FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Winter Sports Bring Outdoor Fun and Injuries to Kids
Safe Kids USA Reminds Parents to Keep Kids Safe On and Off the Slopes
Papillion, Nebraska –Old man winter brings many outdoor activities for children to enjoy with the
snow and on the ice. Yet, Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass cautions that sledding, skiing, snowboarding,
and skating result in thousands of injuries to children each year. The good news is that many of
these injuries can be prevented. Parents can help keep their children injury free by taking a few
simple precautions.
“It begins with providing the proper clothing, safety gear and sun screen and by ensuring their
child stays hydrated,” said Safe Kids Coordinator, Jane Husz. “In addition, providing children a
snowboarding or skiing lesson before they head to the slopes will provide them with the
necessary skills to not only reduce their frustrations but also their risk of injury. Finally, parents
need to have their children come inside periodically to warm up and prevent hypothermia or
frostbite.”
Approximately 2 out of 5 traumatic brain injuries among children are associated with participation
in sports and recreational activities. Studies indicate that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of
impact forces to the brain. Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass recommends children always wear helmets
when sledding, skiing, snowboarding, or playing ice hockey.
Here’s additional tips for parents” to keep their children safe this winter.
Proper Clothing
-Dress your child in layers - warm close-fitting clothes; a hat; boots; gloves or mittens
that are preferably waterproof, and a scarf, or facemask.
-Make sure your child’s scarf is tucked in so that it doesn’t get entangled in lifts, ski poles, or
other equipment.
Sun Protection
-Cover your child’s exposed skin with sunscreen to protect their skin from the sunlight, which
reflects off the snow.
Safety Gear
-Ensure your child always wears the sport-specific, properly fitted safety gear. For example,
knee pads are just as important for snowboarding as they are for field/ice hockey.
-Helmets should always be worn by children when they ski, sled, snowboard, snowmobile,
and play field/ice hockey. Make sure your child wears a helmet that is appropriate for the
particular activity or sport because there are different helmets for different activities.
-Keep the helmet well-maintained, and it should always be properly fitted to your
child’s head. Replace the helmet as soon as it has been hit hard or involved in a
crash or impact. Even though there may not be any visible damage to the helmet, it
will not effectively absorb the impact of a future crash or may have a hair line crack
invisible to the human eye.
Staying Hydrated
-Encourage your child to drink water before, during and after play in order to stay fully
hydrated. Here’s some general guidelines to prevent dehydration:
-Before an activity:
o Drink 12 ounces of fluid 30 minutes
-During an activity:
o Children under 90 pounds: Drink 5 ounces every 20 minutes
o Children over 90 pounds: Drink 9 ounces every 20 minutes
-After an activity:
o Drink every 20 minutes during the first hour after the activity to make up for fluid loss.
About Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass:
Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass works to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death
and disability to children ages 19 and under. Safe Kids Sarpy/Cass is a member of Safe Kids
Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Safe
Kids Sarpy/Cass was founded in 2006 and is led by Sarpy/Cass Dept of Health and Wellness.
For more information, contact: Jane Husz, Sarpy/Cass Safe Kids Coordinator, 402?339?4334
x210; jhusz@sarpy.com
