The National Safe Kids Campaign estimates that every year, one in
four kids ages 14 and younger will sustain an injury that requires
medical attention. Forty percent of all injury-related emergency room
visits and 42 percent of all injury deaths happen between May and
August, they report, but it's not all bad news. We can keep kids free
from about 90 percent of these accidents by educating ourselves and our
kids on how to stay safe while still enjoying summer vacation.
Bites & Stings
Planning to spend time outside means planning to spray yourself and your kids with insect repellent -- repellents don't kill insects, but they can help reduce bites from mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and other bothersome bugs.
There are different types of repellents: those that contain DEET
and those that don't. Use insect repellents containing DEET on kids
sparingly. Never use repellent on infants and check the levels of DEET
in formulas before applying to older kids DEET can be toxic.
Repellents with 10 to 30 percent concentrations of DEET can be used on
exposed skin, clothing, and shoes but do not apply it to faces or hands.
If you want to avoid DEET, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) recommends repellents that contain picaridin or oil of
lemon eucalyptus, both are non-toxic and able to reduce mosquito bites
just as well as formulas with low levels of DEET.Ticks
Outdoorsy types aren't the only ones who need to worry about ticks
-- you could pick one up in your own yard while gardening or playing
outside. Prevent tick bites and tick-borne illnesses with these four
steps:
Clothing
It's smart to wear light-colored clothing
and shoes during the summertime because they help keep you cooler --
and, as it turns out, they help you spot any ticks that may be crawling
on you. Also, although it won't win you any fashion awards, tucking your
pant legs into your socks can help minimize ticks crawling up your legs
or into your shoes.
Repellent
Insect repellents that contain DEET
or permethrin can reduce your chances of tick bites. DEET products may
be applied directly to exposed skin (not skin under your clothing) and
to clothing, but should be used sparingly on kids -- look for products
with about 20 percent DEET concentration, and apply it to your child's
body, avoiding his or her face and hands. Permethrin should only be
applied to clothing.
Know Your Enemy
Ticks like to hang out in grassy or wooded areas, and they are especially fond of places that are moist or humid.
Pool Safety
They don't hang those "No running!" signs poolside for decoration.
According to SafeKids, in 2006 more than 3,700 kids younger than 5 years
old were injured in near-drowning incidents, and every year, more than 830 kids ages 14 and younger die due to unintentional drowning.
It should go without saying but we'll say it anyway: Never leave kids alone near the pool,
no matter what their ages or swim capabilities are. Parents can and
should take precautions around home pools, in addition to closely
supervising kids while they swim. Installing fencing around pools, at
least 5-feet high, all the way around and with a self-closing,
self-latching gate, can prevent 50 to 90 percent of accidental drowning
incidents. Pool and gate alarms -- they alert you to when the pool water
becomes agitated and when the gate is opened -- add another layer of
protection.
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