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Play It Safe
Avoiding Recreational Hazards
While it's no secret that children often get more than their fair share of cuts and bruises growing up, many parents don't know that certain play activities carry greater risks for injuries that can have long-term effects on their child's health and development.
According to Dr. Robert Bernstein, pediatric orthopedic surgeon and director of the Orthopedic Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in New York, N.Y., injuries that can cause serious harm to children occur from falls and crashes playing on trampolines, bicycling, participating in roller sports such as rollerblading and/or scooter riding, and from accidents that occur on the playground.
"Falls are the leading cause of injury in children of all ages, and while you cannot protect your child from every mishap, you can take some preventive steps to avoid serious injuries," says Dr. Bernstein.
To avoid these injuries, Dr. Bernstein recommends that parents or other adults supervise all play activities on trampolines. "Kids should never be left to themselves to play on a trampoline," he says. "They must have a competent adult to watch them. Parents should also not allow their child to do somersaults or other high risk jumps, because injuries from these maneuvers can result in serious fractures and even paralysis if the child lands on his head or neck. Beyond that, only one child should be on the trampoline at one time to avoid crashing into another person."
