A new study, which will be released in the May version of Pediatrics, shows that the greatestnumbers of injuries to children occur in the five days surrounding Labor Day,Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Halloween.
The researchers studied 5.7 million injuries suffered bychildren during the holidays between 1997 and 2006. They found that althoughthe injuries they studied occurred near holidays, most of the injuries were notholiday related. The most common injuries were lacerations, contusions,abrasions, fractures, sprains and strains. They were usually related to sportsand recreation, although injuries from falling down stairs and falling overfurniture were also prevalent.
So how do you keep your children safe during the upcomingsummer holiday season? Experts say thatalthough parents may be looking forward to relaxing over the holidays, it’simportant to continue or even increase parental supervision. Over 500,000families a year spend a holiday in the ER due to an injury to a child oradolescent, so a little extra care could insure you aren’t one of them.