Summer Safety

☼ Happy First Day of Summer! What better way to start off summer than to head outside and have fun! Check out the list below of summer safety tips put together by the American Academy of Pediatrics. You'll be sure to have a healthy and safe summer with these tips in mind! ☼

FIREWORKS SAFETY

• Fireworks can result in severe burns, blindness, scars, and even death.
• Fireworks that are often thought to be safe, such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, and can burn users and bystanders.
• Families should attend community fireworks displays run by professionals rather than using fireworks at home.
• The AAP recommends prohibiting public sale of all fireworks, including those by mail or the Internet. 

BUG SAFETY

• Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
• Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
• If possible, eliminate stagnant water, such as in bird baths or fish ponds, in your yard. Dump any buckets or tires that may contain standing water. Check that your window screens are tightly fitted and repair any holes to keep bugs out of the house.
• Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
• To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it with a credit card or your fingernail.
• Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because the sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but insect repellent should not be reapplied that often.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and other viruses.
• The current AAP and CDC recommendation for children older than 2 months of age is to use 10% to 30% DEET. DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months of age.
• The effectiveness is similar for 10% to 30% DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30% protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of protection.
• The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
• As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5% to 10%.
• When outside in the evenings or other times when there are a lot of mosquitoes present, cover up with long sleeved shirts, pants and socks to prevent bites.
• Children should wear hats to protect against ticks when walking in the woods, high grasses or bushes.  Check hair and skin for ticks at the end of the day.

ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES

• Children who are too young to have a driver's license should not be allowed to operate or ride off-road vehicles. Children are involved in about 30 percent of all ATV-related deaths and emergency room-treated injuries.
• Because their nervous systems and judgment have not fully developed, off-road vehicles are particularly dangerous for children younger than 16 years.
• Don't ride double. Passengers are frequently injured when riding ATVs. Most ATVs are designed to carry only one person: the driver. Passengers can make ATVs unstable and difficult to control.
• All ATV riders should take a hands-on safety training course.
• All riders should wear helmets, eye protection, sturdy shoes (no flip-flops), and protective, reflective clothing. Appropriate helmets are those designed for motorcycle (not bicycle) use, and should include safety visors/face shields for eye protection. Wearing a helmet may prevent or reduce the severity of  injuries.
• ATVs lack the common safety equipment found on all cars and trucks that are designed for street use. ATV tires are not designed to grip on pavement, so operators should not ride on paved roads. Parents should never permit nighttime riding or street use of off-road vehicles.
• Flags, reflectors and lights should be used to make vehicles more visible.
• Drivers of recreational vehicles should not drive while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or even some prescription medicines. Parents should set an example for their children in this regard.
• Young drivers should be discouraged from on-road riding of any 2-wheeled motorized cycle, even when they are licensed to do so, because they are inherently more dangerous than passenger cars. 

See the full article at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/news-features-and-safety-tips/pages/summer-safety-tips.aspx#sthash.QKO6ouS0.dpuf

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