Safety and prevention

Summer Safety

Children love to play outside, and summer offers lots of chances for kids to play with friends outdoors. Whether your child is involved in organized sports or playing games with friends in the neighborhood, the warm days of summer can also increase risk of injuries and illness.

Bicycling

Your child's bike may be as important to him or her as your car is to you. Learning good bicycle safety is good preparation for becoming a responsible driver later in life. Helmets, good bicycle maintenance and good safety practices are the best way to protect your child.

Bike size
Make sure your child is riding the right-size bike. Riding a bike that's too big makes it easier to tip over and lose control. Adjust the seat so that your child is able to stand comfortably with both feet on the ground with the bike between his/her legs. Watch as they pedal. If their legs don't bend slightly at the knee with each pedal, adjust the seat. If the adjustment doesn't take care of the problem, the bike is too big.

Helmets
Make sure your child wears a helmet whenever he or she is riding a bike. The best helmets to wear are those that fit snugly over the child's head. Check the manufacturer's instructions to see exactly how the helmet is designed to be worn.

Rules of the road
Teach your child some basic safety tips for bike riding:

• When riding around town, stay on bike paths wherever possible.
• If riding on sidewalks or streets, bike riders must follow all traffic signs. Stop at traffic lights and stop signs, give pedestrians the right of way and peddle with the flow of traffic.
• Always walk a bike when crossing the street.
• Don't let your child bike at night. If it's unavoidable, make sure your child wears light-colored clothing and the bike is equipped with a working headlight and reflectors both on the front and rear of the bike.

Fireworks safety

More than 10,000 Americans are hurt by firecrackers every year. Most of the serious injuries involve children playing with fireworks around the Fourth of July holiday. Burns on the hands and face as well as loss of eyesight and/or hearing are frequently reported.

• Bring your children to public fireworks displays conducted by professionals.
• Never purchase fireworks for private use. Even sparklers, which are still legal in some states, burn as hot as 1,000 degrees F. and can burn hands or ignite clothing.
• Clearly communicate the risks of playing with fireworks to your children. Many products sold for private use have short fuses and defective materials that can result in unpredictable operation.

If fireworks are legal in your area:

• Never permit children to light firecrackers.
• Make sure adults are closely supervising the area where fireworks are being used.
• Keep bystanders at a safe distance.
• Only light fireworks outside and keep an emergency supply of water nearby in case of emergency.
• Keep flammable materials well clear of any fireworks.
• If a firecracker does not ignite, don't try to relight it, dowse it in water and dispose of it.

Swimming

Each year about 300 children under age five die of drowning, and another 3,000 are involved in near-drowning incidents that require hospitalization. A child can drown in a very small amount of water. About 50 percent of all drowning deaths in the U.S. involve young children in private swimming pools.

Pool safety

• Children should never be left unattended near a pool. It takes only a few seconds for an accident to happen. Supervise small children closely.
• Install alarms on outside doors to alert you if a toddler goes outside.
• Make sure the pool is inaccessible to children. Build a fence at least four feet high and keep the gate locked when the pool is unattended.
• Store pool toys and other items that might attract children out of sight and away from the pool area.
• Teach your child to swim.
• Never allow running or rough-housing in the pool area.
• Do not allow glass bottles or containers in the pool area.
• Enroll family members in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes.

Beach safety

• Never allow children to swim without adult supervision even if they are good swimmers.
• Bring your children only to beaches that are patrolled by lifeguards.
• Teach children never to dive into unfamiliar water. Water may be more shallow than it appears or there may be underwater objects that could cause serious injury.

Watch the sun

The rate of skin cancer is rising sharply, and doctors are discovering 500,000 new cases in the U.S. each year, many of these in children and teenagers. Studies show that sunscreen used routinely during the first 18 years of life significantly reduces the incidence of skin cancer later in life. Protect your child. There is no such thing as a safe tan.

• Keep infants out of the sun as much as possible. Their skin is very sensitive to the sun and burns quickly.
• Make sure children wear sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or greater whenever playing outside, particularly in the hottest part of the day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Light-skinned children with blue or green eyes and red or blonde hair have the least natural protection against the sun's burning rays. Use sunscreen and light clothing to protect them.
• Use waterproof sunscreens whenever possible. Check the ingredients on the label. Products with a combination of PABA/benzophenone are the most effective.
• Put sunscreen on your child even on cloudy days.

Lawnmower safety

Make sure the grass is the only thing that gets cut by your mower this summer.

• Do not allow your child to go near a lawn mower in use. It is unsafe for a child to walk in front of, beside or behind a mower since debris flying from the mower blades as well as the blades themselves can cause serious injury.
• Keep small children and toddlers inside the house while mowing. Their movements can be unpredictable. They can quickly dart in the path of a mower and since power mowers are noisy, you may not hear them approach.
• Don't let your children play in areas where mowers are kept. It will help them understand mowers are not toys and should not be touched even when they're not being used.
• Never let your children ride with you on a riding mower or tractor. An active child runs a very high risk of falling off and being seriously hurt.
• When mowing in reverse, check twice to make sure no child or pet is behind you.

Hiking

Walking in the woods or hillsides with your children is a wonderful way to teach them to appreciate the beauty of nature and respect wildlife. Dressing properly and following a few simple rules will make these woodland treks hazard-free.

• Whenever possible, dress children in pants to protect legs from insect bites and scrapes.
• If hiking in cool areas, dress your children in layers they can remove if they get too warm.
• The whole family should wear hats for protection from the sun and sturdy shoes with socks to protect feet from blisters.
• Bring plenty of water and basic first aid supplies such as antiseptic spray and bandages, insect repellent and sunscreen.
• Stay on hiking trails and watch your children to ensure they don't pick any unidentifiable plants or berries.
• When you return home, check your children carefully for any sign of ticks, particularly their hair and scalp. If you find a tick, remove it with tweezers being careful not to crush the insect. Wash the area with a disinfectant after removing the tick.

Inline Skating Safety

Here are a few safety basics for your kids:

• Make sure they skate in an open area with no obstacles. If their brakes fail, they should be able to stop before hitting something that will hurt.
• Instruct them to keep their knees bent. Skating with straight legs can result in falls. Most injuries are the result of falls on hard surfaces.
• Make sure your child is properly equipped and wears a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards.
• One trick to teach your kids: if you're going to fast or losing balance, touch your kneepads. It helps the skater regain balance.

• YNHH Health Library: Safety and Injury Prevention

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Reviewed: Robert LaCamera, MD
Last revised: June 4, 2007 (dh)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.