Practical Practitioner
By: Pamela Egan, FNP-C CDE
Parents urged to protect children from danger
Many parents worry that their children may be harmed by pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables, approved food additives, chlorinated drinking water, hormones in milk, electromagnetic fields as a cause of childhood leukemia and a mercury preservative in vaccines as a cause of autism.
None of these are actual hazards. But even if they were, they are hardly the main threat to the health and lives of infants and children according to Dr. Robert Brent, a professor at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and leading expert on what is and is not known about the effects of environmental chemicals and physical agents on developing humans.
So what are the leading risks to infants, children and adolescents?
Most of the hazards that take the greatest toll on the health and lives of the young people in this country can be prevented. Parents and caretakers can help prevent these risks. Nearly every day a child in Florida dies in a swimming pool. No environmental agent takes such a toll.
Accidents are the leading cause of death in children under 15. But while the word accident implies an unexpected and unavoidable event, most accidents involving children could be prevented by awareness.
Here is a list of the most deadly hazards for children:
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk is reduced by putting infants to sleep on their backs and providing a smoke-free environment.
Falls – Infants can suffer head injuries falling from strollers, down stairs and off beds. Toddlers and children aged 5 to 9 fall from windows, stairs, trees, garage roofs and ladders.
Motor Vehicle Accidents – Infants and children under 10 should never ride in the front seat, and those under 80 pounds should always ride in a properly installed car seat or booster seat.
Outside the car, children under 10 are at risk of death from pedestrian accidents, including being run over by the family car in their own driveway and ignoring safety rules when crossing the street. Their small size makes them hard for drivers to see.
For teen-agers, reckless driving, impulsive behavior and drunken driving make auto accidents a leading cause of death.
Burns – Infants and children can suffer burns from kitchen equipment or hot items pulled off the table, as well as hot water in a tub. Toddlers should never have access to matches or cigarette lighters. House fires can be started by adults who fall asleep while smoking, faulty wiring and defective heating systems. Every home should be equipped with one or more working smoke alarms.
Poisoning – As soon as children can crawl, they are at risk of poisoning from medications, household chemicals (including drain and oven cleaners, alcohol and paint thinner), pesticides and rodent killers. Such items should be stored out of children’s reach in cupboards with child-proof locks.
Lead poisoning is still a risk for millions of children who live in old homes with lead-based paint. A child’s blood level should be checked and elevated levels treated to prevent cognitive deficits.
Drowning – Pools, hot tubs and wading pools must have supervision and be fenced in. An infant or young child in or around water should never be left unattended, not even for a minute. When boating, every infant and child should wear an approved life jacket.
Choking – An infant or toddler can aspirate toys with small parts, deflated balloons and foods like peanuts and raisins. Every caretaker should know how to perform a Heimlich maneuver on infants and children.
Guns and firearms should be stored in locked cabinets separate from their ammunition.
Electrocution – As soon as children can crawl, they are at risk for electrocution from uncovered outlets and frayed cords. Teach children to get out of the water immediately when a thunderstorm approaches and never stand under a tall tree.
Sunburn – Limit infant’s exposure to the sun. From age 1 use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, with repeated applications. Limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Sports Injuries – Properly fitted helmets can reduce the risk of head injury and brain damage by 85 percent in a fall or crash. Proper protective equipment should always be worn when playing contact sports.
Power tools – Each year nearly 10,000 children 15 and younger are injured by lawn mowers. A young child should not be nearby when a power mower is in use.
Obesity – Children of all ages in America today are getting fatter from spending hours a day in front of a television set or computer, by eating excessive amounts of snacks and fast foods and by not getting regular physical activity. Obesity that begins in childhood becomes a lifelong problem, greatly increasing the risk of a host of health and social problems, including premature death.
Parents take charge of your child health!
This article was originally published July 19, 2004 in The St. Tammany News.
PamelaEgan.com > Health Articles > Pediatric
