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Bike Accidents
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| Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“They come in with deep gashes around their skull, broken skull, internal brain damage, and they more often have to stay in the hospital and hope their brain can repair itself.”
– Carden Johnson, M.D., emergency pediatrics
In just a few weeks, thousands of kids are going to wake up and find a shiny new bicycle under the Christmas tree. But one 11-year-old boy offers some pretty good advice about a bike: he says it’s not much of a gift unless it comes with something else…
“They put me on the stretcher over there, they put a neck brace on, then they leveled my arm and I was like, ‘what’s going to happen?’” says Dane, 11.
Dane had a bike accident.
“I lost control and came down here,” says Dane, pointing to the end of the driveway.
“And when he hit the retaining wall he stopped, vaulted the bike and went over the handlebars,” says Bill Gray, Dane’s neighbor.
“Yeah, the wheel hit [the brick wall] and I flipped,” says Dane.
“He hit the ground first, evidently a three-point landing, his face and two hands,” says Gray.
That three-point landing broke Dane’s arm.
“On Dane’s left wrist we can see a little buckle, so the bone comes down this way then goes out and comes back in. That’s a fracture,” says Dr. Carden Johnson, M.D., emergency pediatrics, examining Dane’s X-ray.
Dane also lost a tooth. But thanks to his helmet, there was no injury to his skull.
“Is this what’s left of your helmet?” asks the doctor while holding pieces of the helmet.
Studies show that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of brain injury by 85 percent, and yet more than 75 percent of children don’t wear bike helmets. And when those kids come to the ER, they look very different.
“Then they come in with deep gashes around their skull, broken skull, internal brain damage, and they more often have to stay in the hospital and hope their brain can repair itself,” says Johnson.
Johnson adds that parents must set strict rules: no helmet means no bike, no exceptions. Head injuries make up 25 percent of emergency room visits from bike accidents.
“I’m glad you had your helmet on,” says Johnson.
“Me, too,” says Dane.
Tips for Parents
- Instill the helmet rule as soon as your children start to ride tricycles, and when they are passengers on the back of an adult's bike. If children learn to wear helmets whenever they ride tricycles and bikes, it becomes a habit for a lifetime. (The American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP)
- Allow your children to participate in choosing their helmet. They'll be able to let you know if it is comfortable. Also, if they like the design, they are more likely to wear it. (AAP)
- There are many things you can tell your children to convince them of the importance of helmet use: (AAP)
- Bikes are vehicles, not toys.
- You love and value them, and need to protect them.
- They can permanently damage their brains or even die from head injuries.
- A helmet should be worn squarely on top of the head, covering the top of the forehead. If it is tipped back, it will not protect the forehead. The helmet fits well if it doesn't move around on the head or slide down over the wearer's eyes when pushed or pulled. The chinstrap should be adjusted to fit snugly. (AAP)
References
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
