Children's Summer Safety

Childhood memories are flavored with fun summertime activities including trips to the beach, walks to the ice cream shop and rides around the neighborhood. But while you and your kids enjoy the seemingly carefree elements of summer, emergency room doctors know it as "trauma season." This summer children ages 14 and under will be rushed to emergency rooms nearly 3 million times for serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes, burns, drowning, bike crashes, pedestrian incidents, falls and other hazards. More than 2,500 of these children will die.

Tragedies peak during the summer months (May to August) because children are supervised less, have more free time and engage in more outdoor activities. Don’t take a vacation from safety. Close supervision, proper protective gear, and other simple prevention steps will help your child avoid danger.

10 Simple Tips to Keep Your Child Safe This Summer:

• Apply sunscreen to children at least 30 minutes before going outside and after swimming even on cloudy days. The SPF should be at least 15 and protect against UVA and UVB rays. 
• Children should wear a hat with a three-inch brim or a bill facing forward, sunglasses (look for sunglasses that block 99-100% of ultraviolet rays), and cotton clothing with a tight weave. 
• Never leave children alone in or near a pool, even for a moment.
• Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as "floaties." They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
• Buy a bike that is the right size, not one your child has to "grow into." Oversized bikes are especially dangerous.  Helmets should be worn at all times and should be a proper fit.
• All children under 12 must wear a US Coast Guard approved personal floatation device while underway on the open deck of any boat.
• All skateboarders, scooter-riders, and in-line skaters should wear a helmet and other protective gear; wrist guards are particularly important.
• If you use fireworks or firecrackers, be sure there is adult supervision, keep young children away and keep a bucket of water nearby.
• When using a BBQ grill or sitting around the campfire make sure that children are supervised and do not get too close to the flame.
• Children younger than 16 years should not be allowed to use ride-on mowers. Children younger than 12 years should not use walk-behind mowers. 

For more information on how to keep your children safe this summer please visit the following websites.

Safe Kids USA
http://www.usa.safekids.org/index.cfm

American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/summertips.cfm

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bike Helmet
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/bike/EasyStepsWeb/index.htm

Fletcher Allen Health Care Safety Programs

Injury Prevention

For more information on how to keep children safe at home, on the road, and while being active please click on the link below to visit the Community Health Improvement page on injury prevention.  You will also find information on staying safe during the different seasons, and safety tips for adults as well.

http://www.fahc.org/Health_Improvement/Injury_Prevention/index.html

Contact:
Catherine Suiter, Injury Prevention Coordinator
Phone:  802-847-2278
Email: catherine.suiter@vtmednet.org

Poison Prevention and Education

Fletcher Allen Health Care teams with Maine Medical Center to deliver comprehensive poison prevention and education services via the Northern New England Poison Center (NNEPC). NNEPC receives about 200 poison-related calls from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont every day.

To reach the Northern New England Poison Center, call 1-800-222-1222.  This service is toll free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. 

http://www.fahc.org/Health_Improvement/Poison.html

Contact:
Gayle Finkelstein, MSRN, Poison Prevention Educator
Phone: 1-802-847-2393
E-mail: Gayle.Finkelstein@vtmednet.org

Car Seat Safety

Fletcher Allen Health Care has teamed with the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program to offer passenger safety information to all parents, childcare providers, and schools.  We also offer assistance in the selection, harnessing and installation of safety seats and seat belts for children by hosting numerous fitting stations across the state.  This service is provided by nationally certified technicians.  In addition to education and outreach, the Vermont Discount Car Seat Program offers safety seats at a reduced price to parents who cannot afford to purchase an appropriate car seat.

http://www.fahc.org/Health_Improvement/Car_Seat.html

For more information on child passenger safety programs in Chittenden County, call Lorrie Sulva, Child Passenger Safety Technician, at (802) 847-4941 or email lorrie.sulva@vtmednet.org.

"First with Kids"

Lewis First, MD offers parents and children tips for staying healthy and safe in his weekly First with Kids segments.  Always delivered with enthusiasm and humor, First with Kids can be found on WOKO radio 98.9 FM, WCAX-TV Channel 3 and in the Chittenden County Newspaper Group papers. Dr. First is Chief of Pediatrics at the Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine.
http://www.fahc.org/Childrens_Hospital/First_with_Kids/first_w_kids.html

The Trauma Surgery Department and Emergency Services at Fletcher Allen Health Care

Fletcher Allen is a Level One Trauma Center, the highest level of certification provided by the American College of Surgeons for hospitals providing trauma care for adults and pediatric patients.

The Trauma/Critical Care division is committed to excellence in a wide range of clinical spheres including Trauma, Critical Care, burns and General Surgery.  Our four Trauma Attendings are all specialized in Critical Care and have an expertise in Trauma Care.  We provide approximately 40% of the call coverage for General Surgery and all of us have elective surgical practices. Specifically we are focused on hernia surgery, complicated hernia surgery, laparoscopic surgery, anti-reflux surgery, burns and complicated wound management.

If you have a burn patient or a patient you would like to refer for our trauma expertise, please call (802) 847-3790.