Expert tips to avoid the emergency room
We asked emergency medicine and injury prevention experts from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia about the top reasons kids come to the Emergency Department during the summer season and tips to avoid summer injuries. We took all of their advice and created tips to help empower you and your child to stay safe.
This article is sponsored by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
 | Keep Watch Around WaterDrowning is one of the three leading causes of unintentional injury death for all children ages 0-19 years. Drowning often occurs silently when an unsupervised child is near water ― and it takes only seconds to drown. But there’s good news: drowning is preventable! |
 | Make It Safe to Play OutsideWhile the arrival of sunnier days and warmer temperatures offers children the chance to spend more time playing outside, it’s important to protect your child from the hazardous products and plants that are found in many backyards. There are things you can do to keep them safe so they can still have fun! |
 | Make Wearing a Helmet a HabitBicycles are linked to more childhood injuries than any consumer product except automobiles. Children are at particularly high risk for bicycle-related injuries. In 2001, children 15 years and younger accounted for 59% of all bicycle-related injuries seen in emergency departments across the U.S. Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk and severity of a head injury by more than 60%. |
Be Sun SmartA day at the beach can be a welcome treat when the weather is warm, but a morning or a late afternoon trip is better for your children’s health. Too much sun can cause sunburn. Sunburn during childhood has been linked to a higher risk of developing skin cancer. Protecting your child's skin from too much sun exposure can greatly reduce this risk. | |
 | Know How to Handle the HeatDid you know that children are more susceptible to heat stroke because their bodies heat up five times faster than an adult’s? On the hottest summer days, follow some common-sense guidelines and pay close attention to how your child is feeling. |
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s King of Prussia Campus offers your family top-ranked, pediatric inpatient, emergency, specialty, and urgent care -conveniently located close to home. The 108-bed Middleman Family Pavilion, including the 24/7 Madlyn K. Abramson Emergency Department and 18-bed Level III N/IICU, gives even more families greater access to CHOP’s world-class care.
