Safety at the Park

Preventing Playground Injuries

Is there anything more precious than watching a child play at a park? There's something about moving from slide to swing to sandbox that fills children with joy, and seeing them have fun is a great feeling. But those positive feelings can turn ugly if children fall off a piece of equipment or otherwise hurt themselves on the playground. And it happens more often than you might think.

In fact, more than 200,000 children ages 14 years and younger visit U.S. emergency departments each year as a result of accidents occurring at playgrounds at home, at school and in public areas, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

But there are positive steps parents and caregivers can take to increase the odds of a safe experience for kids. Dr. Paul Sirbaugh, an emergency medicine services physician at Texas Children's Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, says parents should choose a playground that is isolated from nearby streets, with an efficient layout. "It's safer if active play zones are set apart from calmer spots," he says. "Because user age is also a consideration, areas for older children need to be placed away from areas with younger kids."

Dr. Sirbaugh notes that parents should avoid any equipment or accessory made with angles or openings that could trap or squeeze any part of a child's body. Look for guardrails on elevated platforms and sturdy hand grips.

Because falling from climbers is a contributing factor to about 70 percent of playground injuries, Dr. Sirbaugh says supple surfaces, such as wood chips or sand, are optimum. "Hard surfaces with no 'give,' such as asphalt and concrete, are dangerous," he says. "Soil, grass and dirt may look attractive, but their cushioning qualities will diminish with time and weather." At home, swings are responsible for most injuries.

Want to see more?

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• Biking and Your Child's Safety
• Talk about it!