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Flaura Koplin Winston, MD PhD
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In 1995 I made a discovery that singularly galvanized my research approach -
research to action to impact. Two tragic cases came through Children's Hospital,
where I practice pediatrics, infants in rear-facing child safety seats who died
in crashes survived by the driver. As a pediatrician, a doctorally-trained
engineer, and a physician scientist who studies injury, I immediately recognized
that the air bag, a new safety technology designed to protect adults, was
responsible for the deaths of these children. Who was protecting the children?
This led me down the path to create the world's largest child-focused crash
surveillance system with
Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a comprehensive research and
outreach program dedicated to
advancing the safety of children through research, and a parent-focused child
passenger safety
website to get credible, current
science to parents. The tragic cases of motor vehicle crash deaths of children
highlighted for me that the value of research is only realized when it is
translated for those who can effect change, and parents are my key partners in
protecting children. From installing child safety seats in their cars to setting
driving rules for their teenagers to comforting their children through injury,
when prevention fails, parents are on the frontlines. It is with this background
and as a Jewish mother of two boys that I write this column, understanding the
importance of research, practical application, and translation and delivery of
this information to parents.
Children are growing, developing individuals. As parents, we need to balance
nurturing their emerging independence with setting clear limits. This column
will not only bring the latest information on preventing the leading cause of
death to children, injury, but also on all topics of interest to those concerned
about the safety and well-being of Philadelphia's children. I hope to address
the everyday challenges of parenting that many of us face, placing the latest
science and expert advice on parenting into a Jewish context. Feel free to send
your reactions, thoughts, experiences, and suggestions for future columns to
parenting @ pjvoice.com. I hope that we can
all learn from each other and together raise a community of mensches!
Previous Raising a Mensch Columns
Click here for the most recent articles
in this section.
The following is a list of articles through the middle of 2010.
Raising A Mensch Section Editor: Dr. Flaura Koplin
Winston parenting @ pjvoice.com,
Dr. Flaura Koplin Winston is a practicing pediatrician, associate professor of pediatrics
and Scientific Director of the Center for Injury
Research and Prevention at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She
welcomes your comments, questions, contributions and suggestions for future columns.
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