Keeping Kids Safe in Summer "Injury Season"

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer vacation for children, who spend much of it participating in outdoor activities, such as swimming and biking.

But for doctors at Texas Children's Hospital's Emergency Center, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is "injury season," with drowning/near drowning incidents and bicycle accidents topping the list. In Houston, it is estimated that one child a week dies due to drowning during the summer.

Drownings are 100 percent preventable, said Dr. Paul Sirbaugh, Texas Children's director of emergency medicine services. In a common scenario, a parent is temporarily distracted from watching his or her child by a simple task, such as answering the telephone or retrieving a drink from the refrigerator.

"A child can drown in seconds," said Dr. Sirbaugh. "If he or she is not breathing, it only takes three minutes for the child to suffer permanent disability."

Dr. Sirbaugh noted that while children younger than age five possess the developmental skills required to swim, they aren't able to cope with the panic that results from unexpected situations, such as falling into deep water. Each year, more than 2,000 children nationwide in this age group are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion injuries.

Should an emergency occur, a child's chance for survival is increased dramatically if a parent knows CPR. Only 25 percent of children who come to the emergency center for a drowning incident have received CPR, Dr. Sirbaugh said.

Of course, the best defense for parents is maintaining vigilance when their children are around water, he added. Parents also should be aware of several other common childhood injury risks:

Bike safety: Kids should never ride a bike without wearing bicycle helmets, which protect against severe head injuries. If parents also ride, they need to set an example by always wearing a helmet. A helmet should be approved by either the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Snell Memorial Foundation.

Scooter/ Roller Blade safety: Just because a child is not on a bike does not mean they should not wear adequate protective gear. It is important to make sure children wear properly fitting helmets and other protection every time they ride their bikes, scooters, in-line skates or skateboards. Children should be taught the rules of the road and should practice obeying traffic laws with their parents.

For more information on summer safety, contact the Texas Children's Center for Childhood Injury Prevention at 832-824-2045.

Or go to http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/injuryprevention.

---

©2006 Texas Medical Center

---

E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/06_01_01/page_06.html