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Helmets aren't just for bikers

Posted 6/24/2008

Experts in the Emergency Department at the at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt say they are seeing increased rates of injury in children who have fallen from scooters, bikes and other vehicles. It’s an increase they see during the summer months every year, and of all the injuries associated with those summertime accidents, the most serious is also one of the most preventable – head injuries.

Parents are urged to require children of all ages to wear helmets and to remember that helmets aren’t just for bicycle riders.

Dee Downing is learning about helmet safety the hard way. Her 15-year-old daughter, Danielle, was treated at the Children’s Hospital Emergency Department on May 20 for two skull fractures after a fall from a skateboard. On Friday, June 20, “Danny” will return for a hearing test to be certain she has suffered no permanent damage.

Within 30 minutes of her fall, Danielle was vomiting, feeling dizzy and could not speak. For weeks following the accident, she rated her headache pain as high as nine on a scale of 10.

“Helmets should be used during any activity with the potential for a serious fall,” said Thomas Abramo, M.D., director of the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Helmets are the most effective prevention for minor head injuries - commonly called concussions—that can result when children fall from scooters or skateboards. Although they are described as “minor,” these injuries can have serious lifelong effects, like difficulties with learning, adjusting to life, forming social relationships and memory function. They can also cause chronic headaches or migraines.

Abramo stressed that parents and children tend to think of the “now”— the freedom or convenience that comes with not using a helmet, rather than the future — leading “a more productive and better life.”

Dee says she has learned an important lesson about parenting.

“Push (helmet wearing) from the minute they get on the board or bike,” she said. “Make it automatic, like putting on a seat belt.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics has these tips for parents:
o    Establish the helmet habit early.
o    Set a good example by wearing a helmet yourself.
o    Explain to children the importance of protecting their heads.
o    Reward children for wearing helmets.
o    Encourage their friends to wear helmets.
o    Be consistent — don’t let children ride unless they are wearing a helmet.

Contact: Carole Bartoo, (615) 322-4747
Carole.bartoo@vanderbilt.edu

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