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Dear Partners,
As summer continues, with temperatures reaching record highs and children spending lots of time outside, it's important to remain vigilant in preventing child injuries, emergency department visits, and deaths related to summer activities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning remains the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4. Moreover, from 2019 to 2022, drowning deaths rates in this age group increased by 28 percent. American Indian/Alaska Native children and Black children continue to be disproportionately affected, with children from these groups experiencing higher rates of drowning deaths than children from other racial/ethnic groups.
Drowning deaths are preventable. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, key prevention measures include:
- Four-sided fencing of residential pools
- Close, constant, active, and attentive supervision of children when in or around water
- Swim lessons and water safety knowledge
- Use of life jackets
During these hot summer months, children are also at an increased risk for heatstroke in cars. According to noheatstroke.org, more than 980 children since 1998 have died of heatstroke in a hot car. To prevent heat-related injuries and deaths in cars, the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) recommends never leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, checking the entire vehicle before locking the doors and walking away, storing keys out of children's reach, and more.
Playground safety continues to be essential during the summertime. Every year, U.S. emergency departments treat about 200,000 playground-related injuries among children 18 years old and younger. Gina Duchossois, of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, an active Children's Safety Now Alliance Member, provides several tips for preventing common playground-related injuries, including safe surfacing on playgrounds, equipment in good condition, adult supervision, and use of appropriate protective gear.
Below are additional resources related to these and other child safety and cross-cutting topics, with those from our CSN-A partners highlighted in purple.
Please widely share these resources with your networks.
Kindly,
Jennifer Leonardo
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