(Family Features) Long days of school, first trips to day care or even a return from a period of at-home care can be difficult or downright nerve-wracking for parents and children alike. This new adventure can bring challenges from keeping children healthy to supporting their nutrition and more. Sending a little one to day care can even result in maternal separation anxiety.

To help alleviate some of the anxiety and parental concerns, the childhood nutrition experts at Gerber teamed up with Dr. Whitney Casares – a board-certified practicing pediatrician and creator of “Modern Mommy Doc” – to share these tips for families preparing their little ones for child care.

Keep Important Factors Top of Mind
As part of appreciating the milestone of the first time at day care, Casares encourages parents to remember that, while daunting, day care means new experiences, new friends and opportunities for growth, fun and healthy development. As part of the transition, she suggests paying attention to critical factors like sleep, nutrition, illness prevention and emotional development.

Support Their Immune Systems
Offer little ones a diverse array of nutritious foods during the transition to day care. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is essential for building immune systems. Additionally, iron-rich foods like iron-fortified baby cereals, eggs, beans and meat are critical for a strong body. Caregivers should frequently wash hands and focus on good sleep hygiene.

Put Nutrition on the Menu
When packing lunch boxes for a day of care, it’s important to keep nutrition in mind. Once children transition to finger foods, Casares recommends snacks from Gerber like Peach Puffs, Fruit and Veggie Melts and Wonderfoods Superfood Hearts, which come in a variety of flavors and include vital nutrients to optimize health.

Be Prepared for Separation Anxiety
Not all infants and toddlers experience separation anxiety, but many can, so it’s good to be prepared. Casares encourages parents to pack a familiar swaddle blanket in infants’ diaper bags to help ease those anxieties. Some toddlers benefit from having a beloved stuffed animal or blanket with them. Try introducing these transitional objects to little ones early so they smell and feel familiar when drop-off comes around.

Pack the Essentials
While nutritious foods, like Gerber Fruit and Veggie Pouch Blends, are certainly near the top of the list, there are plenty of other essentials to pack for each day. Don’t forget to add breast milk or formula, bottles and extra nipples alongside snacks and meals. Also remember to pack extra sets of clothes, diapers, wipes and those anxiety-soothing must-haves like blankets and stuffed animals.

Prepare for Appetite Changes
It’s common for children’s appetites to decrease during their first few days of child care as they may eat a little less while growing accustomed to their new environment and surroundings. There’s no need to worry – parents can adapt to these changes by understanding they’re often a natural part of the transition. While you may find little ones are hungrier before and after day care, this behavior should ease over time. If it doesn’t, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician to be sure babies stay on track.

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To find more childhood nutrition advice, visit Gerber.com.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Gerber

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to three infant formula manufacturers as part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to enhance regulatory oversight to help ensure that the industry is producing infant formula under the safest conditions possible.

These warning letters for violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the FDA’s Infant Formula regulations were issued to ByHeart Inc., Mead Johnson Nutrition (Reckitt), and Perrigo Wisconsin, LLC. They reflect findings from FDA inspections of these facilities over the last several months. At the time of each inspection, the FDA issued inspectional observations and exercised oversight of each firm as they initiated recalls (in December 2022, February 2023 and March 2023) to remove product potentially contaminated with Cronobacter sakazakii from the marketplace. 

Importantly, the FDA does not advise parents and caregivers to discard or avoid purchasing any particular infant formula at this time. The agency is not aware of any distributed product where contamination was confirmed and believes that the recalls were effective in removing the potentially contaminated batches of product from the market. Additionally, these warning letters are not associated with any current recalls and therefore the FDA does not anticipate any impact to the availability of infant formula on the market. 

The FDA is issuing these letters now as part of its normal regulatory process and to reinforce to these firms the importance of instituting and maintaining appropriate corrective actions when they detect pathogens to ensure compliance with the FDA’s laws and regulations. As part of this, the firms must, among other things, thoroughly conduct root cause investigations and perform subsequent cleaning and sanitation activities. Notably, firms also need to properly evaluate their cleaning and sanitation practices, schedules, and procedures before releasing product. Each company will have 15 working days to respond to the FDA to explain what corrective actions they are taking. The FDA will assess the adequacy of the companies’ corrective actions in the agency’s review of the responses and during the FDA’s next inspection of each facility. During these inspections the agency will verify proper implementation of appropriate corrective actions taken by each company.

“Infant formula manufacturers are responsible for ensuring they make safe products, and the agency has remained in ongoing discussions with the infant formula industry to address the agency’s concerns. The FDA is committed to identifying and acting on issues early to prevent any firms from reaching the level of concern that prompted last year’s large-scale recall and contributed to the infant formula shortage,” said Donald Prater, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Over the last year the FDA has continued to increase our oversight of powdered infant formula facilities. These letters are a reflection of this enhanced oversight and are intended to help the industry continuously improve the safety of their manufacturing practices, so that parents and caregivers can be confident that the formula they feed their children is safe and nutritious.”

Today’s actions are the latest in the FDA’s ongoing effort to strengthen the safety and resiliency of the infant formula supply in the U.S. In November 2022, the agency released an outline of a prevention strategy to prevent Cronobacter sakazakii illnesses associated with consumption of powdered infant formula. As part of that strategy, the FDA has been working with Congress to strengthen our regulatory tools and increase funding to oversee the infant formula industry and has worked closely with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists decision to add invasive Cronobacter infections among infants under one year of age to the Nationally Notifiable Conditions List. The agency has already started to hire staff as part of our work to establish a dedicated cadre of infant formula investigators and an Office of Critical Foods, both of which will strengthen the regulatory oversight of infant formula. 

Healthy supply of infant formula available in the U.S. market

Consumers should know that the U.S. infant formula supply is healthy with in-stock rates at 85% or higher since the beginning of 2023. The current strength of this market can be largely attributed to the many actions taken by the FDA and other U.S. government partners through 2022 and 2023, which are outlined in the FDA’s National Strategy to Increase the Resiliency of the Infant Formula Market.

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Ensuring the safety of powdered infant formula at home

Parents and caregivers should follow manufacturer instructions for preparing powdered infant formula. For babies less than 2 months old, born prematurely, or with weakened immune systems the CDC recommends, if possible, using ready-to-feed liquid infant formula. Liquid infant formula is made to be sterile (without germs) and is the safest option for infants not receiving breast milk. However, parents and caregivers can also take extra steps to prepare powdered formula for these infant groups by heating water to at least 158°F/70°C to help protect against Cronobacter, adding the powdered infant formula and mixing, and then cooling the formula to body temperature (98.6°F) before feeding. 

However, certain metabolic and specialty products include statements on their packaging warning consumers against heating because heating that particular product above 100°F could result in a loss of vitamins and nutrients. Therefore, caregivers should be especially mindful of the manufacturer’s instructions included on the packaging for metabolic and specialty formulas.

The FDA will continue its regulatory oversight and engagement with industry to enhance infant formula safety, including continuing to conduct annual inspections of infant formula facilities, maintaining a dialogue with infant formula manufacturers on these issues, and furthering prevention-based research and activities.

In addition to around-the-clock regulatory work, the FDA remains steadfast in upholding the commitment to unify and strengthen the FDA Human Foods Program. This new vision comes as a result of the agency’s review of findings and recommendations from an external evaluation conducted by the Reagan-Udall Foundation, at the request of the FDA Commissioner, following the agency’s infant formula supply chain response. 

Source: FDA

TEMPE, Ariz. and PRAGUE, Aug. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — As parents send kids back to school, many face growing concerns around the safety of their children. While the majority of parents (70%) believe they know enough to keep their families safe online, nearly a third do not think schools are doing enough to educate and protect children from online threats and less than half trust school technology policies. Norton, a consumer Cyber Safety brand of Gen (NASDAQ: Gen) today released expert tips to help families have a safe, informed return to the classroom. 

Norton today released expert tips to help families have a safe, informed return to the classroom.Tweet

“We have a passion for creating the products and resources that students and their families need to stay Cyber Safe,” said Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen. “Whether it’s securing students’ devices with the powerful protection of Norton 360 or helping parents foster healthy digital habits with Norton Family, we are here to help the whole family to be safe so they can focus on learning and thriving.” 

Secure Your Devices 
Securing your device is a critical aspect of online safety. Norton takes the guesswork out of getting the protection the whole family needs to stay safe online with Norton 360 plans that come with Norton Family parental controls and a VPN, or virtual private network, to help secure private information while using public Wi-Fi. Installing reliable security software, keeping it up to date, and using strong, unique passwords can significantly reduce the risk of cyber threats. Additionally, enabling two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of protection to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive information. 

Understand Your School Tech Policy
Norton encourages students and parents to familiarize themselves with their school’s tech policies. By understanding these policies, which outline acceptable use and potential risks, students can navigate the virtual landscape confidently and responsibly. Norton advises students to follow these policies and report any suspicious activity or policy violations to school administrators immediately. 

Check School Communication App Privacy Settings
With technology more pervasive than ever in and out of classrooms, it is vital for students and parents to understand the privacy settings in school communication applications such as Clever, Classroom Dojo, and Slack. These platforms often store personal information and facilitate interactions between students, teachers, and parents. Norton advises families to review and optimize their privacy settings to control the visibility of personal data and ensure that only intended recipients have access to sensitive information. 

Familiarize Yourself with Threats like Phishing 
Phishing attacks continue to be a common threat in the digital world. Norton advises parents to educate themselves about phishing techniques and share this knowledge with their children. Teaching children how to spot phishing emails, texts, or suspicious websites can prevent them from falling victim to scams and malicious activities online. Last month, Norton launched Phictionary, a dictionary that breaks down real threats and explains how to spot and keep safe from cyber-attacks. 

Talk to Your Kids about Online Safety 
Norton suggests using The Smart Talk, an interactive tool designed by Norton and National PTA for parents to facilitate dialogues about online behavior, privacy, and the responsible use of technology. By engaging in open and honest discussions, parents can guide their children in making informed decisions online.  

“Our kids are increasingly relying on technology at school, so it is crucial to prioritize online security and protect personal information,” said Krista Todd, Chief Marketing Officer at Gen. “Our family of trusted Cyber Safety brands are here to empower families with the knowledge and tools necessary to create a safe digital learning environment at every age.” 

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Cyber Safety can also be part of the school curriculum with the help of Discovery Education’s My Digital Life site, which offers tools and resources for educators to help inspire the digital citizen in every student. Sign up for program updates and stay tuned for the release of upcoming educator resources available next month.  

In today’s digital age, Cyber Safety is a critical aspect of preparing children for the school year. Norton is committed to ensuring a safe and secure online learning environment for students. By following these Cyber Safety tips, students and parents can minimize the risks associated with online activities and focus on educational opportunities. 

For more information and resources on Cyber Safety practices, visit norton.com.   

About Norton
Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organizations including AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at  www.norton.com. 

SOURCE Gen Digital Inc.