SUMMER SAFETY: COMMON INJURIES TO KIDS
One month into summer and everyone is adjusting to pleasant, warm weather and enjoying summer's pastimes -- pool parties, barbeques, bicycling, and more. Unfortunately, with the nice weather and increased outdoor activities, hospital emergency departments are entering what is known in the medical industry is known as "trauma season." Recently, U.S. News & World Report compiled a list of some common trauma-season causes of unintentional injury to kids -- and simple ways to avert such disasters.
(1) Drowning. In summer, kids drown at nearly twice the rate that's typical for the rest of the year. The most basic, common-sense advice to prevent children from drowning is to have an adult watching at all times. Lifeguards aren't a universal remedy. Parents also shouldn't overestimate the protective value of swimming lessons, especially in younger children. Additionally, backyard pools should be surrounded by fencing on all sides and have a self-locking gate so kids cannot wander out the back door and jump into the pool.
(2) Bike accidents. Deaths related to biking increase about 45 percent in summer. Although Illinois doesn't have a bicycle helmet law on the books, children should be wearing properly fitted helmets whenever riding bicycles. A properly fitted helmet sits on a child's head two adult finger-widths above the child's eyes. The strap fits snugly below the child's chin, but still allows the mouth to open and close. The Y-straps fall just below the ears. Only purchase helmets that meet the standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (look for the CPSC sticker inside the helmet). If a helmet has been involved in any sort of accident, replace it.
(3) Motor vehicle-related accidents. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among kids ages 3 to 14 in the United States. In addition to safe driving, a properly fitted car or booster seat is essential to preventing a child's injury or death in an accident. Only kids who are at least 4-foot-9 and weigh 80 to 100 pounds can safely wear a seat belt. Since approximately 73 percent of car seats are either installed wrong or aren't used correctly, parents should have their car seats checked at a car-seat inspection station or a local fire department.
(4) Pedestrian accidents. A 16 percent spike in child pedestrian deaths is seen during this time of year, with close to 10 percent of injuries occurring in a driveway. Some simple advice: Don't trust a car camera that allows a driver to watch a screen on the dashboard for a shot of the field to the rear. Such cameras may have blind spots. Always walk around the back of your car before getting in and driving away.
(5) Burns. Often, children are burnt after a fire had gone out, when adults let down their guard, and a child stumbles into the white ashes, which remain searing hot. Children should not ever be allowed to spray lighter fluid into a barbeque or fire pit. The fire can light the arc of fluid all the way up to the container, which can explode in the hand. And of course, parents should not allow children to lit fireworks under any circumstances. According to the CDC, a third of individuals injured by fireworks are under the age of 15.
(6) Falls. Fall-related deaths spike in the summer, up 21 percent over the average during the rest of the year. Prevent children from falling out of open windows by always supervising their activities and installing window guards. Keep furniture (including the changing table) away from windows and install bars or a childproof gate on windows. Never allow kids to play on balconies or roofs. At the playground or pool, avoid trips and lost balance by dressing your child in sneakers with adequate rubber soles (not crocs or flip-flops).
(7) Accidental strangulation. Hooded sweatshirts or anything dangling around their necks while playing at a playground could be a potential strangulation hazard caught in a piece of equipment. Remove such items from your children before play.
(8) Trampoline injuries. A recent study in the British Medical Journal found that the risk of trampoline injury increases with the number of bouncers. Trampolines should have safety walls and coverings over the springs, and only one bouncer at a time should be allowed on it.
Click here to read the U.S. News & World Report article in its entirety.
