The Safety of Our Children
I am often amazed at the lack of insight that people have about the safety of their children. I understand that it is difficult to police them all of the time and I know that I see a disproportionate number of injuries as I take care of the children in the operating room. Still, some of the injuries occur with a frequency that suggests a fundamental lack of knowledge about the possibilities for substantial damage in activities that adults encourage or turn a blind eye to. Let me give you some examples of some of the injuries that we see regularly:
1. Running with sticks - There seems to be a magnetic attraction between children and sticks. Running with sharp objects appears to be a right of childhood. After seeing many eye injuries over the last twenty five years, I think that this activity should cease. Being blind in one eye is a terrible price to pay for the lack of adult supervision.
2. ATVs - I have spoken about this before. Still a bad idea.
3. Trampolines - The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees with me on this. Trampolines are dangerous, even with a spotter. Broken limbs and broken necks happen too often when parents don't recognize the potential harm.
4. Guns - Let's be clear: Guns harm more than they protect. Children find them and play with them. Innocent people get shot, kids inadvertently harm themselves or their friends, suicides are easier to accomplish. If you have a gun in your home, plan on a bad outcome related to it...it is a matter of time.
5. Lack of supervision - I have seen many mangled children in my professional life. Most of these injuries were accompanied by the lack of adult supervision - dog maulings, drownings, burns. Needless injury that changed the life of a child forever because someone didn't think that anything could happen.
We owe it to our children to recognize the dangers in life and to make a reasonable effort to avert injury.
Rae Brown, MD
1. Running with sticks - There seems to be a magnetic attraction between children and sticks. Running with sharp objects appears to be a right of childhood. After seeing many eye injuries over the last twenty five years, I think that this activity should cease. Being blind in one eye is a terrible price to pay for the lack of adult supervision.
2. ATVs - I have spoken about this before. Still a bad idea.
3. Trampolines - The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees with me on this. Trampolines are dangerous, even with a spotter. Broken limbs and broken necks happen too often when parents don't recognize the potential harm.
4. Guns - Let's be clear: Guns harm more than they protect. Children find them and play with them. Innocent people get shot, kids inadvertently harm themselves or their friends, suicides are easier to accomplish. If you have a gun in your home, plan on a bad outcome related to it...it is a matter of time.
5. Lack of supervision - I have seen many mangled children in my professional life. Most of these injuries were accompanied by the lack of adult supervision - dog maulings, drownings, burns. Needless injury that changed the life of a child forever because someone didn't think that anything could happen.
We owe it to our children to recognize the dangers in life and to make a reasonable effort to avert injury.
Rae Brown, MD
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