After a long year of staying indoors, we can finally start to safely venture outside just in time for the warmer summer months. But this doesn’t mean we can just throw caution to the wind when it comes to safety. As you start planning vacations, summer camps and all sorts of outdoor fun, make sure you are also planning for the health and safety risks to help keep your child safe this summer.
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Accidents can always happen and the best way to make sure you’re prepared for those accidents is to have a plan in place. According to a Summer Safety Ranking Report, unintentional injuries escalate in the summer, with children facing increased risks from drowning, falls, biking and other wheeled sports. It’s easy to understand how parents can be apprehensive about their children this summer, but with helpful tips, parents can ensure they’re keeping their kids safe and make this one the best summer yet.
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1. Prevent head injuries
Bike accidents are one of the most common summer injuries for children, but according to the Bike Helmet Safety Institute, wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head and brain injury by up to 88 percent for adults and children. Additionally, trampolines and playgrounds also present an opportunity for kids to get injured. According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year in the United States, emergency departments treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries such as concussions.
To help prevent any playground injuries, check that they have soft material under them, such as wood chips, sand, or mulch. Concussions are also common in the summer due to jumping on a trampoline. Most trampoline injuries involve a collision between two or more people, so one of the best ways to make sure this doesn’t happen is to only allow one person on at a time. It may also help to attach a net around the outside of the trampoline to prevent falls.
2. Avoid bug bites
Summer is perfect for spending more time outdoors, whether it be camping or catching lightning bugs. More time being spent outdoors could lead to a higher risk of bug bite exposure. To prevent tick and mosquito bites, you’ll of course want to use bug spray on your kids (preferably repellant that contains at least 20 percent DEET), but you will also want them to wear clothes that cover vulnerable areas such as the ankles, lower legs and knees and steer clear of areas where bugs reside.
Ticks typically use tall grass and other low-to-mid height plant life to hide whereas mosquitoes are found in dark areas near water, so at the very least, you’ll want to avoid staying in these areas for too long. However, in the event that your child does get bitten, BENADRYL® Extra-Strength Itch Stopping Anti-Itch Cream can provide relief for minor pain and skin itching. Last but not least, another sure-fire way to avoid bug bites is to keep food contained. Mosquitoes are drawn to water and ants love sugary treats, so make sure your kids keep food sealed and cover drinks when they’re done with them.
3. Have an emergency first-aid kit on hand
During the SK Conversations: Safety Obsessed: Prep for the New Normal virtual event with BAND-AID® Brand and Target, Nina Spears, Editor-in-Chief of Baby Chick, shared her must-haves for building a first-aid kit and tips on how to best care for scraped knees and bruises. Her advice: a well-stocked first aid kit is always handy no matter what.
“Something that I know to be true for all of us parents and caregivers is that on the forefront of our minds is the health and safety of our kids,” Nina says. “I have a very fun but wild and rambunctious little boy. He is running and jumping and climbing and swinging and all of these things are great, but they come with their fair share of boo-boos. That’s why I think it’s so important, at least to our family and for every family to have a fully stocked first aid kit in your home and in your car. That way you can always clean, treat, protect, and be prepared for anything that comes your way for your child.”
Some of the essentials in Nina’s first aid bag include NEOSPORIN®, Band-Aid BRAND® Water Block Flex Adhesive Pad, BAND-AID®Brand SKIN-FLEX®Bandages, Band-Aid BRAND® Designer Bandages, Motrin® IB tablets and VISINE® Advanced Redness + Irritation Relief Eye Drops, which are all guaranteed to help you stay prepared at all times. Target also sells trendy first aid bags, with shoppers able to get one for free when they buy three first aid products.
“I love that BAND-AID® Brand is now bringing a convenient personalized and stylish experience for parents to customize their own first aid kits exclusively at Target,” Nina adds. “With these bags, I really like how they’re durable, easy to clean and easy to go. They open with a zipper, and inside you’ll find different pockets for easy and convenient storage and fill it with your favorite products.”
4. Practice water safety
Water activities are great ways to have fun and exercise. And with the summer heat, swimming at the pool is also a great way to make sure your kids don’t overheat. To ensure they’re staying safe, parents should closely supervise their kids whenever they’re near or in the water to prevent drowning and know CPR if possible. In addition, if you and your kids decide to enjoy a day on the lake or ocean, make sure everyone (adults included) wears a life jacket in case of emergency.
And in the event that you can’t supervise your child, fence off the pooled area. The CDC recommends installing a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should completely separate the house and play area from the pool.
5. Take care of your child’s skin
Summer is the perfect time for roasting marshmallows by the campfire and using sparklers for special occasions such as the Fourth of July, but similar to water safety, parents should not let their young kids play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, There were an estimated 9,100 fireworks-related, emergency department-treated injuries in 2018. In the event of an emergency, seek medical attention as soon as possible. In the event that your child is injured with a minor cut, scrape, or burn, it helps to have Band-Aid BRAND® First Aid HURT-FREE® Antiseptic Wash Treatment and Band-Aid BRAND® Secure-Flex Self-Adherent Wound Wrap on hand so you can wash any potential burns without any added sting, while the wound wrap securely stays in place on hard-to-reach areas and joints. NEOSPORIN® is also beneficial to have on hand as it helps soothe and reduce pain with no sting as well.
And the same level of safety should be had for sunburns as well as we know that more time being spent in the sun could lead to a higher risk of developing a sunburn. Both children and adults need UV protection, so try to use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 every time your child goes outside. For the best protection, apply sunscreen generously 30 minutes before going outside and don’t forget to apply it to your child’s ears, noses and the tops of feet. Seeking shade, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and UV protective clothing such as lightweight shirts and pants can also help protect children from the sun.
This article was created by SheKnows for BAND-AID® Brand.
BAND-AID® Brand is a registered trademark of Johnson and Johnson.
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