Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Breaking Bronx features a health-related story, event or tidbit as part of an online expansion of our Be Healthy! column.

On May 5, the pediatric emergency department at Montefiore Medical Center will be crowded with teddy bears nursing broken arms, stuffed dogs getting treated for asthma, and probably a doll or two in need of stitches.

The hospital’s 7th annual Teddy Bear Clinic lets young patients play the role of parent, where they can bring their favorite stuffed friends in for a check-up and treatment–an experience that staff says helps ease children’s fears about visiting the emergency room.

“They triage their bears, they get to say, ‘This is what’s wrong,’ they get to talk to an actual doctor, and the doctor can treat or repair their bear,” said Nicole Hollingsworth, director of patient health education at Montefiore. “It’s done in a calm environment, so they actually get the opportunity to learn.”

The day offers a number of safety lessons for young patients. FDNY firefighters will be on hand, complete with a simulated “smoke house,” which teaches children what to do in the case of a house or apartment fire. McGruff the Dog will attend to talk about crime awareness, as will the New York State Troopers, who give a lesson on car and seat belt safety.

“The theme of the day is really to enhance safety for children,” Hollingsworth said, adding that they look to focus on some of the most common injuries or ailments that could result in a child needing emergency care.  Montefiore’s pediatric emergency department treats 90,000 young patients each year.

“The idea is to keep you from getting sick, but if you do get sick, we don’t want you to be afraid [of the hospital],” she said.

The Teddy Bear clinic will be held on Saturday, May 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Montefiore’s North Hospital, 600 East 233rd Street, between Bronx River Parkway and White Plains Road. The event is geared for children 12 and under, but visitors of all ages are welcomed.

Report Finds Bronx Air Quality Improved Slightly, Though Still Worst in State
A report released each year by the American Lung Association (ALA)  that monitors air pollution found that air quality in the Bronx improved slightly from last year when it comes to ozone levels, though the borough still has the highest level of particle pollution in the state.

The ALA’s “State of the Air” report, released today, showed that the Bronx had lower levels of ozone compared to last year–a poisonous gas that forms when burned fuels, like gasoline, react with heat and sunlight.  The Bronx received a D for an ozone grade this year, up from an F in 2011.

The county, however, is still the dirtiest in the state when it comes to particle air pollution–things like dust and exhaust smoke, which irritate the lungs and can cause breathing problems, like asthma.

Pollution decreased in New York City on the whole, the report found.

Ask Be Healthly! Send Us Your Health Questions.

Got a pressing health, fitness, or nutrition question on your mind? Send them our way! We’re ready to tackle your queries about food, sex, illness, health insurance, prescription medications–any health-related topics that puzzle or interest you.

We’ll answer your question in a Q&A feature appearing in the Norwood News‘ Be Healthy! column. If we don’t know, we’ll ask the experts. You can sign your name or send it anonymously.

Send your queries to: norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org.

Here’s a link to the first installment of Ask Be Healthy!

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.