Crisis Nursery offers summertime child safety tips
June 01, 2010
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI – Children look forward to summer vacation all year long, but physicians refer to summer as “trauma season” because of potentially dangerous activities and high temperatures. The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery reminds parents and caretakers to be extra vigilant during the summer months, and they offer tips on child safety.
Compared to adults, children are more susceptible and have a higher incidence of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Children should be reminded to drink plenty of fluids and take breaks indoors when temperatures are high.
Child safety seats and seatbelts are important year-round, and should remain buckled even during those long summer road trips. Never lock a child in a car, even with the windows open. The temperature inside a car can soar within minutes. When the outside temperature is over 80 degrees, the internal temperature in a car can reach a deadly 110 degrees in just 15 minutes, even if the windows are rolled down an inch or two. Call authorities immediately if a child is found unattended in a closed car.
To prevent sunburn, apply a good sunblock, even early in the morning, late in the afternoon or on a cloudy day. Most people use less than half the recommended amount of sunblock. Apply a thick layer to each exposed section of your child’s body, and reapply every few hours, especially if the child is in the water. And don’t forget the sunglasses. The same harmful rays that cause sunburn can increase the risk of cataracts and other sun damage to the eyes later in life. Children and adults should wear sunglasses with UV protection.
Many summertime accidents can be prevented by using the right safety equipment. Children should wear properly fitted helmets and other protective gear when on a bike, scooter, skateboard, roller skates – anything with wheels. A helmet is the most important safety device available to prevent brain trauma and broken bones from a fall. Parents should set a good example by wearing a helmet with riding a bike.
Teach your child to swim, but never leave younger children unsupervised around water, even if they can swim. Children should always wear a US Coast Guard approved life jacket while boating, water skiing, jet skiing or tubing on a lake, river or ocean.
The Crisis Nursery, committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect, is an independent, not-for-profit agency that provides a short-term, safe haven for children, birth through age 12, whose families are faced with an emergency or crisis. Located at five sites throughout the greater St. Louis, St. Charles, Southern Illinois and surrounding regions, the Crisis Nursery provides care 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Celebrating its 24th year of caring for children, Crisis Nursery has been a safe haven to more than 56,000 children, and has provided support and counseling to more than 75,000 families. For details, call (314) 292-5770 or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org. For the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery 24-hour helpline, call (314) 768-3201. For the Saint Charles Crisis Nursery 24-hour helpline, call (636) 947-0600.
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Media Contact:
Mary Schanuel
mschanuel@synergy-pr.com
314.961.9772
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