The holidays are a great time to relax and spend time with the ones you love. The holiday season, for many, means breaks in work or school, which allow time for plenty of extracurricular fun. Unfortunately, all this free time and fun can also lead to more injuries among children.
Check out some of the reasons why there may be a correlation between winter vacation and injuries involving children.
Winter Vacation and Injuries Involving Children
With no school and plenty of free time, children have more opportunities to enjoy being outdoors, traveling, or playing. Here are some of the most common accidents and injuries involving children during winter vacation:
- Traveling: During the holidays, millions of families hit the road to visit loved ones. During this time, the number of auto accidents increases, and children are not exempt from the consequences. In 2016, 723 children under 12 were killed in auto accidents, and another 128,000 were injured.
- Outdoor Sports: During the winter months, injuries involving children are often related to sports like sledding, snowmobiling, skiing, or skating. It is important that children are wearing proper gear, are supervised, and have proper training for the activity.
- Outdoor Play: Just playing outside in the yard can result in injuries for some children. Snowballs, wet or icy roads, building forts – all are exciting possibilities. But they can also be dangerous when children are not supervised, play too rough, or are not paying attention.
- Cold Temperatures: Winter vacation in many parts of the U.S. means cold temperatures. Frostbite is a particular concern for children. Frostbite can happen quickly, even when wearing a coat.
- Fire-Related Injuries: One of the most common causes of injuries during the winter months are fires. Candles, Christmas decorations, appliances, even some toys can lead to increased fire risk. These items should never be left unattended, or be left running/burning for extended periods of time.