Keeping Your Child Out of Harm's Way
Trauma Awareness and Safety Day
May is National Trauma Awareness Month. On Saturday, May 17, 2003, Memorial Regional Hospital Trauma Center will host a Trauma Awareness and Safety Day to promote trauma awareness and prevention.
The free event will be held at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse at 6600 Dykes Road, west of I-75 and north of Sheridan Street, from 10am to 1pm.
The event will feature:
- Raffles and prizes
- Southwest Ranches Volunteer Fire Department
- Various safety booths, including water safety, scooter safety and free car seat inspections
- Pembroke Pines Hazard House(a "smoke house" to teach proper response to fire)
- Miami-Dade DUI Mobile Education Van (an educational van to teach the hazards of drunk and impaired driving)
- Memorial Bloodmobilefor blood donations
- Food and fun for the entire family, including coloring books, face painting and more for children!
Join us for a fun and informative day. Please call (954) 987-2020, extension 4024 for more information.
May 2003 — Scalds caused by an adult holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a squirming toddler in the other, infants who have grabbed hot curling irons, injuries from inline skating...
"We call these cases of preventable trauma," says Homer Marquit, MD, pediatrician on the medical staff at Memorial Regional Hospital, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Memorial Hospital West. "It's not often that you see preventable trauma, but just one is too many."
An Ounce of Prevention
Prevention is the key to reducing injury in and around the home. Parents can't watch a child every minute, but they can still minimize the risk of accidents. "Parents need to see things from the child's perspective," Dr. Marquit says. "Get down on your hands and knees and look. Are electrical outlets equipped with safety covers? Are lamp and appliance cords concealed?"
Among other potential dangers:
- Animals — Tame and wild animals may attack when threatened by humans, so teach proper caution
- Pools — Never leave your child unsupervised around water
- Traffic — Even very young children should know what traffic signs and signals mean
- Fire — Have a family fire evacuation plan
- Storms — Florida leads the nation in lightning injuries and fatalities, so teach children to seek safe shelter whenever they see lightning or hear thunder
- General Danger — Instruct children not to play with matches, guns, knives and other potentially dangerous items
How to Teach
When teaching safety lessons, speak in simple language and involve the child in meaningful ways.
"Ask them what they think or how they would respond," Dr. Marquit says. "For example, 'What would you do if a stranger came to the door and mommy was in the back room?' or 'What should you do if you smell smoke?' That way, you can hear their answers and offer suggestions."
Memorial Healthcare System's Safety Town programs teach kids basic safety skills and are held regularly at CB Smith Park, Tree Tops Park and TY Park. Group field trips to Safety Towns for 25 or more children are free and available throughout the school year. For additional information, please call Community Relations at Memorial Healthcare System at (954) 276-5985.