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Ped-E-News

October is Bicycle Safety Month

Article from Keeping Kids Safe Column by Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly

Riding a bike is a fun way for your child to exercise, but it can also put them at risk for injury if they do not know basic bicycle safety rules. Every year, more than 500,000 people go to the Emergency Room for bicycle-related injuries and roughly 700 people die each year from those injuries. Children under 15 years-old are at the biggest risk for getting injured while riding a bicycle.

The most important thing that a child should know before they ride a bike is that they should always wear a helmet. Your child should wear their helmet even if they are only pedaling on the driveway or up and down the sidewalk. They are still at risk for a head injury even if they are not on the street and most accidents occur at or near home.

Helmets should be Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Snell Organization (a helmet testing laboratory, named after a popular amateur race car driver who died of massive head injuries in 1956 when the helmet he was wearing failed to protect his head) approved. Look inside of the helmet for one of these safety organization’s stickers.

Your child should go with you to buy the helmet to make sure that you get the right size. The helmet should fit snuggly and not move in any direction. When the chinstrap is fastened, you should only be able to place only one finger between it and your child’s chin. The helmet should lie directly on top of your child’s head, cover the child’s forehead and not tilt in any direction. No caps or hats should be worn under the helmet.

If your child has an accident and hits his or her head on a hard surface, you will need to buy a new helmet. A helmet does not work properly after it hits a hard surface, and should be thrown away even if it does not look damaged.

Brightly-colored clothing should be worn, as well as reflectors, so that other people can easily see your child while they are on their bike.

Besides always wearing their helmet, other basic bicycle safety tips that you should teach your child include to:

• Always look both ways when leaving your driveway or turning
  around corners
• Always ride on the right side of the road and go in the same direction
  as traffic
• Always walk their bike across a crosswalk at busy intersections
• Always watch where they are riding and to stay away from dangers
  (such as wet leaves, rocks, cracks, potholes, and railroad tracks)
• Not riding too closely to parked cars
• Never ride on the sidewalk
• Never ride at night
• Never wear headphones when they are riding their bike
• Obey traffic signals and stop at all stop signs
• Ride single file if they are riding with friends

Use hand signals when turning or stopping (After looking behind to signal a
left turn, they should hold their left arm straight out. For a right turn, they
should hold out their right arm. To show that they are stopping, they
should hold their right arm down in an “L” shape. )

Children under 9 years of age should never ride in the street and if your child is just learning to ride a bicycle, no matter how old they are, they should ride with a an adult along until they gain enough skill and confidence to ride alone.

Have you met... David Yngve, M.D. Dr. Yngve is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Orthopaedics and Scoliosis at UTMB. He earned his medical degree and completed his orthopaedic residency at Indiana University, and a fellowship in pediatric orthopaedic surgery at Louisiana State University. He is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and is a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. Dr. Yngve, who came to UTMB in 1992, has been in practice for more than 20 years and says his goal is to treat his patients in a careful, caring and understanding manner. This includes remaining up-to-date in his field, which has resulted in his publication of more than 25 peer reviewed papers. Dr. Yngve has a special interest in cerebral palsy, scoliosis and pediatric spine problems. He is doing a new type of minimally invasive cerebral palsy surgery called Selective Percutaneous Myofascial Lengthening (SPML) otherwise known as percutaneous surgery, or PERCS. He welcomes patients from 0-18 years with orthopaedic problems, including those of the back, hip, leg, ankle, foot, knee, arm, elbow, wrist, and hand.

Kelly D. Carmichael, M.D.  Dr. Carmichael is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Orthopaedics at UTMB. He is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and is a member of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. In 1994, Dr. Carmichael received his medical degree from the Univeristy of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston; in 1995 he completed his surgical internship at UTMB followed by his residency in orthopaedic surgery in 1999. Dr. Carmichael regularly goes on missions with Operation Rainbow. Operation Rainbow, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, arranges 5-6 volunteer medical missions throughout the world each year. Medical personnel pay their own way and bring their own supplies. They are limited to two 50-pound cases each. Founded in Houston, the organization is now based in San Francisco. The surgeons of Operation Rainbow treat patients suffering from chronic deformities, clubfeet and fractures that have never been set. On June 4, 2008, Dr. Kelly D. Carmichael was inducted into the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) at its 121st Annual Meeting in Quebec City. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation is proud to recognize Dr. Carmichael for this achievement.

Volunteer Services is Back at UTMB

Volunteer Services recruits, orients, and trains volunteers to participate in a wide variety of opportunities throughout UTMB, including the John Sealy and Children's Hospitals and Clinics.  UTMB Volunteers are an integral part of the university's entire patient care system and their participation richly enhances the care that UTMB provides.  Whether participating in a patient care area,  a clerical role, sewing from home, or providing directions to visitors at the front desk, all of our volunteers share a common pursuit to reach out and help others. 

Volunteering affords individuals the opportunity to attain knowledge, promote interests, remain active, and make friends, while providing supporting services that contribute to the health and well-being of our patients.  If you are interested in volunteering at UTMB, please contact the Volunteer Services Office to discuss the current volunteer opportunities

Location:       Room 1.308 of the John Sealy Annex

Hours:            Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Phone:           409-772-2549, Fax: 409-772-1452

For more information, please check out our website, http://www.utmb.edu/volunteer_services/index.htm

Volume No.1, Issue No. 5

October 14, 2009

Copyright 2009 The University of Texas Medical Branch.
Published by UTMB Department Pediatrics    •   Phone: (409) 772-5273  •   Fax: (409) 772-4599
301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, 77555-0351  •  UTMB Maps & Directions