Keeping Your Kids Safe This Summer
Water Safety:
Drowning is the third leading cause of death in young children. Kids Health First Pediatric Alliance asks parents to be especially vigilant regarding children and water, whether they are in a pool, river, ocean or the bathtub.
- Keep a watch on young children at all times, even in shallow water, as children can drown in the moment it takes to answer a phone.
- Allow children to swim only in areas where there is a lifeguard nearby.
- Ensure everyone wears a life vest while riding in a boat or motorized water vehicle.
- Make sure life jackets are the proper size for your child. They should be tight fitting and always worn with belted straps.
- Do not use air-filled floatable toys as a substitute for approved life vests.
- Remove all toys from the pool after use so children aren't tempted to reach for them.
- Keep children younger than age 4 within an arm's distance of a watchful adult.
- Follow American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on waiting until children are age 4, when they are developmentally ready, before enrolling them in swimming lessons.
- Prevent children from wading or swimming in the water when there is a storm or lightning.
- Prevent children from running around a pool, pushing people into the water or dunking other swimmers.
Sun Safety:
Because skin damage occurs with each unprotected exposure and accumulates over the course of a lifetime, sun safety for children should be a priority for parents and other caregivers. Kids Health First Pediatric Alliance recommends the following precautions before heading outside with your children this summer.
- Prevent sunburns by keeping children out of the sunlight and covering them in sunscreen with an SPF of 15+. Reapply every two hours if your child is sweating or swimming. If a child gets a rash from sunscreen, use PABA-free lotion.
- Keep children younger than 6 months out of direct sunlight. If infants must be in the sun, put them under an umbrella, clothe them in lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and brimmed hats that shade the neck. When infants cannot be completely protected by shade and clothing, coat them lightly with sunscreen.
- Use extra burn prevention near water and sand, which both reflect UV rays and may quickly result in sunburn.
- Protect your child's eyes with 100% UV-absorbent wraparound sunglasses that protect eyes from all angles.
- Pack sunscreen in your children's lunch boxes or book bags, and remind them to reapply each time before going outdoors.
- Treat sunburns with aloe or another cooling agent and a cool bath to soothe the pain.
- The sun's rays are at their peak between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Plan outdoor activities at other times to minimize exposure.
- Make sure your children are well-hydrated before prolonged physical activity, and enforce periodic drinking of water even if they don't feel thirsty.
- Shorten the time of outdoor sports practices and games during extreme heat, and institute frequent water breaks.
- Reduce the intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more whenever high heat and humidity reach critical levels.
Safety on Wheels:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that more than 100,000 people end up in emergency rooms each year from skateboarding injuries and nearly 1,000 are killed each year in bicycle-related accidents. Kids Health First Pediatric Alliance recommends the following tips to keep your children and teens accident-free this summer.
- Make sure your child wears a snug-fitting helmet, and adjust the chin strap tightly enough so the helmet pulls down when the child opens his mouth. Children who skate should also wear knee, wrist and elbow pads.
- Don't push a child to ride a two-wheeled bike before he is ready, normally about age 5 or 6.
- Buy a bike that is the right fit for your child-not one he will grow into-as children have more accidents on oversized bikes.
- Do not allow young children to ride in the street. Older children should only ride in the daylight hours and wear bright colored clothing or a bright colored vest.
- Find a smooth surface to ride on, especially for skaters, as holes, bumps, and debris could make your child fall.
- Tell your child never to skitch, or hold on to a moving vehicle, in order to skate or ride very fast. People have died while skitching.
- Offer children who want to learn how to in-line skate instructions by a certified instructor from the International In-line Skating Association who can teach him proper technique.
- Prohibit children age 5 or younger from skateboarding because they have yet to develop the proper balance and body control. Children age 6 to 10 should be closely supervised by an adult.
- Choose a proper sized skateboard for your child. Shorter boards are best for beginners because they are easier to maneuver.