It’s inevitable – children are going to hurt themselves. No matter, how hard parents try to keep their son or daughter safe, it is bound to happen at some point.
“Emergency departments in the United States treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger each year for playground-related injuries,” report the experts at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s. More than half are fractures and contusions and abrasions
That shouldn’t deter parents from letting their children play outdoors. Healthy outdoor exercise is important all year round – even in the winter. But it makes sense to be mindful of activities that tend to cause accidents so you can keep your children as safe as possible.
“We often see kids with broken bones in association with outdoor activities,” says Clarabelle DeVries, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at UChicago Medicine. She, along with colleague, Laura Lewallen, MD, also a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, share some common accidents resulting from trampoline use, monkey bars, pools, bicycles and scooters.
“Many of the common injuries we see are accidental, including falling from playground equipment or on slippery pool decks, and falls resulting from going too fast on bikes or scooters,” says Dr. Lewallen.
Although these are accidental injuries, parents can take precautions to help prevent serious injuries from happening.
Start by setting an example
Children are more apt to wear their helmet when riding their bicycle or scooter if their parent does the same.
Helmets can really help prevent accidents from becoming something much more serious. Bicycle helmet use decreases the risk of head injuries by about 85% and facial injuries by about 65% according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Parents can also set the example of playing safely by not doing dangerous things or taking unnecessary risks in front of their children. If you’re streaming TikTok and YouTube videos that include mishaps, explain to your children how these accidents could be avoided.
Explain the proper way to do activities
Parents should begin an outdoor activity by explaining how to do something correctly and the rules that are set in place to keep children safe.
“Many trampoline injuries come from the infamous double bounce!” explains Dr. DeVries. It looks harmless enough, but if the double bounce is new to you, take some time to learn what it is. Even if you don’t completely wrap your head around the physics behind it, you’ll quickly learn all the potential ways your children can become seriously injured with this trampoline technique.
Laura Lewallen, MD, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon, UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s. Photo credit: UChicago Medicine
Explaining why you shouldn’t do something — like that double bounce — to your child will help them understand the seriousness of it, too. Instead, challenge them to explain the kinetic energy transfer that makes the double bounce attractive to trained professional gymnasts, but do it on paper, not by live backyard demonstration.
Sometimes it’s as easy as explaining how to use the playground equipment because some kids may not know. If they guess and use it the way they think, they may get injured in the process.
What parents should do if their child is injured
If it’s something minor like a strain or sprain, Dr. DeVries recommends “treatment to include rest, ice, elevation and an anti-inflammatory painkiller like ibuprofen.”
Always have an ice pack ready in the freezer because more than likely, you will need it.
“If the injury results in persistent pain, swelling or inability to walk on or use the affected extremity, further evaluation may be needed,” say Dr. DeVries and Dr. Lewallen. They urge parents to take their child to get evaluated immediately for significant deformities, large open wounds or if the hand or foot is extremely cold and turns white.
Both Dr. DeVries and Dr. Lewallen provide care for children and adults at the orthopedic walk-in clinic at UChicago Medicine’s Orland Park location and at UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital in Hyde Park.
“The walk-in clinic provides urgent orthopedic care for bone, joint and muscle injuries, including broken bones (fractures),” according to the experts at Comer Children’s.
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