Does your child wear a helmet while on a bike?

If not, statistics say you may make a visit to an Emergency Department near you very soon.

A report from Safe Kids Worldwide and Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program found that nearly 40 percent of the 1,600 parents surveyed admitted their child doesn’t always wear a helmet while on wheels.

That’s despite the facts that more than 426,000 children – nearly 50 every hour – visited an emergency department in 2015 due to a wheeled sports-related injury.

• Serious head injuries, including concussions, internal injuries and fractures, made up 11 percent of those ED visits across the four-wheeled sports.

• Fractures to shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist or hand were the most frequent diagnosis for hospital admissions.

• 19 percent of hospital admissions for scooter injuries to children in 2015 were because of a head injury.

While head injuries are a concern, the majority of ED visits for wheeled sports in 2015 were for fractures, contusions and abrasions.

Less than 1 in 5 parents of children who scooter and less than 2 in 5 parents who kids skate said their kids always wear knee or elbow pads. Parents of children who skateboard reported less than 1 in 3 of their children always wear knee or elbow pads and less than 1 in 5 reported always wearing wrist guards.

Safe Kids says, “Between 2005 and 2015, the number of ED visits for bike- and skateboard-related injuries decreased, but visits for skate- and scooter-related injuries increased significantly. In fact, scooter-related injuries shot up by 40 percent over the 10-year period. Worryingly, the survey found that parents were least likely to make children wear a helmet while scootering at only 57 percent.”

From 2010 to 2013, less than 10 percent of patients seen at Cook Children’s for bike injuries had a helmet on and 0 percent of the patients on skates, skateboards and scooters wore a helmet.

Numbers have improved from 2015 to 2017 thanks to community education from groups like Peaks and Ladders, a collaboration between Cook Children’s, the Fort Worth Fire Department and Fort Worth Firefighter Charities.

During the past two years, 25 percent of children admitted for bike injuries wore helmets and it’s up to 10 percent now for kids on skates, skateboards and scooters.

“Those numbers are still too low, but we’ve made some progress,” said Sharon Evans, Trauma Injury Prevention coordinator at Cook Children’s. “It’s so important for kids to wear their helmets at all times. Even if they are taking a spin around their block, they need to wear a helmet. Injuries can occur anywhere, even when cars aren’t around. We’ve admitted children who have been injured in their driveways. Even little spills can result in concussions and broken bones.”

Evans said a great way to encourage helmet use is to let your child pick out the helmet and decorate it with stickers and markers to his or her liking. Then, make sure you set the example by wearing your helmet too.

Among parents who say they always wear a helmet, 86 percent say their child also does. However, among parents who say they never wear a helmet, only 38 percent say their child always does.

“With warmer weather ahead, your child will be spending more time on wheels – which means more opportunities for kids to get hurt,” Evans said. “The most important way you can teach your child to be safe is to always wear a helmet."

Safe Kids offers the following tips to help protect your child:

· Wear properly-fitted helmets, which are the best way to prevent head injuries and death, for every ride.

· Ride in safe locations like sidewalks, bike paths or bike lanes whenever possible.

· Follow the rules of the road.

· Check all equipment at the start or end of every season.

· Ride together until kids are comfortable enough to ride on their own.

For more information:

• Child Safety Center
• Bicycle Safety
• Safe Kids Worldwide

Corwin Warmink, M.D., medical director of the Emergency Department at Cook Children’s, knows that guns will be a popular gift this holiday season for not only children, but for adults too.

According to the journal Injury Prevention more than one-third of American adults own a gun. Last year, Cook Children’s saw 10 total injuries related to shootings of a gun (ranging from a BB to rifle). Since 2009, Cook Children’s has seen 104 shootings and three deaths.

Dr. Warmink asks parents to explain to children that BB guns can be dangerous, with harm ranging from severe eye damage to liver and kidney injuries.

Dr. Warmink says it’s important that parents educate their children about gun safety and make sure kids know to leave the area if another child, or someone other than their parent, has a gun.

“We live in Texas and I know many kids are raised hunting and have guns in the home,” Dr. Warmink said. “But if you give your child a gun for the holidays or if the adult in the house is given a gun, it’s important to take the proper precautions. The thing we want parents to remember is to keep guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition”

1. Lock the gun and keep it out of reach of kids. Hiding the gun is not enough.

2. Unload your gun. Take all ammunition out of the firearm.

3. Store the keys for the gun in a cabinet or safe different from your household keys. Keep the keys out of the reach of children.

Along with guns and replica firearms, such as airsoft guns that use hydraulics to shoot pellets, Dr. Warmink lists these gifts as dangerous and even life threatening:

• Ripstik Casterboard, Skateboards, roller skates …
• Pull toys with strings over 12 inches
• Trampolines
• Backyard playground equipment
• Hard plastic swords

Sharon Evans, Trauma/Injury Prevention coordinator at Cook Children’s, knows that owning a bike or scooter is part of growing up. But she encourages parents to take the proper precautions before placing wheeled gifts under the tree.

“Parents, please don’t forget a helmet for all riding toys,” Evans said. “Make sure the helmet is on properly and read the instructions.”

For younger children, Dana Walraven, manager of Community Health Outreach at Cook Children's and coordinator of the Safe Kids Tarrant County Coalition, warns parents to be aware of any small parts or potential choking hazards from their own toys or perhaps older siblings.

“The holidays can be an especially dangerous time for the little ones,” Walraven said. “Pick out toys and activities that will be appropriate for their age. On Christmas, designate an adult to supervise the children. It’s surprisingly easy to lose track of small children and with just a little planning we can keep choking hazards away from them. When it comes to young children, preparation is key.”