Stay Out of The Emergency Room, Loma Linda Experts

Local safety experts are warning parents that once the temperature begins to rise, so do visits to the hospital.

“It’s trauma season for us, and pretty much all injuries go up in the summer,” said Michelle Parker, Safe Kids coordinator for the Inland Empire, which is sponsored by Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. “Kids are home more, and injuries in and around homes rise. Motor vehicle collisions go up, and sports related incidents go up, as they may or may not be wearing helmets.”

Parker says that LLUCH has been seeing more and more children come in with injuries stemming from the fact that they were not wearing helmets.

“These incidents probably could have been prevented if they had been wearing helmets,” she said. “People are more active in the summer, and really getting out there, which they should be, but they also need to keep safety tips in mind. We can stay active and do family outings, but stay as safe as possible.”

There is a helmet law in California, and it is illegal for children to ride anything with wheels - like a bike, skateboard, or scooter - without a helmet until the age of 18.

“It was a great success at first, but we’re seeing a decline in use at this time,” Parker said. “By the time kids hit the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, it just becomes not cool.”

Inside of the house, take careful measures to ensure that windows are secure.

“When it’s hot, you want to open the windows, but kids can fall out,” Parker said. “Sometimes furniture is pushed too close to windows, and kids can lean on screens, which easily pop off. We see children who have fallen out of second story windows.”

Also, keep all medication out of reach.

“We see a lot of ingestions,” Parker said. “Kids will take medications that are their siblings, or parents, or grandparents. Put them up in a secure location.”

When driving, make sure that everyone in the car is buckled up properly.

“Even if it’s around the corner, it doesn’t matter, wear a seatbelt,” Parker said. “It doesn’t take a high rate of speed to cause severe injuries.”

For small children, make sure that their car seats are the appropriate size.

“I say it’s the Goldilocks Rule,” Parker said. “Check to see that it’s not too big and not too small, but just right.”

For more safety tips, visit the Safe Kids USA website.