Watchful Eye Is Best Protection

Did you ever stop to count up how many ways an unsupervised youngster can get injured?

As I walked my 8-year-old to school the other day, she asked me when I thought she’d be old enough to walk to school alone. After all, she saw several of her classmates walking alone.

When could she finally cross the street by herself? Some of her friends do now.

When would she be old enough to ride her bike or go to the playground unsupervised?

All were an easy answer: “When you’re 30,” I said.

Glib, but what choice did I have? There are no concrete answers to those questions.

My daughter’s chance for a little more freedom took a hit the other day when I came across statistics from the National Safe Kids Campaign: 14 million youngsters 14 and under receive unintentional injuries each year that result in emergency room treatment.

“More than 90% of unintentional child injuries can be prevented if parents use just a little common sense and a little more forethought,” said Pam Bryant, community education director for Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

Bryant is also co-founder of the new Orange County Safe Kids Coalition, which is an affiliate of the National Safe Kids Campaign, and recommends its checklist for all the ways children can be injured.

Walk with me through the list and see if you find some surprises:

Falls: Falls remain the leading cause of unintentional injury to children. Children 5 and under account for more than half of these.

And where do these youngsters fall?

More than 80% of such injuries to 4-year-olds and under come in the home.

They can fall playing or down the stairs or sitting in windowsills that you thought were safe.

“Just keeping furniture away from a windowsill can sometimes prevent a fall,” Bryant said.

Playgrounds: At our local public playground, I’m always amazed at the number of parents who run off to play soccer or baseball on the nearby field and leave small children unattended. Studies by Safe Kids show that 70% of playground injuries come at public playgrounds--and nearly half when children are unsupervised.

But it’s not falls that cause most of playground deaths. Nearly half were caused by strangulation, either on the equipment or catching clothing on the equipment (like a drawstring around the neck on a sweater).

But the main playground culprits for injuries: swings, climbers and slides.

Shopping carts: See the accompanying article, but take heed that about two-thirds of all children who fall from a shopping cart suffer head injuries. Watch for toddlers trying to climb into a shopping cart on their own; it can result in tipping the cart over onto them.

Poisoning: Here’s a big home danger. More than 90% of all poisonings of children occur in the home.

And we’re not talking about small numbers here. More than 1.1 million unintentional poisonings among children 5 and under are reported to poison control centers in the U.S. annually.

Sports and recreation: Here’s a Safe Kids statistic that surprised me: More injuries in organized sports come in practice than in actual games.

More than 3 million children 14 and under suffer injuries from sports or other recreational activities, and some 225 children die from these injuries each year. Brain injuries are the leading cause of these deaths.

General home injuries: More than 6,000 children die each year from unintentional injuries suffered within the home. About 70% were children 4 and under.

What’s surprising to me here is the list of ways children die each year from home injuries: fires, drowning, suffocation, unintentional firearms injury, poisoning and falls.

School injuries: We don’t stop to think of this, but our youngsters spend about one-fourth of their waking hours in school or on school property during the school year. About 2.2 million suffer injuries at schools each year.

School bus: Many injuries occur when children are boarding or exiting the school bus because of the driver’s “blind spot,” which extends about 10 feet around the bus. Children should be taught to make sure a bus is at least 10 feet away before crossing the street.

Vehicle occupants: About 60% of all motor vehicle crashes occur when speed limits are 40 mph or slower. More than one-fifth of all traffic fatalities in which children are victims involve alcohol.

Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk factor for children in a vehicle. The risk is considered twice as high for these children as for those in restraints such as seat belts or car seats.

Toy injuries: Toys are supposed to be fun. Three billion toys and games are sold each year. But more than 100,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year from toy-related injuries. Though most toy deaths are the result of choking, most injuries come from riding toys.

Pedestrians: About 24,000 children each year suffer motor-vehicle-related injuries as pedestrians. Special note: More than half of all toddler pedestrian injuries occur when a vehicle is backing up.

Drowning: Although the vast majority of child drownings occur in swimming pools, about 10% of the drownings occur in the bathtub--and more than half of those with no adult supervision.

Bicycle injuries: More than 350,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for bicycle-related injuries. In about 80% of the bicycle-related deaths, the bicyclist is at fault.

Airway obstructions: Studies show that children are more likely to suffocate from an obstructed nose during the summer months and an obstructed windpipe during the winter months. Improper cribs or crib bedding are responsible for two-thirds of all nursery-product-related deaths among infants.

Burns: Nearly 85,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for burns. Scald burns accounted for nearly one-third of these injuries--and most of those from hot foods or liquids in the kitchen. Note: Because small children have thinner skin than older children and adults, their skin burns at lower temperatures and more deeply.

Firearms: About 1,500 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for firearms-related injuries. Almost 90% of firearm related deaths among children (about 150 yearly) occur in the home.

Trunk entrapment: Though these injury numbers are low, it’s important to note: Nearly 40% of all children entrapped in a trunk, such as a car trunk, do not survive.

By the way, I asked Pam Bryan just what a good age is to let your child walk to school alone.

“There is no magic number,” she said. “But certainly not 8. Maybe 9 or 10, depending on the child. You should never let them go off alone until you feel comfortable as a parent doing so.”

*

Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 966-7789 or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Out of Harm’s Way

We try to protect our children. But sometimes despite our best efforts, they can find themselves in unsafe situations. Here’s a look at some ways your children could be in danger, even in their own neighborhood:

FALLS: Falls remain the leading cause of unintentional injury to children.

Each year more than 2.5 million children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. Children 5 and under account for more than half of these.

PLAYGROUNDS: Maintaining adequate surfacing on playground equipment is essential in reducing the risk of falling. Swings, climbers and slides account for 85% of playground-related injuries.

SHOPPING CARTS: About two-thirds of all children who fall from a shopping cart receive head injuries. Watch for toddlers trying to climb into a shopping cart on their own; it can result in tipping the cart over onto them.

POISONING: More than 90% of all poisonings of children occur in the home. More than half are by non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleaning substances, pesticides art supplies and alcohol.

SPORTS & RECREATION: More than 3 million children 14 and under suffer injuries from sports or other recreational activities, and some 225 children die from these injuries each year. Brain injuries are the leading cause of these deaths.

Most injuries in organized sports come in practice, not the actual games.

HOME INJURIES: More than 6,000 children die each year from unintentional injuries suffered within the home. About 70% were children 4 and under.

SCHOOL INJURIES: About 2.2 million children suffer school-related injuries each year. Note: Lack of supervision is associated with 40% of playground injuries at school.

SCHOOL BUS: Many injuries occur when children are boarding or exiting the school bus due to the driver’s “blind spot” which extends about 10 feet around the bus. Children should be taught to make sure a bus is at least 10 feet away before crossing the street.

VEHICLE OCCUPANTS: About 60% of all motor vehicle crashes occur when speed limits are 40 miles an hour or lower. More than one-fifth of all traffic fatalities for children involve alcohol.

Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk factor for children in a vehicle. The risk is considered twice as high for these children as those children in restraints, such as a seat belt or a car seat.

TOY INJURIES: More than 100,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year from toy-related injuries. Though most toy deaths are the result of choking, most injuries come from riding toys.

PEDESTRIANS: About 24,000 children some motor-vehicle related injuries as pedestrians. Note: More than half of all toddler pedestrian injuries occur when a vehicle is backing up.

DROWNING:More than 1,000 children die from drownings each year in the U.S. Four times than many are hospitalized for near-drowning. While the vast majority relate to swimming pools, about 10% of the drownings occur in the bathtub--and more than half of those with no adult supervision.

BICYCLE INJURIES: More than 350,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for bicycle-related injuries. The vast majority of such injuries from crashes with vehicles occurs within a mile of the child’s home. In about 80% of the bicycle-related deaths, the bicyclist is at fault.

AIRWAY OBSTRUCTIONS: Studies show that children are more likely to suffocate during the summer months and an obstructed windpipe during the winter months. Improper cribs or crib bedding are responsible for two-thirds of all nursery-product-related deaths among infants.

BURNS: Nearly 85,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for burns. Scald burns accounted for nearly one-third of these injuries--and most of those from hot foods or liquids in the kitchen. Note: Because small children have thinner skin than older children and adults, their skin burns at lower temperatures and more deeply.

FIREARMS: About 1,500 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for firearms-related injuries--nearly 40% require hospitalization. Almost 90% of firearm related deaths among children (about 150 yearly) occur in the home.

Home Injuries: More than 6,000 children die each year from unintentional injuries suffered within the home. About 70% were children 4 and under.

Vehicle Occupants: About 60% of all motor vehicle crashes occur when speed limits are 40 miles an hour or lower. More than one-fifth of all traffic fatalities for children involve alcohol.

Riding unrestrained is the greatest risk factor for children in a vehicle. The risk is considered twice as high for these children as for those in restraints, such as seat belts or car seats.

Pedestrians: About 24,000 children suffer motor vehicle related injuries as pedestrians. Note: More than half of all toddler pedestrian injuries occur when a vehicle is backing up.