As the warm weather rolls in, kids start venturing outside. After a long school year of learning, they’re finally able to enjoy bike riding, scooter racing, swimming, running through sprinklers, playing sports, and traveling to new cities. Sweet freedom.
With this comes greater opportunities for injuries, however. Your kids can fall off their bikes or scooters, scrape themselves on sand and rocks at the beach, suffer seatbelt burns while traveling, or fall down on cement while running. This can cause lacerations, burns, and other wounds that require stitches and visits to the doctor.
It’s important to take the proper precautions to ensure your children remain safe throughout June, July, and August. Follow these summer safety tips to help your children avoid painful injuries.
Traveling by Car
Whether you’re driving 30 minutes to the beach or four hours to a weekend getaway destination, it’s important to strap your kids in safely. Follow state laws regarding child seat belt safety. New York requires children under 4 to remain in child safety seats. Infants and toddlers should be secured in rear-facing car seats until about the age of 2. Children should be kept in booster seats until the age of 8. Kids, especially those in rear-facing car seats, should always ride in the backseat. Ensure you’ve securely fastened your child into the booster seat. These precautions ensure your child will be safeguarded during an accident and from seat belt burns.
Playground
Every year, more than 200,000 children are treated for playground-related injuries. Cuts, pinches, and crushes can be caused by any number of accidents, from running into equipment and being hit by swings, to snagging clothing on rides. While it’s often tough to prevent all of these mishaps, try to watch out for potential hazards. Go to a playground with soft, cushioned surfaces instead of cement. Warn your children about sharp points or edges, or rides and activities lacking guardrails or barriers. Keep them away from the swings while in use. Teach your child to take turns and not play rough.
Your kids can fall off their bikes or scooters, scrape themselves on sand and rocks at the beach, suffer seatbelt burns while traveling, or fall down on cement while running.
Sports
You may enroll your children in a summer sports camp or with a team at home. As a precautionary measure, have them undergo a sports physical exam with their pediatrician. Help them get in shape before the camp or season begins, with fun training exercises. Talk with your child about the importance of safety equipment and warm-ups and cool-downs. Ensure your child takes one to two days off, to rest.
Lawn Care
Kids love to be outside. They may come rushing out the door while you’re tending to the lawn, or decide they want to help. However, you need to keep children under the age of 5 inside the house. Kids under 12 shouldn’t push the mower and those younger than 16 shouldn’t drive them. Never let your kids ride on them, either. Store lawn mowers in a locked location away from children so they don’t burn themselves.
In the Home
Because school is out, your kids will be spending more time in your home, constantly curious about what activity they can tackle next. The most important baby- and toddler-proofing step to take is to check your windows. During the summer months, you’re more likely to keep your windows open, meaning there’s a higher risk children may fall. Screens won’t support or catch them. Keep furniture at least 3 feet away from windows to avoid falls, and plant bushes beneath them outside, as cushioning. Other precautionary measures include keeping cords out of walkways, limiting the number of throw rugs or tape them down, using toddler gates in stairways and doorways, and having kids wear non-skid shoes.
Bicycles, Skateboards & Scooters
Often, the summer months are the time when children first learn to ride bikes, skateboards, roller skates or blades, and scooters. This means there are greater chances for falls and injuries. Make sure your kids don their safety gear including sneakers or closed-toe shoes, elbow and knee pads, wrist guards or gloves, padded jackets or shorts, hip pads, and the right helmets. Before kids head out on bikes or in-line skates, ensure they understand the rules of the road and that they must always ride in the direction of traffic. Warn them not to text and ride, to obey traffic signals, and to use their horns or bells if necessary. For skateboard and scooter riders, ensure they play on smooth, paved surfaces, they stay away from other vehicles, and carry their skateboard or scooter when crossing the street.
Hydration & Water Safety
Ensuring your children maintain the proper hydration during the severe heat of the summer is critical. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) advises children to drink two to four glasses of water each hour when playing outside. Never leave your children in a parked car—even with the windows open—and always supervise them when around or in water.
What to Do If an Injury Occurs
It’s best to get the injury looked at immediately.
BooBoos RX, the laceration repair services division of Buglino Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, treats a wide range of injuries including lacerations, complex wounds, skin punctures, facial trauma, abrasions and road rash, burns, and scars. This can save you time and a trip to the hospital.
Call us at (516) 864-0700. We’ll advise you whether to come directly to the office, or we’ll meet you at the hospital, depending on the injury. If you end up having to go to the hospital, Dr. Anthony Buglino can fast-track the process, so you don’t have to wait long. BooBoos RX provides extra-special care to its pediatric patients, ensuring comfortable experiences. We have iPads loaded with games and cartoons to distract kids while Dr. Buglino treats their injuries.
