Kid Thoughts for August
By David A. Johnson MD, Medical Director, Signature Care
Wednesday, August 2, 2006; Posted: 3:30 p.m.
August can be an emotional time because it's back-to-school month for most kids. Let's look at some issues that seem to crop up during this time. First, back-to-school time is an excellent opportunity to look at your child's immunizations to be sure that everything is current. (It is no coincidence that August is National Immunization Awareness Month.) Immunizations are vital not only for your child's health, but required for many school and work opportunities. If finances are an issue, there are several opportunities to get low cost or free immunizations. One such example is the Super Shots program.
Another youth topic to be addressed during this time of year is one of exercise and athletics. For many kids, this is a time for starting up new sport seasons. Injuries are very common and a large number of them can be avoided. A common perception among youth is that they are "bulletproof"- that they won't get hurt, they'll live forever, and they don't need to heed safety rules. The end result of this is needless injuries and occasional tragedies.
Below is a quiz to test your injury knowledge. Correctly rank the following warm weather sports by the number of injuries sustained annually. (Injuries severe enough to require medical treatment) These are based on 2004 data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Here we go:
- Baseball/Softball
- Basketball
- Bicycling
- In-line Skating
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Trampoline use
- Volleyball
While you ponder this question, let's list a few pointers to help cut down on many of these sports related injuries.
- Wear protection when appropriate such as mouthpieces, helmets, and other protective gear.
- Make proper hydration a priority. Keeping up on water intake (not soda!) during athletic training and competition is vital.
- Warm up and stretch for several minutes before any athletic endeavor.
- Know how to properly use athletic equipment.
- Use a spotter if lifting free weights.
- Proper footwear can make a huge difference in minimizing foot, ankle, leg, hip, and back injuries.
- "No pain, no gain" is false! Take a break if pain is present. Seek medical attention if painful problems develop.
- Don't chew gum during activities.
- Remove jewelry during activities.
Okay, now that you have seen the tips and pondered the question, let's take a look at the answers to the above quiz. The warm-weather sports with the highest number of reported injuries, starting with the highest are:
- Basketball (1,018,619)
- Bicycling (820,789)
- Baseball/Softball (422,200)
- Trampoline use (248,000)
- Swimming (114,899)
- Volleyball (91,885)
- In-line skating (66,101)
- Tennis (17,838)
Did any surprise you? I encourage you to sit down and discuss the issues of safety and healthy athletics with the youth in your life.
Again, be sure to check their immunization status and see that they are up-to-date. Going back to school can be a stressful and exciting time. Be sure to do your part to make it a healthy time as well. Here's to your health!