Articles Posted in Injuries to Minors and Children

As the summer draws to a close, many people are celebrating the final days of the warmest part of the year with parties and special events. At the same time, everyone’s schedule is getting more hectic with back-to-school preparations. If you want to stay safe heading into fall, make sure that you:

1) Monitor your pool – and have a good pre-winter clean-up plan in place. If you will not be using your pool in the summer, make sure that you secure it well, using an alarm system, self-locking gate and secure pool cover. Before fall gets here, be aware that children are still home from school, and a sparkling pool on a hot day is a great temptation. Keep your pool gate closed at all times – even if you are only headed into the house for a minute – and use your alarm system and lock to keep unwanted visitors out.

2) Have a get-home safe plan at all times. End-of-summer parties usually mean alcohol and barbecue, so avoid become a Florida drunk driving accident statistic; have a plan to get home safely. Better yet, have a few alternatives to get home so that you are never tempted to drink and drive.

3) Avoid distracted and fatigued driving. If you have children heading back to classes, especially, this time of year can be very hectic. This can make it easy to get into a car accident, especially since many mall and shopping center parking lots are chaotic and hectic. Give yourself plenty of time to get your back-to-school errands completed so that you are not distracted by all you need to get done. When shopping and running errands, keep your cell phone tucked away so that you can focus on driving safely. As well, make sure that you get plenty of sleep. As the daylight fades faster at this time of year, it is natural to feel a little more groggy. Compensate with a little bit of extra sleep.

4) Stay alert for recalls. Many parents and families stock up on school supplies, electronics, and other must-have items at this time of year. However, just because these items are in stores, that is no guarantee that they are safe. Sign up for a recall warning list online, so that you can be informed when items are recalled. It can help prevent a Florida products liability suit.

5) Practice safe boating – and get ready to store your boat safely. If you are storing your boat for the winter, make sure that you have a good plan for keeping your boat safe until next summer. Keep in mind that if you boat is not stored safely, you could be held liable if someone gets injured. If you plan on heading out on the water again, make sure that you practice safe and sober boating at all times.

6) Clear up and secure your summer home. If the end of summer also means leaving your summer home, make sure that you secure it correctly.

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Back to school season is an exciting time. It is also a time when parents need to stay vigilant about injuries to children and minors. There are several things that parents need to consider during back to school:

1) Consider commuting. The commute and drive back from school represent the riskiest time for your child, as the school commute exposes your child to Florida pedestrian accidents, car accidents, and other forms of injuries. Whether you drive your child to school or whether your child takes the bus, take some time before the school term to review safety. If your child bicycles to school, review the route and ensure that your child will wear a well-fitted helmet to and from school to prevent brain injuries. Make sure that your child will not be texting or listening to music while riding or walking to school, as this will distract them from traffic. If your child is walking to school, review pedestrian safety and consider having your child walk with a friend for safety. If you will be dropping off your child at school, consider whether the school has a drop-off zone you can use. As well, consider which routes are best and least congested.

2) Consider your child’s school activities and after-school activities. Many childhood Florida brain injuries occur as a result of sporting activities. If your child is taking part in any school clubs or after-school activities, make sure that correct safety precautions are being taken and ensure that your child has the right safety equipment to stay safe.

3) Set up a system so that you can know where your child is at all times. Many Florida parents use cell phones to ensure that children can reach them at all times. It is also useful to set up a schedule at home, so that it is easy to keep track of where everyone is headed throughout the day. In the first few weeks of school, it is natural that your children will make new friends. Ensure that you have the names and phone numbers of these friends (and their parents) so that you can contact them easily if you need to.

4) Volunteer at your child’s school or keep up with developments at the school. Getting involved at your child’s school – whether through Parent Teacher Associations or volunteerism – helps you notice any safety problems or issues that need to be addressed. If you cannot spend the time, at least get involved through social media or through newsletters so that you know what is happening at the school.

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Many parents across the state already know that summertime is a high-risk time for Florida injuries to children and minors. After all, summer is a time when most children are home from school and taking part in all sorts of activities – including activities that are less supervised. Most children are also taking part in swimming and in sporting activities, which pose their own dangers. Older teens may be driving about for the first time, and even going on road trips, leaving parents worried about Florida car accident rates.

However, many parents may in fact be surprised to learn about the most common injuries to children and minors at this time of year. According to a recent article in the Sun Sentinel, gun accidents and drowning are among the biggest risks to children in the summer. The good news is that these types of accidents are in fact very preventable.

Many parents do not expect firearm injuries to be a leading concern for summertime injuries. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics report that firearm injuries are the second leading cause of death for children year-round. Only car accidents cause more childhood deaths. Statistics show that in Palm Beach County, Florida, one child dies per month, on average, due to firearm injuries.

In 2010, a 4-year old shot himself in Miami Gardens after picking up a handgun belonging to a visitor. In May, a teen in Palm City was showing a handgun to a friend when the gun accidentally went off and shot the teen. In Miramar this year, a toddler accidentally killed his mother after picking up a handgun in the home. In all these cases and in other Florida firearm injury cases, officials say that the problem was an unsecured and easily accessible handgun. According to authorities, the summer poses an especially high risk for firearm incidents involving children because children are home for longer stretches of time, during which they have access to any unsecured weapons. Police authorities as well as pediatric physicians have expressed concern that parents check their weapons to ensure any firearms in the home are secured and safely stowed out of children’s reach.

The risk of Florida drowning and pool injuries is also very high. The number of waterways and pools as well as the weather mean that there are simply more people in the water – and therefore more children and adults at risk of injuries. More children in the under-5 category die of drowning in Florida than in any other state, according to the Florida Department of Health. In many cases, children are unsupervised when they drown. According to authorities, teaching children swimming skills early and being vigilant about securing any water areas – including pools but also including any area with more than two inches of water – is a must.

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Research has show that many individuals complete tasks on autopilot – without thinking about them – and this may place children at risk of serious injury. According to the study created for the Child Accident Prevention Trust less than half of parents store cleaning products safely or move hot drinks away from children, simply not thinking of the dangers. The study surveyed 5000 parents and found that 25% could not remember stopping at traffic lights. Another 50% had to turn back to remember whether they had locked the door.

According to the researchers, much of the problem is that people have so much to remember, that many simply function of autopilot just to get through the day. Katrina Phillips, the chief executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, says that the study results actually show that parents can keep their children safer – simply by creating safety routines that become part of autopilot. When safety habits are second nature, parents will automatically do the safe thing, reducing the risk of injuries and accidents. There are many ways that parents can do this:

1) Make it a habit to put away cleaning products as soon as you are done cleaning. This way, there is less risk that a child will open the product. Store cleaning products high, where children cannot get at the items.

2) Get into the habit of placing hot beverages (such as coffee) in higher places, where young ones can’t reach. This will mean that children are less likely to suffer Florida burn injuries caused by hot liquids. After a while, it will become second nature to look for a higher shelf to set down your coffee.

3) Close the safety gate behind you quickly as soon as you walk through one. According to Dr. Pat Spungin, a parenting psychologist, repeating an action regularly allows it to become a habitual behavior. While learning the behavior may require some thinking at first, it will soon become a behavior done on autopilot.

4) Open windows at the top and push furniture away from windows. When opening a window, automatically secure it. Better yet, create safety features in your home – such as windows that only open at the top or windows that have installed safety bars which do not need to be removed – which do not require you to remember any safety precautions when opening a window. According to a study in Child Safety Week, 4,000 children are injured every year as a result of accidents involving windows. Falls usually prove fatal or result in serious Florida brain injuries or spinal cord injuries.

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In Florida, bounce houses and inflatable slides are a fun way to celebrate children’s birthdays and summer festivals. These amusements are especially ever-present during the summer. However, a spate of injuries has some parents and experts questioning the safety of these amusements. According to Rideaccidents.com, there have been 10 reported accidents involving inflatable slides, bounce houses, and other similar inflatables over the past two months alone. More than 40 people suffered injuries as a result of these accidents.

High winds are a major risk factor with such amusements. Reputable operators report closing down this type of entertainment when winds exceed 15-25 miles/hour. However, there are multiple cases of accidents caused by winds. In the past month, a number of injuries were reported in Oceanside, New York, when inflatable rides were carried away by the winds at a sporting tournament. One woman was critically injured in the incident.

According to the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, such accidents are in fact quite common because in many cases the rides are not correctly inflated or installed. The National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials notes that such rides and inflatables have different standards from different manufacturers, and these must be followed very closely to ensure safety. In most cases, the inflatables need to be installed with metal stakes rather than sandbags.

Another problem may be that there are no laws in Florida which regulate inflatables such as bounce houses. While reputable operators follow manufacturer directors and the standards outlined by the American Society for Testing and Materials, no operators are required to adhere to these standards and face no penalties if they fail to do so. Florida’s Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection is responsible for inspecting fair rides, but inflatables are not part of their responsibility. In fact, these amusements are exempt from inspections by the Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection in Florida.

There are safety precautions available with some of the higher-end slides and inflatables. Some, for example, have safety air bags which give children extra time to leave the inflatable if it starts to deflate. As well, reputable operators supervise rides carefully to ensure that there is no running down slides and no overcrowding – two risk factors which can contribute to Florida personal injury accidents on these slides.

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Underage drinking is a serious problem in Florida, leading to many Florida drunk driving accidents. However, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), it also leads to many other types of injuries and health issues. In fact, underage drinking leads to 5000 deaths each year, and about 1900 of these are due to drunk driving accidents. According to MADD, the dangers include:

1) Injuries to minors and children. When teens and youths drink, they often take risks, such as boating under the influence or attempting daring feats. Many young Florida spinal cord injury patients and brain injury patients sustained their injuries while under the influence. According to MADD, underage drinking is a contributing factor to 1600 homicides across the country each year.

2) Sexual abuse. Underage drinkers are more likely to have unprotected intercourse. They are also more likely to become targets for predators. When drinking, teens are less able to defend themselves and less able to anticipate and get out of dangerous situations.

3) Substance abuse. Underage experimentation with alcohol can also lead to experimentation with drugs, according to MADD. As well, teens who start to experiment with alcohol early are more likely to become dependant on alcohol. MADD statistics suggest that teen who start drinking before their 15th birthday are four times more likely to become dependant on alcohol than peers who start drinking at the legal age.

4) Brain injuries and damage. Teens who drink are more at risk of sustaining brain injuries in accidents and pranks. However, drinking itself can also cause brain damage. When drunk in excess, alcohol can impact developing brains and cause permanent brain damage. The biggest risk is with binge drinking, which for a teen girl can include as few as four drinks at a time.

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A new study out of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has found that injuries to children have declined with the wide-spread use of home safety devices. Researchers tracked two groups of families. One group of families with newborns installed stairway gates, safe storage areas for sharp objects, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, cabinet locks, electrical outlet covers, and hot water heaters set below 120 degree Fahrenheit. Another group of families with newborns did not install any of these safety measures. After two years, the families with safety devices had 70 percent fewer home childhood injuries.

According to the study’s authors, most injuries to children take place in the home, especially for younger children. The authors note that first-time parents and low-income parents are more likely to be at risk for injuries in the home, possibly due to fewer quality safety devices and access to such devices. Statistics show that across the country 2800 children are killed from injuries in the home and many of these injuries are preventable. Millions of children visit the emergency room each year due to preventable injuries sustained in the home.

Parents interested in preventing Florida injuries to children and minors can work on introducing these safety devices into the home:

1) Stairway gates and other barriers. These prevent falls and are important in any home with a toddler. It is important to select quality gates that are sturdy enough to resist pushing. Parents should install these even on smaller steps and staircases. Parents should also install window barriers, especially on any windows that are accessible from cribs. Each year, infants and small children are killed by falls from windows they have been exploring.

2) Safe storage areas. In addition for safe storage areas for sharp objects, such as knives and scissors, it is important to create safe, locked storage areas for paints, aerosol sprays, cleaners, and other household chemicals. Even pots and pans can be dangerous, which is why cabinet locks are also important.

3) Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms. Working alarms are instrumental in preventing Florida burn injuries, smoke inhalation, and other fire-related injuries.

4) Electrical outlet covers. Electrical outlets are often at child level and are an attractive curiosity to small children. Small fingers stuck in these outlets can cause serious injury. Child-proof electrical outlet covers, correctly used, can help prevent injuries.

5) Lower heat hot water heaters. Setting water heaters below 120 degree Fahrenheit ensures that water from the tap does not get hot enough to cause serious scalding and burn injuries. As well, lowering water heater temperatures can help reduce energy usage and costs.

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According to a new study out of Brown University, aerosols are a leading cause of eye injuries for children and minors. In fact, the study found that half of children’s emergency room visits between 1997 and 2009 were related to this type of injury. Researchers concluded that more can be done to help prevent this type of eye injury from affecting children.

Researchers found that young children (up to age 4) were most likely to be admitted to the hospital for eye injuries caused by aerosol cans, but all age groups – up to 18 years of age – were represented in the 10,765 patients admitted to emergency rooms for this type of injury. Authors of the study agree that the total number of incidents of pediatric eye injuries can be much higher, as the study only considered those cases serious enough to merit an emergency room visit.
In over 70% of cases, children sustained the injury at home, usually by spraying themselves accidentally. In a smaller portion of cases, children sustained injury when cans burst or hit the patient in the eye. Male children were more likely to sustain this type of injury, accounting for 63% of all emergency room visits for pediatric eye injuries caused by aerosol sprays.

For Florida parents and for all parents, researchers agree that this is a serious concern as most of these injuries are highly preventable and also cause serious eye damage and trauma for the child. Many of the emergency room visits included treatment for chemical burns, bruising of the eye, trauma to the eye, and serious irritation to the affected area. The study found that in most cases, the most common aerosols involved was spray paint, followed by personal care products, cleaning products, and bug repellant. So far, the researchers know of no Florida product liability cases or national product liability cases launched as a result of these injuries.

According to the study’s authors, there are several things that parents can do to help prevent this type of childhood injury:

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Currently, it is statistically far more probable that a child will be injured in a Florida car accident than in an airplane accident, but The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been promoting child passenger safety in all modes of transportation, including airplanes. Unfortunately, currently many people do not consider passenger safety for children on airplanes, but accidents can and do occur to children on airplanes.

In Florida, children are required to use age-appropriate safety restraints and adult passengers of cars are required to wear seat belts. On airplanes, however, child-appropriate seats are not offered in most cases and even adult seat belts are only optional – adult passengers are asked to wear their seatbelts during take-off and landing but are allowed to remove the belt to walk around the cabin outside of these times. Unfortunately, adults and children can be thrown violently about the cabin in the event of an accident or turbulence, and this can cause severe head injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, and other problems. In an emergency landing, it can be very difficult for a parent to hold onto a small child, making the risk of injury very high.

The NTSB has suggested mandating child safety seats on airplanes, but the suggestion is fraught with difficulties. For example, most airlines offer free tickets to young children. New child safety seat regulations would require parents to purchase an additional ticket for their children, which would cause economic problems for both airlines and parents. Advocates of the proposed changes note that in any crash situation – whether a Florida truck accident or car accident or plan accident – the force of the crash causes passengers to be thrown about, while restraints have been repeatedly proven to help prevent injuries.

Currently, parents can purchase safety restraints privately which are age-appropriate for children and which are designed for airplane use. However, use of these restraints requires children to be given their own seat, where currently many parents hold their small child on their lap. However, these devices can help protect a child from harm.

Parents may want to keep in mind, as well, that in a Florida airplane accident, adults may have a distinct advantage over smaller children. With a larger body mass, adults may be thrown about less vigorously than children and may simply be able to remain calmer. They may be more aware of potential dangers and may be more prepared to brace themselves or take other actions to protect themselves. Children, with less life experience, may panic and may be more vulnerable to injury.

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