July 26, 2001 Loma Linda University Children's Hospital LLUCH joins with San Bernardino County board of supervisors in declaring June 21 through September 3 as ‘Safe Kids Summer 2001 Lori Holm (second from right), coordinator of the Loma Linda Safe Kids Campaign, attended a press conference at the San Bernardino County Government Building, during which members of local organizations discussed child safety. Also pictured are (from left) Claudia Spencer, Department of Public Health; Laura Petersen, 4 R Kids Sake; and Kent Paxton, Children’s Network. Nearly 3 million children are rushed to the emergency room every summer for serious injuries stemming from traffic collisions, drownings, bike crashes, exposure, falls, and other hazards. Avoidable accidents like these are the leading killer of children 14 and under. In an effort to decrease child injury and death this summer, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors has voted on a resolution declaring June 21 through September 3 as Safe Kids Summer 2001. Joining with the Board of Supervisors in this resolution are the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital Safe Kids Campaign, Children’s Network, the department of public health, Inland Regional Center, and 4 R Kids Sake. These groups joined at a press conference on Tuesday, June 19, to educate the public about children’s safety trends and ways to keep children safe during summer activities. They are supporting the National Safe Kids Coalition’s theme “Ride Safe, Swim Safe, Wheel Safe, Walk Safe, and Play Safe.” Ride Safe There are many ways in which cars can be deadly to children. Deaths occur both when children are passengers in vehicles involved in accidents, or when children are left alone in vehicles. Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk factor for death and injury among child passengers. For children who are restrained in child safety seats, approximately 85 percent are not restrained correctly. To keep child passengers safe: always restrain children in child safety seats and/or with safety belts; read the safety seat manual and your vehicle owner’s manual for directions on how to install your child safety seat; place infants (under 1 year old and 20 pounds) in a rear-facing safety seat in the back seat of cars with active passenger air bags—never in the front seat; put children older than 1 year old and between 20 and 40 pounds in a forward-facing safety seat.; use a booster safety seat and a lap/shoulder belt for children ages 4 to 8 (between 40 and 80 pounds); keep children 12 and under in the back seat; and call the Loma Linda Safe Kids Campaign at (909) 558-8118 for information on obtaining and installing safety seats. In warm weather, cars heat to high temperatures in minutes and can kill children left inside the passenger area or who become trapped in the trunk. Children can also get carbon monoxide poisoning, or be killed or injured by power windows or when the car is accidentally shifted into gear. Cars can also be stolen with children inside. A few simple precautions can save many children. Always keep car doors locked. Keep car keys out of children’s reach. Never leave a child alone in or around a car. “It’s as simple as taking your child out of the car,” says Laura Petersen, of 4 R Kids Sake, whose granddaughter, Kaitlyn Russell, died after being left in a vehicle last summer. “Your child’s safety, well-being, and life are worth more than the few minutes you may save.” Swim Safe Children drown swiftly and silently. They can drown in as little as one inch of water and in a matter of seconds. While drownings occur most often in swimming pools and lakes or rivers, children can also drown in wading pools, bathtubs, buckets, toilets, and hot tubs. To keep your children safe from drowning: never leave a child unsupervised, even for a second, around water. Empty all containers immediately after use and store out of reach; supervise children in pools at all times—don’t rely on personal flotation devices or swimming lessons to protect them; learn CPR and keep rescue equipment, a telephone, and emergency numbers near the pool; install four-sided isolation fencing around pools that is at least five feet high and has self-closing, self-latching gates; always wear personal flotation devices approved by the U.S. Coast Guard when on a boat or near open bodies of water; never dive in water less than nine feet deep; and don’t let children under 14 operate personal watercraft. Wheel Safe It is important for children to wear helmets when riding bikes, scooters, inline skates, and skateboards. Although the law only requires that kids wear helmets when riding bicycles, the National Safe Kids Coalition recommends that they wear helmets whenever they ride anything with wheels. Kids who don’t wear helmets when riding bicycles are 14 times more likely to be killed in a crash than those who wear helmets. It is estimated that 75 percent of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented with a bicycle helmet. To keep your children safe when riding bicycles and other wheeled toys: remember, a bicycle helmet is a must. Buy one that meets or exceeds the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s federal safety standard. Make sure children wear helmets every time they ride. wear the helmet correctly. It should fit comfortably and snugly, but not too tightly. It should sit on top of the head in a level position, and should not rock forward and back or side-to-side. The helmet straps must always be buckled. teach your children the rules of the road and to obey all traffic laws—ride on the right side of the road with traffic; use appropriate hand signals; respect traffic signals; stop at all stop signs and stop lights; and stop and look both ways before entering a street. make sure children ride on sidewalks and paths until they are age 10 and able to show how well they can observe the basic rules of the road. They should be supervised by an adult until they have reached this stage. Walk Safe Although deaths have decreased in recent years, cars still hold great danger for child pedestrians. Too often, children are hit by cars because they are impulsive and have difficulty judging speed, spatial relations, distance, and velocity. Until at least age 10, children’s auditory and visual acuity, depth perception, and proper scanning ability are not fully mature. To keep children safe from cars: never allow any child under age 10 to cross streets alone. always model and teach proper pedestrian behavior—cross streets at a corner, using crosswalks when possible; make eye contact with drivers before crossing in front of them; and don’t assume that the driver can see you. teach children to look left, right, and left again when crossing a street, and to continue looking as they cross. They should never run into the street. ensure that they wear reflective materials and carry a flashlight if walking at dawn or dusk. teach them to walk facing traffic, as far to the left as possible, when sidewalks are not available. do not allow them to play in driveways, streets, parking lots, or unfenced yards near streets. teach them to cross the street at least 10 feet in front of a school bus and to wait to be picked up on the same side of the street as the school bus loading/unloading area. Play Safe Whether they’re playing on the playground at school or participating in a sport, children run the risk of being injured when the conditions aren’t right. Each year, more than 775,000 children age 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries. Most of these injuries are from falls, collisions, overexertion, or being struck by an object. They usually occur during unorganized or informal sports activities. You can reduce the chances of children being injured during sports activities by: ensuring they wear the appropriate safety gear during both sports and recreational activities. making sure that sports programs include proper physical and psychological conditioning, use of appropriate safety equipment, a safe playing environment, adequate adult supervision, and enforced safety rules. Provide children with proper training and skill-building when they are learning a new sport. Group children according to skill level, weight, and physical maturity. ensuring that children drink enough liquids while engaging in athletic activities. Playgrounds that aren’t set up properly also pose a threat to children. The leading cause of playground equipment-related fatalities is strangulation, and the majority of these deaths occur on home playgrounds. Non-fatal playground equipment-related injuries, on the other hand, are most often due to falls. Most of these injuries take place on public playgrounds. To prevent injuries on playgrounds: avoid asphalt, concrete, grass, and soil surfaces under playground equipment. The safest substances are shredded rubber, hardwood fiber mulch or chips, and fine sand. These should be 12 inches deep and should extend at least six feet in all directions around the equipment. Other safe options are rubber mats and synthetic turf. ensure that the playground is inspected and maintained on a regular basis by someone qualified. ensure that your child’s school or child-care center has age-appropriate, well-maintained playground equipment, and that trained supervisors are present at all times when children are on the playground. report any playground safety hazards to the organization responsible for the site (for example, the school, park authority, or city council). always supervise children on playground equipment. Maintain visual and auditory contact. Prevent unsafe behaviors like pushing, shoving, crowding, and inappropriate use of the equipment. ensure that children use age-appropriate playground equipment. Maintain separate play areas for children under age 5. remove hood and neck drawstrings from all children’s outerwear. Never allow children to wear necklaces, purses, scarves, or clothing with drawstrings while on playgrounds. Many children have strangled when such items became entangled on playground equipment. For more information on how to keep your children safe in these and other situations, contact the Loma Linda Safe Kids Campaign at (909) 558-8118. All contents copyright © 2001 Loma Linda University. All rights reserved. Revised