MEDICAL SURFARI: PLAY IT SAFE TO AVOID CHILDHOOD INJURIES

Our former Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, once stated, "If a disease were killing our children in proportions that accidents are, people would be outraged and demand that this killer be stopped." He said this because there are more children killed because of unintentional injuries than all childhood diseases combined.

Unintentional childhood injuries are the No. 1 killer of children ages 14 and under. Each year, 8,000 children are killed and at least 50,000 are permanently disabled by preventable injuries. Injury is also the leading cause of hospitalization in children. Every day more than 38,000 children ages 14 and under are injured seriously enough to require medical treatment -- that totals about 14 million each year. Each year, 8,000 of those children die and at least 50,000 are permanently disabled by preventable injuries.

The National Safe Kids Campaign is the one and only nationwide childhood injury prevention program. The Cape Girardeau Area Safe Kids Coalition is part of the national campaign and is one of more than 160 coalitions in 47 states working toward this effort. National Safe Kids Week May 2-9, will bring together members from hospitals, traffic safety programs, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, extension services, schools and many other organizations to offer a wide variety of safety-related programs including general safety information, fire safety, bicycle safety, child passenger safety, and poison prevention.

Traffic injuries, drownings, burns, poisonings and chokings, as well as falls, are the most common causes of unintentional injury in children. Many of these common causes of injury may be prevented. Safe Kids suggest the following tips for keeping children safe:

1. Get your child into the habit of wearing a bike helmet when cycling.

2. Cross streets hundreds of times with your children before letting them cross alone.

3. Always use safety belts and child safety seats.

4. Supervise children in and near the water.

5. Install smoke detectors and test them monthly.

6. Plan a fire escape route and practice it.

7. Store matches and lighters out of reach of young children.

8. Lower the hot water temperature to 120 F.

9. Keep common household poisons and medications out of sight and reach.

10. Keep small objects out of reach.

11. Install window guards and stairway safety gates to prevent falls.

12. Post emergency numbers next to your phone.

13. Take a first aid and CPR course.

World Wide Web Resources

Safe Kids Campaign

www.safekids.org.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the one and only nationwide childhood injury prevention program. Its campaign is to saves lives, especially the lives of children.

Think First-Home Page

http://www.thinkfirst.org/home.htm

The mission of this foundation is to prevent brain and spinal cord injuries through the education of individuals, community leaders and the creators of public policy.

National Safety Council

http://www.nsc.org/

The National Safety Council, a not-for-profit nongovernmental public service organization, provides the public with safety, health and environmental resources.

Safe 'N Sound Kids

http://www.safensoundkids.com/

This site is dedicated to providing you with the best children's safety products available. They have more than 300 child safety products available to help you protect your children by helping you childproof their world.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape girardeau, Mo., 63701.