LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Summertime for many kids means the excitement of water activities, fun in the sun and spending as much time as possible outdoors, but it's also known as "Trauma Season" for pediatric experts.
Dr. Mary Rademaker with Norton Healthcare joined WDRB Mornings Tuesday with some tips for preventing injuries and what to do when they happen.Â
Rademaker listed several common activities that can cause injuries to kids: enjoying the summer on playgrounds, backyard trampolines, bicycles, skateboards, scooters and hoverboards.Â
"Really what we see in the summertime are a lot of orthopedic injuries, and skin-related injuries," Rademaker said. "I think that knowing how to use equipment, taking proper precautions around equipment are really important, as well as safety around sun protection, sunscreen, that type of thing."
Rademaker said fireworks are popular in the summer, and can cause skin injuries and severe burns. She also said injuries from backyard equipment can be dangerous.Â
"A common area for injury that we see is around trampolines, just not following good trampoline rules, if you will," Rademaker said. "Having more than one or multiple children can be really dangerous as far as kids falling off the trampoline or even landing improperly."
When a child does come to a parent complaining of an injury or pain, it can sometimes be hard to decide if the pain warrants a trip to the ER or an urgent care center.Â
In those cases, Rademaker advises parents "to use your common sense. Children are going to be very upset initially, regardless of the injury, regardless of the severity. So, you know, take some time to assess it, see if you can calm them easily or not. If they're still really complaining or if you see an obvious deformity -- a deep laceration, favoring something, then that's when you want to look for care.Â
Rademaker also referenced www.nortonhealthcare.com. "We have a very nice algorithm about 'if this is what you're seeing, this would be the place to seek care.'"
One tip Rademaker mentioned that may not be widely known involves sliding boards. "Never put a child between your legs to go down a sliding board. It's a very common way to break a leg."
As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care, so the more parents can educate children about stopping injuries before they happen, the better.Â
"It's the prevention more than anything," Rademaker said. "Because kids are going to do what kids are going to do. But the more you can educate them about the right way to use equipment, the better off you'll be."
And nothing takes the place of direct parental supervision, especially when it comes to water safety and swimming pools. Rademaker said parents with backyard pools should also pay close attention to their children's swimwear.Â
"Most swimming pools, the bottom of the pool is blue," Rademaker said. "Don't put a young child in a blue bathing suit. If they're on the bottom, you can't find them."Â Â
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