Oh, the Weather Outside
is Frightful
Keeping your children
safe from winter weather and outdoor activities
Many children found sleds
under the Christmas tree this year, but while sledding can be a
fun thrill, it can also be dangerous.
More than 34,000 Americans
needed emergency room treatment last year as a result of sledding
injuries, and there has been a 30 percent increase in sledding injuries
in the United States since 1990, says the US Consumer Product
Safety Commission.
Children aged 5 to 9 are
most susceptible. That is because they lack experience with speed
and have underdeveloped coordination.
Sledding on a street is
five times more likely to result in an injury than sledding in a
yard or park. Most sledding accidents happen on weekends in January
and February, and people who sled in a headfirst position are most
vulnerable to injury.
Safety
Advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) offers the following safety advice:
-
Use sleds that you
can steer rather than snow discs.
-
Sled only where
the bottom of the hill is away from motor traffic.
-
Watch out for trees
and snow-covered hazards.
-
Do not ride flat.
Sit up and face forward.
-
Wear a bike helmet
and mouth guard.
-
Climb back up the
hill on the side of the sled run, not in the middle where
you may be hit by another sled.
-
Do not ride sleds
onto water hazards, such as rivers or streams with thin ice.
Always consult your child's
physician for more information.
Winter
Sunburn Risk Soars on Mountain Tops
Parents, take note: The
sun's ultraviolet A and B rays can be as strong on a mountaintop
in winter as they are at the beach in summer, a new study says.
This makes the risk of
sunburn and the potential threat of skin cancer as serious a concern
for skiers and snowboarders as it is for swimmers.
The study, published in
a recent issue of the Archives of Dermatology,
is the first to scientifically validate the level of winter sun
exposure in those who ski—and the results surprised even the
researchers.
"We always knew that the
winter sun had the potential to cause sunburn, but we were surprised
to see just how powerful those rays are—and how quickly and
easily you can get burned on a mountaintop," says study author Dr.
Darrell Rigel, a professor of dermatology at New York University
School of Medicine.
According to Rigel's study,
spending one hour on the slopes at lower elevations at Vail, Colo.,
in December is equal in sun exposure to spending one hour on the
beach in New York in June.
Always consult your child's
physician for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization is not
responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Archives
of Dermatology
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
US
Consumer Product Safety Commission
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February 2003
Keeping
Your Children Safe From Winter Weather and Outdoor Activities
Safety
Advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Winter
Sunburn Risk Soars on Mountain Tops
Play
It Safe With Snowboarding
Online
Resources
In Other Children's Health
News:
Play
It Safe With Snowboarding
Important tips
for equipment and rider safety
There are few winter activities
as thrilling and stylish as slicing down the slopes on a snowboard.
However, because of its speed and tricks, snowboarding is also one
of the most dangerous winter sports.
In 2000, more than 18,500
children ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for
snow skiing-related injuries. Another 24,700 children ages 5 to
14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snowboarding-related
injuries.
Because snowboarders are
injured in an array of age groups, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has prepared a safety tip
sheet about the sport. Snowboarders should take a lesson, and make
sure they are physically fit before beginning a day on the slopes.
Riders should also take care before trying to jump, since that maneuver
is the greatest cause of spinal injuries for snowboarders.
Another important safety
concern is equipment. Each time you use a snowboard, you should
inspect it to make sure it is in good condition. When getting a
new board, riders should have it adjusted and fitted in a ski shop.
Snowboarders should dress in layers, wearing wind- and water-resistant
clothing on the outside and a comfortable fabric that dries quickly
on the inside. They should also wear eye protection and sunscreen,
the CDC advises.
Perhaps most importantly,
when snowboarders are on the slopes, they should stay in control.
They should warm up on easy runs at the beginning of the day, stay
on marked trails, avoid risky tricks, and be willing to walk down
a run if it gets too difficult. Because many injuries are caused
by fatigue, snowboarders should take frequent breaks, the CDC
says.
Always consult your child's
physician for more information.
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