Extra care needed to prevent summer injuries in children

By Nick Rees

As the temperature rises and more and more children are spending time outdoors, injury rates for the young can rise accordingly if proper precautions aren't taken.

"In the summer, we're seeing more injuries, from broken bones or sprains to burns, usually from fireworks," Dr. David Oppenheim, MD, selected as a Chicago Top Doctor by TopTierMD as a top rated pediatrician in Chicago, says. "Just being outside more in general leads to more injuries to children. They might fall off of a slide, have a pool accident or not wear a helmet when biking."

According to a 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, 9.2 million children a year visited emergency rooms for unintentional injuries from 2000 through 2006. These injuries were the leading cause of death among children, accounting for 12,000 fatalities a year.

Nonfatal injuries to children under the age of nine that result in emergency room are most commonly from falls, getting hit with an object or from animal or insect related injuries.

"Children are less sedentary in the summer, which means we're going to see higher injury rates," Dr. Oppenheim says. "Conversely, we like the fact that children are not sedentary for the overall health aspect of keeping active and exercise, so summer is good, but people need to be on their toes about various precautions they can take to keep their kids safe."

To keep children safe during summer activities, it is important that parents actively supervise their children. Studies have also shown that children are more apt to follow proper safety behavior if they see their parents doing the same.

"Parents need to keep extra vigilance on their children during summer activities," Dr. Oppenheim said.

Proper safety gear should be utilized for each activity, including the use of helmets for wheeled sports, seat belts or car seats when traveling and a life jacket for open water swimming and boating.

"For pool safety, make sure that kids learn how to swim," Dr. Oppenheim said. "For kids, until they're very good at swimming, make sure that you stay very close at all times."

Hydration is one area that is often overlooked when making sure that children are safe during the summer time. Children need to stay properly hydrated and should drink cold water or non-carbonated beverages every 20 minutes, even if they are not thirsty.

Additionally, when heat and humidity are at their highest, heat exhaustion can set in. Intense activities for children should be limited to 15 minutes or less during these times. As children acclimate to the summer heat, activity time can be increased.

If children say that they are tired or achy, they should rest in the shade. If the child's skin is hot to the touch or becomes disoriented in hot weather, seek immediate medical help.

Dr. David Oppenheim, MD, was selected by TopTierMD as a Chicago Top Doctor and is considered Best in Pediatrics in Chicago. He specializes in well child care and the treatment of asthma.