WARMER WEATHER brings with it ball games and picnics. And an increased risk of pedestrian injuries, as children dart out into the street after that ball or ice cream truck.
The effort toward prevention of unintentional injuries in children has seen some successes. Childhood injuries in motor vehicle crashes have declined with the use of car seats and seat belts. Protective helmets decrease the risk of head injury in pediatric bicyclists. But, until recently, little attention has been paid to injuries to children being hit by cars. Epidemiologic information is accumulating that should allow prevention strategies to be developed.
'Huge Pediatric Problem'
Mark Widome, MD, MPH, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, calls pedestrian injuries "a huge pediatric problem." At a recent American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, he provided the statistics to defend that assertion.According to the National Center for Health Statistics, pedestrian injuries are the third leading