Preventing summer injuries

From water accidents and sunburns to dehydration and head/neck injuries, these are some of the most common injuries pediatricians across Johns Hopkins Medicine see during the summer. Experts at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center say a little planning and awareness could prevent some of these injuries, and they are offering tips on how to have a safer summer. Here are 10 things Johns Hopkins Medicine experts say they would always do:

1. I would always avoid letting my kid play on a trampoline. –Wassam Rahman, M.D., medical director of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Center 
2. I would always avoid grill brushes with metal wires. These wires can become dislodged and injure the mouth, throat or intestines. –Meghan Martin, M.D., pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
3. I would always ensure an adult is driving a golf cart when children are riding. –Danielle Mercurio, D.O., pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital 
4. I would always have a water-watcher when swimming with children and stay away from playing in dangerous water. In addition to following general water safety tips, families should be aware of contaminated water sources, which can be a breeding ground for bacteria and can present several issues, from naegleria fowleri (“brain-eating amoeba”) to gastrointestinal issues. –Patrick Mularoni, M.D., pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
5. I would always keep an eye on signs of heat exhaustion. –Danielle Hirsch, M.D., M.P.H., pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
6. I would always remember hand hygiene. While it’s been declared that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, the virus and many others are still spreading. –Allison Messina, M.D., chief of infectious disease at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital 
7. I would always ride, or insist my child ride, a bicycle, skateboard or scooter wearing a helmet. –Leticia Ryan, M.D., M.P.H., director of pediatric emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 
8. I would always keep fireworks — including sparklers away from children, and would make sure children are supervised near a bonfire or grill. –Erica Hodgman, M.D., director of the Pediatric Burn Program at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 
9. I would always dress children in sun protective clothing and apply sunscreen when they go outside. –Anna Grossberg, M.D., director of pediatric dermatology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center 
10. I would always leave the house with a water bottle in order to avoid dehydration. 
    –Brandon Smith, M.D., M.P.H., associate medical director of the Harriet Lane Clinic, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Source: HopkinsMedNews