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Children and adolescents are at greater risk for injuries when cold weather and snow strikes. Every winter, Children's Hospital Boston treats numerous children and adolescents for injuries due to snow sports, motor vehicle crashes and wintertime activities. At this time of year, Children's providers want to remind parents to take some extra precautions to keep their children safe.
"In the winter of 2003, we had about 68 children admitted to the hospital for injuries related to skiing, snowboarding and sledding, as well as from weather-related motor vehicle crashes and using snowblowers," says Carole Atkinson, MS, RNC, trauma nurse coordinator. "We start seeing more children in the emergency room during school vacation and snow days because they're outside enjoying the snow. Accidents are more likely to happen. However, there are steps parents can take to prevent injuries like driving more slowly and supervising children during outdoor activities."
Snowblowers can be a winter hazard for adolescents and adults. "If the snowblower gets blocked up with ice, people may reach down with their hand to get it unstuck," says Christian Sampson, MD, assistant in plastic surgery. "The safest thing to do is turn off the snowblower, remove the spark plug, and use a small plastic shovel to clear the ice. Never clear the impeller with your hands." While removal of a spark plug may seem excessive, Sampson states it helps ensure that built-up compression in the engine is released, so that the impeller will not rotate upon ice blockage removal. "Last year, we had two similar incidents in one weekend involving teens who had severe trauma from improper cleaning of snowblowers."
Children's experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following tips for safer winter activities:
- Keep sledders away from motor vehicles.
- Sledding feet first, or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries.
- Use steerable sleds, not snow disks or inner tubes.
- Sled on slopes free from obstructions like fire hydrants or fences.
- Children should wear helmets for skiing and snowboarding; and children under 7 should not snowboard.
- The rule of thumb for young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
- Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Have children come inside to warm up.
- Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears, and lips. If the numbness continues for more than few minutes, call your doctor.
- Only adults, or older adolescents under direct adult supervision, should operate snowblowers.
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