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Health & Fitness

Play it Safe When it Comes to Playgrounds: Look Before Kids Leap!

With kids of all ages heading back to school, many younger students will proudly admit their favorite part of the day is still – recess. After a long summer vacation, children can hardly wait to reconnect with all their friends on the playground, whether at school or maybe meeting up in a nearby park after the final bell. More time climbing on jungle gyms and monkey bars can also lead to more cuts, scrapes, bruises and other common playground injuries – as well some serious ones as well. But keeping some simple tips in mind to promote playground safety and prevent injuries can go a long way in making sure more kids keep laughing while having fun.

“Even on familiar playgrounds where the same children play every day, we still see young patients who get hurt while climbing, sliding or running on equipment crowded with many other kids,” said Dr. Taruna Madhav Crawford, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon with MidAmerica Orthopaedics in Oakbrook Terrace and volunteer instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “We’d rather help prevent injuries than have to treat them and knowing what to look for before hitting the playground is key for staying safe.”

The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently cited 2012 statistics from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) that revealed more than 600,000 playground injuries involving children were reported last year. The figures also show that of all those reported injuries, about 210,000 included children hurt playing on monkey bars and other climbing structures as well as more than 150,000 injured on swing sets.

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Anyone supervising children at a playground should keep the following tips in mind before play begins:

  • Stay away from hard-surface playgrounds that are on concrete, asphalt, hard-packed dirt or grass. Newer playgrounds feature shock-absorbing materials such as cushioned rubber surfaces and loose, double-shredded bark mulch, engineered wood fibers, sand and even fine medium gravel of suitable depth.
  • Make sure swing seats are made of plastic or rubber, not metal or wood.
  • Avoid any equipment with openings that could trap a child’s head.
  • Remove any necklaces, jewelry, drawstrings and detachable hoods on children and their clothing that may catch on playground equipment and cause injury.
  • Look over the handgrips on monkey bars and other climbing equipment to make sure they’re secure and properly shaped so children can grab on.
  • Be careful when playing in the sun. In hot weather, equipment exposed to direct sunlight can burn children’s skin. 
  • Don’t play in bare feet; always wear shoes on playgrounds.

“Play it safe and take a few minutes to make sure your area playground measures up to modern safety standards,” added Dr. Madhav Crawford. “Recess and playtime should be remembered for all the right reasons, not for unexpected injuries.”

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To learn more about services available and extended hours at MidAmerica Orthopeadics of Oakbrook Terrace or to contact Dr. Madhav Crawford, please visit www.handtoshoulderclinic.com or call 1-630-317-7007.

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