Page 100 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2016

HEALTHY LIVING safety rst Kids
Keeping kids healthy and safe this summer
Summer is just around the corner with family vacations, outdoor activities and lots of free time for kids. But staying healthy and safe should not be forgotten. Glencoe Regional Health Services in Minnesota offers these six tips for keeping kids healthy and safe this summer.
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Slather on the sunscreen. Childhood sunburns are not only painful, but increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
Choose
playgrounds with
care, and be there.
Most playground
injuries are
due to falls.
Playgrounds with
lower equipment
heights and
energy-absorbing
surface materials, such as shredded rubber, wood chips, wood fiber or sand, markedly reduce the risk of head injuries and broken arms. According to Safe Kids USA, lack of adult supervision is associated with about 40 percent of playground injuries.
Teach your children about stranger danger. Your kids need to understand the difference
between “good strangers”
Keep the mosquitoes at bay. The American
Academy of Pediatrics recommends using
a mosquito repellent with no more than
a 10 percent concentration of DEET, a
chemical repellent that can be toxic in higher concentrations. DEET should not be used at all on infants less than two months old. When applying repellent to your child, apply it to your own hands first, then rub them on your child. Avoid your child’s eyes, ears and mouth. Do not apply to your child’s hands, as children tend to put their hands in their mouths.
Practice water safety. According to Safe Kids USA, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children under 14, with nearly 90 percent of these deaths occurring in the summer. Never leave kids alone near a pool, lake or other body of water, no matter their
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such as police officers, security
guards, teachers and store
clerks, and “bad strangers.”
Understanding the difference will
help your child know who to turn to
for help. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, you should also teach your children not to
go places alone. Teach your children that if they are approached by a stranger, to remember what McGruff the Crime Dog says, “No, go, yell, tell.” They should say no, run away, yell as loud as they can and tell an adult. Teach your kids never to accept candy or other items from strangers, approach a stranger in a motor vehicle or walk with a stranger, regardless of what the stranger says.
ages or swimming abilities, or how deep the water is. And life jackets while boating are a must.
Make sure your kids know that helmets are
not optional. Safe Kids USA reports that more
children ages 5 to 14 are seen in hospital
emergency rooms for injuries related to biking
than any other sport. The most serious injuries are
head injuries, which can cause life-changing brain damage or death. Safe Kids USA estimates that bike helmets could prevent 52 to 60 percent of bike-related head injury deaths and 68 to 85 percent of nonfatal head injuries.
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100 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • April 2016
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