Articles Posted in Injuries to Minors and Children

As the weather gets warmer in the springtime, many children and teens spend more time outdoors pursuing sports, recreational activities, and other fun activities. Unfortunately, while this is extremely healthy, it can also cause an increase in bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and other accidents involving children and minors. Parents will want to encourage their children to spend time outdoors and pursue their favorite activities, but there are many ways to do this safely:

1) Review safety rules. If your child is taking out their bicycle for the first time this season, or is heading outdoors for a fun evening at the park, review household safety rules. If you don’t have any rules about safety in your home, this is a great time to formulate some with your children and post them in a visible spot in your home. Remind your children, for example, to look both ways before crossing the street, and to use correct signals when making a turn on their bicycle.

2) Ensure that children are not distracted when heading out. Whether your teen is heading out for a jog or your younger child is heading out on a bicycle for the first time, encourage your children to stay alert. Discourage your children from using cell phones, mobile devices, or headphones while jogging, bicycling, or even just walking. Headphones and mobile devices distract can prevent your children from noticing cars, other pedestrians, and bicycles on the road. This distraction can easily contribute to a pedestrian or bicycling accident.

During the holidays, we all want children to have a wonderful season. Most of us purchase toys for younger friends, family members, and some of us even donate toys to our favorite charities. While toys are a big part of this time of year, toys can also mean personal injury. Each year, children are rushed to the hospital choking, or with head injuries, burns, and other injuries sustained from toys. Here are some ways to ensure that children stay safe this season:

1) When buying toys, read labels carefully. Only buy toys that are appropriate for the child recipient’s age, skill level, and interest. Also, carefully read warning labels as well as instructions. Assemble toys correctly and ensure that they are always used correctly.

2) Carefully check toys reviews. Just because a toy is on the market, unfortunately, this does not guarantee safety. Always carefully check toys for small parts if you are giving these toys to small children. Any item smaller than a child’s fist can present a choking hazard. Be especially vigilant about toys given to children who are three years of age or younger. Any small magnets, sharp parts, or detachable pieces can pose a hazard. Read online reviews to find out what other parents are saying about toys and to read professional opinions about toys safety.

Virtually all experts agree that good supervision can help prevent a host of injuries to minors and children. Correct supervision can avert a tragedy before it occurs and can get life-saving help to a child the instant an accident takes place. However, each year many children end up in the hospital emergency room in accidents that could have been prevented with better supervision. Supervision on its own is not enough – good quality supervision is the key to accident and injury prevention. Experts recommend a few tips for supervising children:

1) Supervise children at all times. Many individuals know that children need supervision around pools to prevent pool accidents and near drowning incidents, but all too often supervision is reserved for higher-risk activities. Unfortunately, brain injuries, broken bones, and other fatalities can occur during every day activities, too. Parents and caregivers need to ensure that children are safe at all times.

2) Add more supervision during activities that require more risks. Riskier activities – such as skiing, swimming, or contact sports – require more adult supervisors per child. Keep in mind too, that older children and minors also need supervision when taking part in riskier activities.

Many families are rightly concerned about the dangers to small children during the Halloween season. However, older children and teens also face several risks during this time of years:

1) Burn injuries. Children of all ages can burn themselves on candle decorations, dry ice used to decorate a punch bowl, jack o’ lanterns, and other Halloween accessories. Thin, flammable costumes only add to the dangers. Even makeup and face painting can cause skin reactions and burns if the chemicals used are harsh enough. Ensure that teens and children know good safety tips and ensure that children use face-appropriate make up. Keep a fire extinguisher near candles and jack o’ lanterns or use battery-powered lighting this Halloween.

2) Near drownings. Bobbing for apples and late-night dips in mild weather can pose a hazard. Ensure that your pool is properly secured if you will be having children and teens at your home. Ensure that any Halloween activities involving water – such as bobbing for apples – are correctly supervised.

Many children and adults are putting the final finishes on Halloween costumes at this time of year, but many costume choices are anything but safe. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and other safety experts, there are many dangers present in some costumes. Some pose a burn injury hazard, while others are not visible enough and can put a child at risk of pedestrian accidents. There are many costume hazards that parents can avoid by following these safe Halloween tips:

1) Fit costumes well. Avoid costumes that drag on the ground or have long, dangling sleeves. Costumes that drag on the ground can make it easy for a child to trip and fall. Long sleeves and parts can cause a child to become entangled in the costume and can pose a choking hazard as well.

2) Consider costume shoes carefully. Some shoes that come with costumes are really meant to be worn indoors. On fall leaves, these can cause slip and fall accidents. With home made costumes, ensure that shoes fit well. Do not allow children to wear adult oversize shoes with their costumes – this can be a tripping hazard.

During school hours, children have lots of supervision and structured time. During lunch hours, however, many children have more leeway. Staff may be busy eating their own lunches and some students stay away from supervision during the lunch hour. Here’s how to make sure your child avoids injuries during break:

1) Learn about lunchtime supervision at your child’s school. Ensure that cafeterias, class rooms, and other areas where children eat are monitored. If children are allowed outside during lunch, make sure school property is well monitored and supervised during the lunch hour. Many injuries can take place if children are running around a playground with no supervision.

2) Alert the school if your child has serious allergies. If your child has a life-threatening allergy, alert the school principal, teachers, and cafeteria staff. Ensure that your child has an ID bracelet all times alerting staff of the allergy. If your child is young, talk to your child’s class or have an adult talk to your child’s class about the allergy. This will help prevent classmates inadvertently offering your child a treat with an allergen in it.

Back to school can be an exciting time, but it can also mean new routines, less parental supervision, and therefore fewer bumps and scrapes. While small bumps are a normal part of childhood, serious personal injury shouldn’t be. Here’s how to keep your child safe when he or she heads back to school:

1) Get involved in the school. Getting involved in your child’s school is a great way to increase parental supervision in the classroom while also helping schools to stay safer. Working with schools also lets you notice any possible problems or potential injuries.

2) If you see a potential for injury, bring it to the attention of the school. If you do notice something that may cause an injury – such as a faulty gate or door, for example – bring it to the attention of the school via letter or at a meeting so that the school is accountable for making the change. Follow up to ensure that the problem has been resolved.

This past week in Canada, a three-year old girl was killed while playing near home exercise equipment. In May of this year, the four-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson died after becoming entangled in a cord hanging from a treadmill. Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), approximately 8,700 children under 5 years of age sustain personal injuries caused by exercise equipment. Approximately 16,500 children ages 5 to 14 sustain exercise equipment-related injuries each year.

Injuries from exercise equipment include head injuries, broken bones, strangulation, and even amputations. These injuries can occur on just about any type of home exercise equipment, but treadmills, stair climbers, and stationary bicycles seem to be the most frequent causes of childhood injuries. According to experts, there are several things that parents can do to reduce these types of injuries:

1) Read instruction manuals carefully. Many parents see exercise machines are innocuous and safe, but most instruction manuals carefully detail possible hazards. Being aware of these dangers is crucial in preventing injuries. Always assemble, use, and store exercise equipment in exactly the manner prescribed in the instructions.

When children are home from school in the summer, burn injuries are far more common. Unfortunately, burn injuries can occur just about anywhere – on a camping trip, at bath time, in the kitchen, in the backyard. Tragically, burn injuries to children can easily cause scarring, severe pain and even muscle or tissue damage. Since children are small, burn injuries can easily spread over large surfaces of the body, becoming potentially fatal. Here are some ways to prevent this type of tragedy this summer:

1) Practice fire smarts. Ensure that smoke detectors in your home are correctly installed and working properly. Rehearse your family escape plan at the start of summer.

2) Be careful during bath time. Never leave children alone in the bath tub during bath time. Not only is this a drowning risk, but children can easily burn themselves by turning on the hot water tap. Better yet, lower your water heat temperature to below 120°F. This will lower the risk of an accident burn.

Even though Independence Day is over, the risk of fireworks remains. Many homes have left over fireworks and many stores continue to sell fireworks after the 4th of July. In fact, many retailers are now discounting their fireworks, making them possibly more attractive to teens and children. Fireworks can cause serious burn injuries, eye injuries, head injuries, and other injuries. Prevent a firework accident with these tips:

1) Get rid of fireworks safely and responsibly or store them correctly until next year. If you have left over fireworks, call your local waste management authority to find out how to dispose of the fireworks responsibly. In most areas, you cannot simply place fireworks in your garbage because they are dangerous. Some communities have special fireworks pick-ups or drop-offs. If you decide to keep your fireworks, keep them in a cool, dry area where they won’t come into contact with heat. Keep them securely stored where children will not have access to them.

2) Talk to your children about the risks of fireworks. Some children may genuinely not understand how dangerous fireworks are. Discuss the possible injuries and risks of fireworks so that you children can understand the consequences of these products.