I overheard a really scary statistic in the office today. In our hospital (to remain nameless to protect the innocent...and myself), less than 10% of bike crashes that are admitted for treatment or observation are wearing a helmet at the time of injury. You wanna know the same statistic for kids wearing helmets on ripsticks and scooters? 0%. Yes. ZERO.
Let me rephrase that. If your kid got in a bike crash and was injured enough to be admitted to the hospital - 9 out of 10 of them weren't wearing a helmet. None of the ripstick and scooter kids who were hurt enough to need admission were wearing helmets. NONE.
Awesome.
So when should they start wearing helmets? When they start picking up some speed? When they are big enough to lose the training wheels when they're tall enough to be more than a foot from the ground?? No. Start the practice of wearing a helmet the FIRST time they ever get on wheels in the first place. Come on. You know the drill. The earlier you introduce good habits (and morals for that matter), the easier they stick. And the less you have to fight with them later about it.
Is there a conclusion for this? Yes. We can't fix brains. So protect them. If your kid doesn't like the helmet, no bike. No scooter. You're the adult. Set the rules. They'll appreciate it when they don't have to go to prom in a wheelchair with a chaperone to suction out their tracheostomy. And if they don't appreciate it then, it doesn't matter anyway.
But this little face matters...
Lady Bug helmet by Bell on June, age 3 1/2y at time of picture, and Disney Cars helmet on Max age 2 years. Both under $20.
If you offend easily, this is not the blog for you...
I've made a very good living off of other people's bad choices. And frankly, in this day and age, there's no excuse for ignorance in the arena of car safety. I've seen statistics anywhere from 73-98% of car seats are used incorrectly. So here's the down and dirty on keeping your kiddos safe in the car.
THE LAW
Law mandates that a child less than 8 years old and less than 4 feet, 9 inches must be in a car seat device at all times and restrained according to the seat's instruction. Right off the bat that means if you have a 1 year old, they must be in a 5 point harness and rear facing. Period. It's law. Along with that, if you have an older child that no longer sits in a safety seat, they have to be in a seat belt at all times including the shoulder strap. So if you're taking a long road trip and Jr wants to lay down to sleep, he has to stay in the shoulder strap. Period. It's law.
Why is the "law" important? Well if you're asking that question, we have several other things to talk about. But think of it this way....the law is always several years behind expert recommendations. So if it's written in law that something is necessary.....it's really, really necessary.
THE RECOMMENDATION
So what do the experts recommend? A big push that we are trying to make is to keep your baby rear facing until at least 2 years of age or longer.
Longer?!? But my kid can't see!! His legs are bent!! He doesn't look comfortable!!!
So what. He doesn't know any different. Comfortable? You know what's uncomfortable?? A traumatic brain injury. Skull fractures. Having your face busted into a hundred tiny pieces. That's uncomfortable. And you know what? It happens all the time. Often. Frequently. Don't test me on this. And honestly, have you not seen how kids sit on the floor? If he has to sit with his legs crossed in his seat, he'll live. Thankfully. (And on that note, children are not to ride in the front seat until their 13th birthday.)
And guess what? Other countries with lower death and injury rates keep their kids rear facing well through the toddler years. Think 4 years old. And this is normal to them. Read about it here and watch the video below.
INSTALLATION (of seat and child)
Some installation tips and videos can be found here on the Safe Kids website.
There was once a time when people said you can go to the Firestation down the street to get your seat checked, but that's no longer a great idea. Firemen are not car seat technicians. They can help you read the directions, but that's about it. If you're in the Fort Worth area you can call Safe Kids Tarrant County at 682-885-2634 to schedule a FREE car seat check. Other car seat techs can be found by visiting the Safe Kids website of your area.
But how do you know if your child is in the seat correctly?? Here's a good list to review! Unfortunately this list doesn't discuss proper clip placement. The chest clip should be at the nipples/armpit area. Not lower - this can cause significant abdominal organ injuries.
The tightness is also important. Children do in fact fly out of seats and through windows when their seats are installed correctly but aren't tight enough in the straps. Do the pinch test.
The safest place for them to sit is in the back middle seat. If you don't have a back middle seat, the next safest place is directly behind the driver. (I can already hear the cries of the ignorant mothers...."But I can't see him! What if I need to get to him?" Again I say this: So what. You can't see him. You really need to get to him? Then pull over. You shouldn't be reaching back there anyway to get to a rear facing child. Pull over.)
If you have multiple child passenger safety seats that need to be installed, the infant seat should go in the middle. It is not side impact reinforced. Larger convertible seats are, so they are safer to go behind the driver or passenger. And they should be rear facing. Still.
A NOTE ON FLYING OBJECTS (CHILDREN INCLUDED):
If you don't want your children to be flying objects in a crash, don't put them in a big fluffy coat in their car seat or booster. I promise they won't freeze to death. Just take their coat off before getting in the seat and give them a blanket (as long as they aren't newborns) and they'll be fine. I can't make that same promise if you put them in a fat coat. When a crash happens, the coat compresses and they can fly out of their seats. At high speeds. Through windows. Please hear me: soft skin does not fair well against concrete and asphalt. Nor do growing brains.
Other flying objects include coffee mugs, cds, books, strollers, or anything else you don't have tied down. You think this is over reacting? Let me tell you the story about a kid I saw who had a wreck with a box of ceramics in the back.
And next time, put your paint in the trunk.
Here's the thing guys. This is simple. It's not difficult. We aren't suggesting you build a fort to place around them anytime they leave the house. This takes no extra time and very little if any extra effort. I would love to place pictures of what my forward facing patients look like, but apparently that's illegal. It's a shame. I think that's the only way some of you would see the risk you take. But please, let my professional knowledge and experience be enough for you to do the wise thing and follow these recommendations.
"Wow. Why do you gotta start like that? After months of silence?"
Yeah get over it. Just read this crap.
HYPERTHERMIA
No, this is not when your kid runs themselves around so crazy until they pass out from heat exhaustion. Here, hyperthermia stands for a kiddo who dies in a hot car. Texas is the leading state in this tragedy. So pay attention. here's some chilling statistics:
- The temperature goes up 20 degrees in 10 minutes, up 30 degrees in 20 minutes, up 50+ degrees in an hour.
- 51% of hyperthermia deaths are children forgotten by their caregivers
- 30% are children who went to play in the car and couldn't get out
- almost 500 deaths IN TEXAS since 1998
Here's a news story by a nurse at Cook who lost her little 4 year old Lilly last summer in the blistering hot SUV....while she was on maternity leave. Seriously. Local Mom Raises Warnings After Child's Death
Some great take home tips:
-put something in the front seat or on the steering wheel that reminds you the kiddo is in the backseat
-put something in the backseat by the child like your phone or your house keys (keep them separate from your car key like on a carabiner clip for easy access) So you have to go back there before you go inside
-always lock your car when not in use and check the backseat when you go inside even if the kids aren't with you, put the keys where they're inaccessible to children
-NEVER run back inside to grab something or make a quick trip to the bathroom while you leave the kid in the car. It's not worth the risk of forgetting your child in a car that reaches death temperatures in under 10 minutes!!
Don't believe me that they're dangerous? We had 3 amputations and two impalements in ONE MONTH from riding AND push mowers. Here's a story (and a gnarly picture) of one family that was ready to talk about it.
Some more good tips:
- Children (and adults) should be inside if a mower is turned on. They shoot debris out all the time. Don't get caught taking a wire to the neck.
- Children should never be on a riding lawn mower. Period.
- wear boots and jeans when mowing. Even if you don't get debris it'll protect you from snake bites. That's another post for another time. But trust me.
Want to know if your kid is ready to mow the lawn? Here's AAP's recommendations for you:
For those of you who think I'm jaded or over protective or whatever other bull you can come up with to deny the reality of these situations....just ask yourself if you're willing to risk that for your own child.
I'm not.
- Brought to you by 'Can't Fix Stupid' Trauma Publications
Mom and I went to register this past weekend, and wow. Some of this stuff people buy...give me a break. Some of it is great for a busy mom who needs to cut some corners on time, and some of it is just flat out lazy!! Geez louise. That's why I have job security. No need to actually watch them with some of this stuff on the market. And then when they climb up on the TV set and pull it over on top of themselves or "miraculously" get in the backyard for an afternoon swim, everyone is shocked at how they accomplished that feat!
And then time to register for a carseat. Luckily I work with just the right people for this info. The Injury Prevention Coordinator in my office made a few recommendations (and no, any carseat isn't just a carseat) - there's entire conferences on carseats people. Seriously. So now I will get on my car seat safety box for a second. New recommendations from AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is rear-facing car seat until 2 years old. The previous recommendation was 1year-18months old AND at least 20 pounds. That means if your 8 month old is 21 pounds, they still sit rear facing. BUT!!!! Now they say if they can stay rear-facing until 2 years or longer (as long as their knees are off their chest) then that is the best practice. This is all based off muscle and bone development for their little cervical spines and the repeated injuries we see in this age group. And I can also attest to some pretty severe facial injuries in forward facing kiddos, too.
And for crying out loud - put your kid in the backseat with BOTH a lap belt and shoulder strap until they are 13. Yes, 13. Just do it. Don't ask me why. If you really don't believe me on this, I'll tell you some stories. Not one or two, but lots of stories. Cervical spine injuries aren't jokes. Feeding tubes and a urinary catheter every 6 hours aren't jokes.
Ok. I'm done with that.
I am having fun looking at tiny little clothes and planning the nursery. A Neverland Nursery. Oh yes yes yes. Complete with the London Clock Tower, pirates, mermaids, and of course...fairies.
"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies." JM Barrie, from the book Peter Pan.
I overheard a really scary statistic in the office today. In our hospital (to remain nameless to protect the innocent...and myself), less than 10% of bike crashes that are admitted for treatment or observation are wearing a helmet at the time of injury. You wanna know the same statistic for kids wearing helmets on ripsticks and scooters? 0%. Yes. ZERO.
