Kids and outdoor fun go together in the summer, they are extra excited with all of the fun activities happening!
It is important to keep our children safe during these summer months! Please be aware of the following precautions.
Fireworks Safety
Fireworks may be a summer celebration tradition, but it’s a dangerous one. In 2020, emergency departments across America treated over 15,000 people for injuries related to fireworks use.
About 2500 of those were children under the age of 15. Sparklers accounted for around 900.
Keep your kids safe from burn injuries by:
- Keep children 500 feet or more away from the launch area.
- Never let children ignite or play with fireworks.
- Don’t consider sparklers “safe” for children.
- Never hold lit fireworks.
- Never attempt to re-light “duds.”
- Don’t drink or use drugs while using fireworks.
- Don’t use illegal fireworks.
- Never light fireworks inside.
- Only light fireworks away from people, structures, and anything flammable.
- Keep a water hose or other water source nearby in case of fire or an accident.
- Consider attending a public fireworks display instead of lighting them off at home.
Sun Protection
The most commonly diagnosed cancer in America is skin cancer. Although skin cancer in children is rare, the sun protection habits they learn now can help protect them for a lifetime. Serious sunburn now can affect their risk of developing cancer later. You don’t need to keep your kids indoors to protect them from the sun’s rays. Instead:
- Play in the shade when possible, especially midday when UV rays are strongest.
- Wear clothes that cover as much skin as is practical.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades the ears, face, neck, and scalp.
- Always wear UVA/UVB protective sunglasses. Wrap-around styles provide the most coverage.
- Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15 on children over six months old.
- Avoid going out during hours when the sun is strongest (midday).
Tick Checks
Ticks are tiny arachnid parasites that feed on their hosts. Although it’s rare, their bite may transmit Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). Ticks are active between May and October and can hitch a ride into your home on kids, pets, and clothing. After your children or pets have been outside:
- Check clothes and gear for ticks.
- Examine pets for ticks.
- Shower to wash off unseen ticks.
- Do a full-body check for ticks.
Pay special attention to:
- Hair and scalp.
- Ears.
- Underarms.
- Around the waist.
- Belly button.
- Backs of knees.
- Between legs.
If you find a tick:
- Grasp the tick with tweezers and gently pull it straight out. If you don’t have tweezers, use a napkin or other barrier between your fingers and the tick, then pull it out.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after removing the tick.
- Apply antiseptic to the bite.
- Save the tick in a plastic bag or jar of rubbing alcohol in case your doctor needs to identify it later if your child develops symptoms.
- Don’t attempt to burn the tick out with a match or lighter.
- Don’t apply nail polish or petroleum jelly to the tick to draw it out.
Protect your children from ticks by:
- Knowing where ticks live. They like brushy, grassy, and wooded areas.
- Avoiding contact. Avoid high grasses, brush, and leaf litter. Stay in the middle of walking paths.
- Wearing EPA-registered repellent.
- Treat outdoor clothing and gear with permethrin-containing products.
IM&PC Urgent Care
Even the most careful planning can’t prevent every illness or injury. If your child has a sunburn, tick bite, injury from fireworks – or other illnesses or injuries from their summer fun – Internal Medicine & Pediatric Clinic Urgent Care is here for you.
Our caring staff can expertly treat coughs, nausea, sore throat, fever, bumps and scrapes, and other illnesses or minor accidents. And you never need an appointment.
Urgent Care hours:
Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Sat: 8:30 am = 3:00 pm.
Closed Sunday.