UW Health Kids expert says proper gear and preparation are key
MADISON, Wis. – While it’s great to get kids outside in the winter for fun with friends and healthy exercise, every winter the emergency department at American Family Children’s Hospital treats kids whose injuries from winter sports and activities could have been prevented.
Some of the most common injuries in children include cold exposure, such as frostbite, and head injuries and broken bones from activities like skiing and sledding, according to Dr. Nicholas Kuehnel, pediatric emergency medicine physician, UW Health Kids, and division chief, pediatric emergency department, American Family Children’s Hospital.
Most of them can be prevented by proper gear and parents coaching kids about potential winter dangers. Preventing injuries related to winter activities comes in two main parts, he said.
“First, wear proper clothing, including layers and hats, to prevent cold exposure or frostbite,” said Kuehnel, who is also an associate professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Second, wear protective gear, such as helmets, and follow appropriate precautions when doing activities in sports like skiing or sledding to prevent injuries.”
The most severe injuries — head injuries and broken bones — typically come from high-velocity sports like snowmobiling, downhill skiing, snowboarding, sledding and tobogganing, according to Kuehnel.
“Wearing a helmet is really important to help protect from injuries such as a concussion or to prevent getting a cut on your head if you were to hit a rock or a tree,” Kuehnel said.
Parents should also supervise young children at high-velocity sports venues, he said.
For example, while sledding with kids, make sure young children at the bottom of the hill are in a safe space and out of the way from the incoming sledders, who can’t always stop quickly. Also, it’s important to coach kids on how to avoid winter dangers by teaching them to roll off a sled or toboggan when it’s headed toward a tree or other obstacle.
Parents need to pay close attention when the weather is damp or below zero, because children can more easily develop frostbite in those conditions. The youngest children are at the greatest risk of cold-exposure injuries.
“The younger a child is, the greater the skin exposure relative to their body size, which puts them at risk of becoming cold and developing frostbite or other cold exposure injuries sooner,” he said. “It’s really important to make sure that you’re paying attention to younger children who are along for the ride and moving less instead of actively moving to maintain warmth.”
It can be tough to tell if a child is affected by the cold because young children don’t shiver as much as adults do, according to Kuehnel.
One way to identify early cold exposure is to look for areas that are getting bright red or white, and ask children if they’re experiencing numbness or tingling in their hands or feet. If any of these symptoms appear, it’s a sign to head inside to warm up, he said.
Finally, talking about potential hazards in the winter environment can prevent injuries, Kuehnel said.
For example, ice over bodies of water that looks solid or thick but may not be, or snowplow-made drifts that seem tempting for snow forts and sleds, but can collapse or send sledders into the path of vehicles, are potential hazards.
“My biggest message to parents this winter is to have fun outside with their kids,” Kuehnel said. “Dressing kids appropriately and making sure the environment is safe and that they have appropriate oversight can help them have a safe, healthy and fun winter season.”
