September 9, 2024
Lindsay Clukies, MD, is a Washington University pediatric emergency medicine specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and a mother of three. Here are the top five things Dr. Clukies would not allow her children to do to keep them safe.
1. Go helmetless. Children should always wear a well-fitted helmet anytime they’re riding something with wheels. This includes bicycles, skates, scooters and other ride-on toys.
2. Swim alone. Drowning is one of the top causes of death in children, particularly in the toddler age group and teenage age group. It’s extremely important to watch your child in any body of water.
3. Go to a house without asking about firearms. Asking saves lives. Firearms are the number one cause of death for children in the United States. It’s important to always ask about the presence of firearms and how they’re stored before letting your child visit someone else’s home.
4. Practice unsafe sleep. Unsafe sleep is one of the top causes of death for infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics always recommends that any infant or baby sleep on their back on a firm surface, with a tightly fitted sheet and nothing with them in their crib or bassinet.
5. Ride or operate an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). While these look like fun, they aren’t toys. They can weigh over 600 pounds and travel over 60 miles per hour, but they lack the traditional safety mechanisms that cars have, like airbags.
In case of a medical emergency with a child, determine where the nearest accredited, Level I pediatric trauma center is located. St. Louis Children’s Hospital has six pediatric emergency department locations across the St. Louis and southern Illinois region. These include: St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Belleville, Children’s Hospital at Memorial Hospital Shiloh, Children’s Hospital at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, Children’s Hospital at Northwest HealthCare and Children’s Hospital at Progress West Hospital.
