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Kids love to play outdoors and physical exercise is good for them. The fact that playground injuries are on the rise may be frightening to some parents. Even so, there are precautions you can take, but first, here are the facts:
According to a Romper article, the CDC did a study on emergency room visits of children who were age 14 and younger during the period of 2001 and 2013.
- 10 percent or 21,000 children a year have a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Between 2005 and 2013, the statistic increased from 23 out of 100, 000 to 48 out of 100,000 children being treated for TBI
- Boys between the ages of five to nine were more likely to sustain a brain injury
- The increase could be attributed to the fact more children were actually using play equipment
- Most children were injured on monkey bars and swings (The study could not determine whether more injuries occurred because they were the favorite equipment or they were more dangerous.)
The study also indicated that most children recover completely from TBI injuries, and their discomfort only lasted a few hours to a few days.
What Can You Do?
Knowing what to do to keep your child safe is important for parents. Here are some actions you can take:
If your child gets injured, be aware of concussion symptoms, which include headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea and vomiting (AllGov).
- Pick playgrounds with equipment that are right for your child’s age.
- Go to playgrounds with sand or wood chip surfaces, which are safer than concrete.
- Have your kids play with kids their age, not older kids.
- Watch for faulty equipment.
The most important thing you can do to keep your children safe is to supervise their play.
