Keep kids safe in cold weather
Winter conditions increase trips to the pediatric emergency room
ANNAPOLIS “As the snow begins to fall, the number of childhood injuries begins to rise,” says Mike Clemmens, MD, director of Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Department. Last year, between December and February, several hundred children came to the pediatric emergency department because of seasonal injury including falling on ice, sledding and snowboarding accidents.
Here are five tips from Dr. Clemmens to keeps kids safe this winter:
- Make sure kids sled feet first with their bottom on the sled. Make sure they have a clear path in front, avoiding hills that end in sharp drop-offs, ponds, streets, or trees.
- Wear a helmet when ice skating.
- Stay on top of your child’s asthma treatments— cold air is a trigger.
- Keep children away from space heaters and candles.
- Avoid outdoor activities in extremely low temperatures.