HOUSTON, June 29, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Houston parents aren't as aware as other families across the country that a child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, according to survey findings released by Texas Children's Hospital today, the consequences of which can be seen in the escalating number of local drownings and near-drownings.
Sixteen Houston area children have drowned so far in 2006 compared with 20 during all of last year.
In addition, Houston parents lag behind parents nationally in knowing to use automobile booster seats until children are 8 years old or 80 pounds, according to the survey, which was conducted to measure parents' knowledge of child safety issues and their use of child proofing products at home.
"Summer road trips, along with visits to area pools and playgrounds, can be dangerous and result in injury, or worse, if parents don't take the necessary precautions," said Dr. Desiree Evans, a pediatrician at Texas Children's Pediatric Associates - Cullen.
A national survey of 1,000 parents nationwide and 200 in Houston found that many parents don't always have the information they need to keep their children safe. Commissioned by Get on Board with Child Safety, a national partnership between Safety 1st and the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, the survey reveals significant parental knowledge gaps that, if closed, could result in fewer injuries and deaths to children. For example:
-- Only 58 percent of Houston parents know that a child can
drown in as little as 2 inches of water, compared to 68
percent of those surveyed nationwide.
-- Only 39 percent of Houston parents know that it is safest for
children to use booster seats until they are 8 years old or
80 pounds, 9 percent less than parents nationwide.
-- Less than half of Houston parents know falls are the leading
cause of unintentional injuries to babies and children under
5 years old.
Other survey results show that only 30 percent of Houston parents know children should wait until they are 13 years old to sit in the front seat of a car. Also, a large percentage of Houston parents do not purchase safety devices: crib rail guards (63 percent), power strip/adapter covers (69 percent), bed rails (60 percent) and doorknob covers (55 percent).
As a participating children's hospital in Get on Board with Child Safety, Texas Children's Hospital is launching its Safe Summer Campaign with a list of summer tips to help parents keep their kids safer at home, at the playground, on the road and at the pool. The tips are available at www.texaschildrenshospital.org/parents/summersafety.aspx. Parents can also visit www.getonboardwithsafety.com/ for additional child safety information.
"Every day kids in Houston arrive in the emergency room with injuries that are avoidable. There are simple things that parents can do to help make this summer a safe one," said Susan Hirtz, manager of Texas Children's Center for Childhood Injury Prevention. "For example, making sure your child is within your sight and reach at all times when around water can be the difference between life and death."
Some of the tips include:
-- Install gates around pools and never leave children
unattended while playing around the pool. Use doorknob covers
that prevent your toddlers from getting out of the house and
into water unattended.
-- Actively supervise any child in or near water. Give swimmers
your undivided attention -- no talking, eating, reading,
taking care of another child or other distracting activities.
Be within arm's reach of toddlers in the water.
-- Keep your children in booster seats until they are 8 years
old or 80 pounds. Your child is approximately half as likely
to be seriously injured in an accident when using a booster
seat with a seat belt instead of just using a belt.
-- Require your kids to wear helmets not just for bike riding,
but also for scooters, skateboarding and rollerblading.
-- Children often suffer injury on trampolines. Doctors
recommend they not be used in backyards. But if you insist,
only allow one child to use it at a time and prohibit
dangerous somersaults.
About the survey
Get on Board with Child Safety sponsored a nationwide online survey of 1,000 parents with a child aged 3 or under, with an oversample of 200 parents in Houston with a child 5 years old or younger. Get on Board with Child Safety's online survey of parents of children age 0 to 3 years was conducted between March 16 and April 3, 2006. Most respondents were women, a proportion that is typical of online parent surveys.
Established in 1954 and located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas Children's Hospital is committed to providing the finest possible patient care, education and research. The nonprofit hospital is ranked among the top four pediatric hospitals nationwide by both U.S.News and World Report and Child. For more information, visit the web site at www.texaschildrenshospital.org.
Texas Children's Hospital is an active member of Get on Board with Child Safety, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by Safety 1st and The National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, that works to educate families about the steps they can take to avoid unintentional injuries at home and on the road. Texas Children's also performs a variety of community services in the form of health screenings, special events and educational programs aimed at building and supporting a community of healthy children.