MEDIA ADVISORY: Keep Kids Safe in their Winter Wonderland
The temperature may dip well below freezing, but that does not mean the end of outdoor play for many kids. From sledding to snowmobiling, children find lots to do when the snow starts to fall. Unfortunately, these activities can also lead to needless tragedy. Safe Kids U.Va. Children’s Hospital has information to help parents and caregivers keep children safe during the winter.
While most people associate drowning with the summer season, drownings can happen in the winter too. To prevent winter drownings Safe Kids advises the following:
- Supervise children at all times when they are near a pool, hot tub or any open body of water.
- Make sure that pools and spas are secure by installing isolation fencing that is at least five feet high.
- Allow children to skate only on ponds or lakes that have been approved for skating.
Another winter hazard, frostbite, occurs from exposure to the cold without adequate protection. Parents can protect their children from frostbite by doing the following:
- Make sure that children are dressed warmly, by dressing children in several thin layers.
- Set reasonable limits on winter outdoor play. Children should be called inside at regular intervals to warm up with beverages like hot chocolate.
- When possible, avoid taking infants under a year old outdoors when it is colder than 40 degrees. Infants loose body heat quickly.
Activities like ice skating, sledding and skiing should never be done alone. These activities can be enjoyed safely by doing the following:
- Advise children to skate and sled in the same direction as others in their group.
- Make sure the terrain is free from obstacles and advise children not to skate too fast.
- Make sure children wear sun protection, eye protection and a ski helmet.
Snowmobiling carries the risk of serious head injuries. The
For more information about keeping kids safe during winter play, please call Safe Kids U.Va. Children’s Hospital at (434) 243-5862. To cover this story, please call the public relations office at (434) 243-2734.
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