Child Injuries Due to Car Rollovers: “Freak Accident” or Predictable Danger? – Kids and Cars Canada
As part of my volunteer work with Kidsandcars.org – Canada I came across two recent media reports of children being injured due to car roll overs.
Category: Child Injuries
Child Safety: Sunny Days and Kids in Cars
Yesterday was the first sunny day we have had in what seems like months. I actually had to roll the windows down in my car driving home it was so hot.
By coincidence, Kids and Cars sent me a public service announcement yesterday reminding car owners of the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars.
So that’s probably why this story Child in car on hot day: What was mom thinking? caught my attention today. Fortunately the child in this story wasn’t hurt. But things could easily have turned out differently. Tragically so.
Posted in: Child Injuries, Child Safety, Kids and Cars Canada, Uncategorized
New Cycling Safety Rules in Effect Today Designed to Reduce Nova Scotia Bicycle Accidents
Today new legislation comes into effect to promote the safety of cyclists in Nova Scotia.
The law includes specific requirements for both drivers and cyclists including:
Car drivers must leave at least one metre of space when passing a cyclist;
Posted in: Bicycle safety, Child Injuries, Uncategorized
Child Safety: N.S. to reduce speed limits in school zones – Kids and Cars Canada
The Department of Transportation has announced plans to introduce legislation this fall to reduce speed limits in school zones from 50 km/h to 30 km/h.
The goal of the new limits is to protect students and make roads safer.
Bill Estabrooks, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal stated:
Child Safety: Preventing Burn Injuries at Home
75% of burns and scalding injuries happen in the home. Water doesn’t have to be boiling (100 degrees C) to be a serious danger. At a temperature of 68 degrees Celsius water can cause third degree burns in less than one second!
“What’s a Third Degree Burn?”
Third degree burns happen when all three layers of the skin are destroyed. Third degree burns require immediate medical attention. Treatment and recuperation requires skin grafts and can require months of painful rehabilitation.
Posted in: Burn Injuries, Child Injuries, Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Head Injuries in Children: CT Scans Not Always Necessary For Diagnosis – Nova Scotia Brain Injury Claims
A study of children with minor head trauma at Boston Children’s Hospital suggests CT scans may not be necessary when diagnosing children who have suffered head trauma.
The study indicates that the use of a CT scan can be reduced by up to 50% without compromising care simply by observing children. This is a positive finding because reducing CT Scans reduces children’s exposure to unnecessary radiation.
The June issue of Pediatrics Journal contains the results of a study lead by Boston Children’s Hospital and the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis. One of the co-authors of the study Lise Nigrovic stated:
“Only a small percentage of children with blunt head trauma really have something serious going on. If you can be watched in the ED for a few hours, you may not need a CT”.
The study reviewed the results of more than 40,000 children who had been admitted to emergency departments with blunt head trauma. Some of the children had CT scans ordered immediately. Others were observed before a decision was made about the use of a CT scan.
Posted in: Brain Injury, Child Injuries, Personal Injury, Uncategorized
Infant Safety: Babies Being Given Dangerous Herbal Remedies
The latest edition of Pediatrics Journal contained a study published by the University Hospital Medical Centre in Cleveland Ohio which shows that 9% of babies are being given a wide variety of herbal supplements. The study states that this is a concern because some of the herbs may pose health risks to babies.
Unregulated
The problem arises because herbal supplements are not regulated the same way as drugs and pharmaceuticals. The herbal remedies may cause adverse drug reactions and may be contaminated.
Posted in: Child Injuries, Drug Injuries, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Uncategorized
Do Helmets Increase Risk of Head Injury?
If there is one thing that everyone knows it’s that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury. Or does it?
Risky Business?
New research published by Mikael Colvill-Andersen suggests that people who wear helmets are more likely to engage in the type of risky behavior that results in head injuries.
Posted in: Brain Injury, Child Injuries, Head Injuries, Motorcycle Injuries, Uncategorized
ThinkFirst Brain Injury Awareness Video
ThinkFirst Canada is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing brain and spinal cord injuries.
They have released a new educational video about concussions in hockey. But the medical issues apply to all sports.
This video should be required watching for ANY parent that has children playing minor sports.
Posted in: Brain Injury, Child Injuries, Head Injuries, Uncategorized
Children Should Stay in Rear Facing Seats Longer: Child Safety Experts
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children age 4 and up. Child car seats have been shown to lower the chances of death in a car accident by 28 per cent compared with seatbelts. They have also been found to reduce the severity of car crash injuries.
Most child car seat manufactures recommend that children stay in rear facing seats until they are 1 year old or 9 kilos as a guideline, before being placed in forward facing seats.
Rear Facing Seats Safer
But after reviewing data from injuries due to car crashes over several years that shows that children in rear-facing car seats are more likely to surivive, the American Academy of Pediatrics and U.S. traffic safety officials have teamed up to release new guidelines that recommend toddlers should sit in rear-facing car seats until age two. If a child under the age of two outgrows the weight limits for their infant car seat, they should be moved to a rear-facing convertible car seat and kept in that position until age two.
