Five Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe this Snow Season

The winter season brings more than sniffling noses or the flu to doctor’s offices. Winter goes hand-in-hand with heavy contact sports including skiing, snowboarding, hockey, or sledding—and physicians typically see more skeletal injuries this time of year. Here are some tips to keep your children safe during the winter months.

• Protect yourself. When participating in more extreme sports, always wear a helmet and wrist guards.
• Get the right treatment. Mountains have clinics at the base of the mountain to stabilize an injury, and most skating rinks also have medical staff onsite. Unless there is a deformity or fracture, you can likely avoid a trip to the emergency department.
• Know when to go to the hospital. Once an injury is stabilized, the emergency room may not be the best option.
• Call the experts in extreme situations.
• Above all, know your limitations. Children—teenagers in particular—tend to enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with increasing speed, trying a new trick, or being competitive with friends. Prevent injury by knowing your skill level and trying new things slowly and in a safe environment.

“We tend to see a lot of wrist injuries from snowboarding around this time because snowboarders don’t have poles, so when they fall, the tendency is to catch yourself on your arm,” said Ellen Dean-Davis, a pediatric orthopedist with Atlantic Medical Group. “The more important stuff is the stuff that lives inside your skull. Helmets are critical.”

“Elevate the injury, put ice on it, take ibuprofen, and call for an appointment with an orthopedist,” said Dr. Davis. “Most practices save spots for sports injuries, so they may be able to get an appointment that day or the next.”

“If there’s a deformity or fracture, go to the nearest pediatric emergency room or hospital that deals with pediatrics patients immediately,” Dr. Davis said. “If there’s not a deformity or the injury only slightly painful, nothing will change by going to an emergency room. Urgent cares can typically x-ray the patient onsite, and help determine the right next steps. They can also provide temporary stabilization like crutches or a knee immobilizer.”

“Any time there is a growth plate injury, ask for a pediatric orthopedist,” said Dr. Davis. “We treat children differently than adults, and many times, children can be treated with less invasive options than an adult.”

“Take enough breaks, and don’t ski or snowboard when you’re fatigued—that’s when accidents happen,” Dr. Davis said.

“Stuff happens—if children are active enough and play hard enough, accidents will happen, but I’d rather deal with a few injuries than have kids be inactive and unhealthy,” she said.