Bathtub and Shower Injuries Among Kids
They say mothers have a third eye at the back of their heads and sees everything. Well, if that was true, then there shouldn't be so much accidents at home involving the kids, right?
What do you think is the top reason for kids being treated in hospital emergency departments? Bathtub and shower injuries!
According to a recent study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, more than 43,000 children 18 years and younger in the United States are treated in hospital emergency departments annually for injuries occurring in a bathtub or shower. The number of injuries remained consistently high over the 18-year study period from 1990-2007, suggesting that prevention efforts need to be increased.
Data from the study, published in the online issue of Pediatrics, show that children younger than 5 years accounted for more than half of all injuries. The most common diagnosis was a laceration (60 percent), with the face being the most frequently injured body region (48 percent), followed by the head and neck (15 percent).
So take a good look at your bathrooms and make sure that surfaces are more slip-resistant. Handholds to reduce slipping and falling, elimination of sharp edges in the bathtub and shower, and shatterproof enclosures to prevent lacerations are also recommended.
And supervision, of course.