/Documents/YourOwnP do together and get moving. For dynamics. Please visit our website for class location, dates, ower.pdf goal setting or keeping track of your activity use the in motion™ and registration information. As far as efficiency goes, using App or the Tracking Calendar AT has much to offer. It is an available all year around. Article submitted by Cassie excellent way to build physical www.inmotion4life.ca. McLeod Reproductive Health activity into a daily routine while For more information: Team getting to and / or from [email protected] destinations such as work. It spares the environment by Canadian Society for Exercise Ext. 2439 Physiology: Canadian 24-Hour reducing greenhouse gas Movement Guidelines **Cassie is going on maternity emissions and when fewer leave at the end of this month. people drive there is less Middlesex-London Health Unit: congestion on the roads. Driving https://www.healthunit.com/physi Please direct inquiries for this less can also lead to cost cal-activity program temporarily to: savings, which is good for ones’ Submitted by Berthe Streef PHN Erica Zarins economic health. Learn how to economize on fuel and what it at MLHU [email protected] [email protected] costs to use different travel Ext. 2287 modes: http://www.london.ca/residents/E

nvironment/environmental- you anticipate and deal with Help us to spread the message initiatives/Documents/Transporta generational conflict, how can that kids have mental health too! tion.pdf you can retain older workers In fact, by helping children to longer - and why would you want have healthy social and Sharing the benefits of using AT to retain older workers anyway? with employees can start “the emotional development in the wheels turning”. Find out how Join us for an engaging early years we can build the your workplace can encourage workshop as we explore the foundation they need for life long employees to use AT to get to issues around the “maturing” of mental health. A strong and / or from work by visiting: our current workforce; something foundation built in the early https://www.healthunit.com/activ that will have an effect on every years, supports the development e-commuting-workplaces workplace--in every sector. of resilient, thriving adults. At The Aging Workforce…making To arrange an Active it work! you will hear speakers Please share and like our Transportation presentation for from Public Services Health and messaging on the Middlesex- your workplace contact: Safety Association, (PSHSA), London Health Unit’s Facebook Bernadette McCall, RN, Public Human Resource Professionals page, Twitter page and website: Health Nurse from AON Hewitt, Age Friendly https://www.healthunit.com/early- Middlesex London Health Unit London and London Economic child-development-social- PH: 519-663-5317, ext 2314 Development Corporation. These emotional EM: [email protected] experts will help you assess the demographic risk in your Tell parents about our The Aging organization and provide #LittleMindsMatter Contest. Workforce…making it work! resources for you to develop Details are on the above strategies to respond effectively webpage. Parents can complete May 18, 2017 to this impending significant the online quiz by July 31, 2017 challenge. 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and be entered to win 1 of 3 Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost: $75.00 Registration is required. great prize bags full of fun Speakers commence at 9:00 activities. a.m. For registration and more information: https://the-aging- For information directed Best Western Stoneridge Inn & workforce.eventbrite.ca. specifically at professionals who Conference Centre, 6675 [email protected] work with young children and Burtwistle Lane, London On their families every day go to https://www.healthunit.com/childr The Canadian workforce is en-and-mental-health steadily aging. According to There you will find suggestions Statistics Canada (2015) 20% of Canada’s workforce (3.6 million) about what to look for, how to is 55 years and over. It is talk to parents about sensitive estimated that “older workers” issues and some community will make up more than 80% of #LittleMindsMatter resources to recommend. Stay the workforce by 2018! May 1st to the 7th is International tuned for details about an Mental Health Awareness Week- upcoming workshop featuring Dr. Is your workplace ready to it is also the week the Jean Clinton and Dr. Chaya support its’ Aging Workforce? Community Early Years How will this affect your Kulkarni. organization? How can/should Partnership and the Middlesex- Article submitted by: Sarah you prepare your organization so London Health Unit are Ingram Early Years Team it is ready to support its’ Aging launching their Infant and Early [email protected] Workforce? What do you need to Childhood Mental Health Ext. 2228 think about and plan for, how can Campaign: #LittleMindsMatter.

Resources

The Middlesex-London Health Unit, Health at Work 4 All! program is once again pleased to provide your organization with our Spring Newsletter and a selection of new resources for use in your workplace.

These resources can be downloaded for you to print, or you can request hard copies by contacting Sandy Richardson at 519-663-5317 ext. 2412 or email her at [email protected]