Safe sledding tips from an emergency room doctor
By SARAH CODY/The Hartford Courant
With these piles and piles of snow, we're all looking for fun ways to busy ourselves during the school delays, early dismissals and days-off. We love to go sledding and head out to the slope in our backyard every chance we get. But, all of a sudden, I've been hearing alarming stories about sledding accidents. A boy who knocked himself out after flipping off a jump. A dad who hit a tree and cracked part of his vertebrae.
"Certainly when there's more opportunity, there will be more injury," says Dr. Steve Rogers, who works in the Emergency Room at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, Conn. He doesn't have any solid numbers but believes, due to anecdotal stories such as the ones I've heard, that sledding accidents have been abundant lately. But take heart: "Before you even get to the hill, you can prevent a bunch of things," says Rogers, who is also an injury prevention researcher.
Here are a few safety tips from a pro:
---Talk to your child about how to sled. Tell them to always look forward, don't sled toward anyone or anything. Even teach them how to safely roll off a moving sled.
---Choose a smart sled. Rogers is not a fan of the inflatable options. "They go very fast and there's no way to steer or slow down," he says.
---Wear a multi-sport or ski helmet. Rogers and his own children are recent converts and won't hit the sledding hill without helmets: "I find them to be comfortable and super protective!"
---Remember: severe injuries are preventable. Stationary objects, such as trees or other people, pose the biggest risks for the worst sledding accidents resulting in head injuries. So, survey the scene. Only sled in a cleared area that's not too crowded.
---Don't be cavalier about the jumps. Flying the wrong way can cause a host of orthopedic injuries such as a clavicle fracture. Not life threatening but absolutely no fun.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 160,000 people were treated at hospitals nationwide as a result of sledding or tubing accidents in 2007. And, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 71 percent of all unsupervised sledding outings end up in injury. That statistic can be reduced to 29 percent if an adult is watching.
So, have a good time, be careful and refer to this Safe Kids website, http://www.ctsafekids.org/, for more information.
