Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘injury’

A recent report shows a  growing trend of injuries involving children and treadmills  is becoming worse each day.  A study, by researchers according to the article, at Our Lady’s Children Hospital found that a  total of 12 children (eight girls and four boys) were identified with friction burn injuries sustained from treadmills from January 2006 to March 2008, with the number of injuries recorded increasing fourfold between 2006 and 2007.

The injuries that can occur from treadmills can be life threatening. They include pediatric friction burns and require specialist care with the risk of long-term functional and cosmetic problems, split skin grafting, and others.

Research suggests the designs of treadmills should be enhanced to help prevent children from playing on this type of equipment.  Home treadmill injuries can be prevented by close supervision of children.

Gymnastics provide opportunities for children to experience growth in  fine and gross motor skills, agility and coordination. Our grandaughter has had such fun already and learned much in her young and limited experience in their local gym.

-But accidents do occur. Consider some basic safety information before enrolling your children in a gymnastics program. Does the gym have adequate staff and supervision for spotting and monitoring? Is equipment properly arranged and maintained? Is there adequate secured matting and floor padding? Is there a plan in the event of a medical emergency? 

Gymnastics injuries have been studied  by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy. Findings suggest gymnastics is overlooked in terms of potential for injury.  Nearly 27,000 injuries are reported each year – concussions, fractures, sprains.

Parents  don’t typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport, but rather an activity.  Do your homework first. Then choose the gym that is right for your child!

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert recently concerning the risks of window cords.

 This came after a two-year old Maryland child was strangled when he became entangled in the cords.  According to the CPSC, approximately 12 children a year die from this type of strangulation.  Manufacturers are heeding the warning.  5 million window treatments have been recalled in the last few months.

 The commission is recommending that any home where a child lives or visits, such as a grandparent’s or a daycare facility should use cordless window treatments. 

 It’s vitally important to remember that our children need adult supervision.  Make sure your home is safe for children.  Raise blinds or shades above children’s heads. Cut cords or make sure no dangling cords are within the reach of children. Move furniture and cribs away from windows to prevent toddlers from reaching dangling cords or falling fom windows.

Look for any hidden hazards that may put your  child at risk of injury or pose a serious threat to safety.

The Florida Department of  Highway Safety held a public service  event  recently, to educate  local parents about the correct installation of  a child car seat.  The training was  an effort to reduce the number of injuries suffered by children who are either riding unrestrained or in improperly installed safety seats.

The  event, which took place in Tallahassee and the surrounding areas was appropriately called,  ”Help Keep Florida’s Children Safe.”  Officials were on hand to check out  the installation of existing car seats for parents as well as to provide new seats at a discounted price for families in need. 

We commend the efforts of the Florida Department of Highway Safety in educating  parents. We read all too often of tragic accident reports of toddlers or small children  seriously injured because they are riding in a car either unrestrained or not in an age appropriate car safety seat or booster seat.

The unexpected accident does happen.  Always safely secure your children to avoid injury, even when traveling a very short distance.

What: Child Injury with Booster Seats

Photo from Tampa Tribune

In a recent article by the Tampa Tribune, Florida,  1 of 3 states who don’t require booster seats for infants, could rethink this situation in a  newly proposed bill  which will  ticket those who don’t use one. Thad Altman’s bill would mandate car booster seats for children ages 4 to 7 or those under 4 feet 9 inches tall.

A booster seat’s primary purpose is to secure a child in the seat while helping the seat belt fit correctly in the booster seat. This tightly secures the child in the seat to prevent injury. 

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. In Florida, 35 child passengers younger than 10 died in crashes in 2008 -an additional 7,754 were injured.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report in 2003 showing that children in that age group were 59 percent less likely to suffer an injury in a car crash if they were in a booster seat rather than only wearing a seat belt.

Florida has a dubious distinction- being one of just three states who does not require booster seats – a distinction that is hopefully going to change!

Parents, often concerned for their small child’s safety on a playground slide, place the child in their lap. A new study suggests this actually may be putting their child at greater risk of injury.

A recent news article reported a study in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics showing that when parents go down the slide with their children on their lap, the children risk breaking a leg.

Sarasota Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. David Sugar sees this frequently, “Their foot gets caught against the side of the slide, their leg gets twisted, and now with the momentum of the heavier parent behind them there is even more force, enough to break the bone.” A mother interviewed for the article had this experience with her two- year- old daughter who suffered a broken tibia, as a result.

Sugar recommends that children go down a playground slide by themselves, feet first with legs straight, not bent.  It is easy for the rubber of a child’s shoe to get caught on the slide…they keep going, the foot is stuck and they twist. We have actually had this happen with our grandchild but fortunately she was not hurt.

Playgrounds are wonderful places for children to run and explore. As a grandparent reading this article has raised my level of awareness of the risks of injury on slides.

An 18-month-old toddler died after falling from a ground-floor window in Orange County, Florida.    Paramedics and deputies were called to the Lake Margaret home after a 911 call. 

 Authorities have not released any details, but neighbors say that the couple who reside there are foster parents.  Lt. Paul Hopkins said that while there was no clear sign of foul play, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct an investigation and an autopsy will be performed. 

 Any accident concerning a child is tragic.  The leading cause of death in children over one year of age is trauma. Each year, more than 6,000 children die from accidental injury. Over 14,000,000 children are hurt each year from carelessness.

 Home injuries are one of the top causes of children under the age of three being rushed to the emergency room. Almost 70% of children who suffer fatal, accidental injuries at home are ages 4 and under. 

Young children should never be left unsupervised. Adults  have a responsibility to  protect a child from foreseeable risks and harm.