Do you have a family health question for the experts at St. Mary's? Email kaytd@macaronikid.com with "Ask Suzanne" in the subject line. (Please note: If we select your question for inclusion in the column, your name and identifying characteristics will not be included.)
A Parent Asks: My mother-in-law recently lectured my wife and I on not having our kids wear helmets while riding their bikes. Note here that my wife (her daughter) never wore a helmet when she was a kid. Neither did I. We don't let our kids ride bikes on busy streets, just our own street which happens to be a dead end. I'm not saying helmets aren't a good idea but I am worried if we make the kids wear them they will no longer want to ride their bikes. It's one thing they really love and stay active with so I don't want to discourage them. Are helmets really necessary in low-danger areas?
A Parent Asks: My mother-in-law recently lectured my wife and I on not having our kids wear helmets while riding their bikes. Note here that my wife (her daughter) never wore a helmet when she was a kid. Neither did I. We don't let our kids ride bikes on busy streets, just our own street which happens to be a dead end. I'm not saying helmets aren't a good idea but I am worried if we make the kids wear them they will no longer want to ride their bikes. It's one thing they really love and stay active with so I don't want to discourage them. Are helmets really necessary in low-danger areas?
Suzanne Answers: I agree, physical activity is so important in our kids’ lives! However, helmets are an absolute must. Even on quiet dead end streets. Cycling is the number one sport causing head injuries. Almost two times more than football!
In 2010, 800 people were killed on bicycles, over 515,000 injured requiring a trip to the emergency room. Approximately half of these people were children and adolescents. A child can sustain a head injury quickly and easily by falling off their bike.
So, while many children don’t get brain injuries from riding bikes, many do. Is it worth the risk? Not in my opinion. Instead, be a great role model! Wear your helmet when you are on a bike. Make “helmets a habit.” A helmet should be worn every time they are on their bikes or scooters.
Great job keeping them off busy streets. There are more great bike safety tips on the American Academy of Pediatrics website: www.healthychildren.org. Happy riding!
In 2010, 800 people were killed on bicycles, over 515,000 injured requiring a trip to the emergency room. Approximately half of these people were children and adolescents. A child can sustain a head injury quickly and easily by falling off their bike.
So, while many children don’t get brain injuries from riding bikes, many do. Is it worth the risk? Not in my opinion. Instead, be a great role model! Wear your helmet when you are on a bike. Make “helmets a habit.” A helmet should be worn every time they are on their bikes or scooters.
Great job keeping them off busy streets. There are more great bike safety tips on the American Academy of Pediatrics website: www.healthychildren.org. Happy riding!
Suzanne loves spending time with her husband and young boys. Professionally, she has a wide range of clinical experience in pediatric care. She is currently caring for her young patients at CCS Pediatrics in Lewiston. Previously, she worked in emergency departments, newborn nurseries, transitional NICU, and a primary care office setting.
Suzanne earned her Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner specialty at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.
She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
Resources:
Resources:
-CDC. Gov
-www.healthychildren.org
-O’Connor, A. New York Time’s Well Blog [Internet]. Anahad O’Connor. 2013, June. Available from: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/really-the-claim-cycling-is-the-top-sport-for-head-injuries/?_r=0
