During the typical, cold New York winter, we tend to stay indoors more often, so many of the safety concerns that normally go along with our kids playing outside aren’t in the forefront of our minds. Let’s face it; our kids simply aren’t outside all afternoon when the temps are below freezing. And when they do play outside, sledding and snowball fights can seem like harmless fun. Yet, there are still safety concerns that need to be addressed. In fact, some typical winter hazards can be deadly.
Dr. Robert van Amerongen, chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at New York Methodist Hospital and assistant professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, warns parents to be aware of three hazards, in particular: head trauma, respiratory illnesses, and burns.
Head trauma
“I never thought to put a helmet on my daughter when she was sledding, but looking back, I know I should have,” says mom of three, Susan Columbo of Park Slope. Columbo’s 5-year-old daughter, Grace, was sledding last winter when the sled took a sharp turn, and she bumped into a tree headfirst.
“I ran over to her as fast as I could, and she seemed dazed, then she started crying,” explains Columbo. Grace was taken straight to the emergency room and doctors determined that she had a light concussion. “It could have been so much worse,” says Columbo.
Dr. van Amerongen stresses that while most parents recognize the need for adequate head protection when their child is riding a bike at two miles-per-hour along a dirt park path in the summer, that same child may be rapidly skiing down a snowy slope without any more protection than a wool cap. He recommends helmet use during high-speed winter sports such as skiing, snow boarding, and sledding.
Respiratory illnesses
My eldest daughter contracted bronchiolitis when she was just 5 months old. The illness began in late December and she was admitted to the hospital on New Year’s Day. Between older kids bringing home school germs and adults passing around illnesses at work (and from the bus and subway), the winter is an especially busy time for germs.
Of course, the winter months are when colds and viruses also peak.
“The common cold can lead to more severe illnesses, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, and can exacerbate chronic conditions like asthma,” says Dr. van Amerongen. He advises that children should be dressed properly, in several thin layers to keep them warm — but not overheated — and hats, gloves and boots are a must.
Space heaters
Adriana Clark was visiting friends when her 2-year-old son, Joshua, innocently touched a space heater just as Clark yelled out to him from across the room. Luckily, he only hurt the last three fingers of his left hand and suffered no further burns.
“I hadn’t even known my friend had a space heater until I saw Josh going over toward it,” recalls Clark. “If I didn’t scream out ‘no’ at the same time, I’m sure he would have been further injured.”
While they keep the home warm and cozy, space heaters can also cause direct burns to small children who may unwittingly touch them or even fall on them (not to mention house fires). Dr. van Amerongen says they should be avoided if at all possible. If you do choose to use them, make sure they are never left unattended or left on when your family goes to sleep.
In addition, we should all be checking our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that the batteries are in proper working order.
Danielle Sullivan, a Brooklyn-born mom of three, has worked as a writer and editor in the parenting world for more than 10 years, and has been honored with Gold awards for her health column and editing work by the Parenting Media Association. Sullivan also writes for Babble.com.
