Summer is the most dangerous time of year for children, which is why it’s also known as “trauma season.” These are the top five injuries that land kids in Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Emergency Department every summer and how to avoid them. Keep your kids happy, healthy and out of the Emergency Department this summer!

1. Falls
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for children?
To prevent falls at home:

• Always strap children into high chairs, swings and strollers.
• Remember that children can fall from windows opened as little as five inches.
• Never rely on window screens to prevent falls.
• Never let children play alone on fire escapes, high porches or balconies.
• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Keep hallways and stairs well lit and clear of clutter.
• Make sure there is a safe surface under playground equipment. Safe surfaces include mulch, pea gravel and shredded rubber at least nine to 12 inches deep and extending at least six feet in all directions around equipment.

2. Poisonings/Ingestions

• Teach your child to recognize and avoid poisonous plants like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac, which can cause an allergic reaction if they come in contact with the skin.
• Teach your child not to eat or touch any plants or flowers without asking you first. Many plants such as wild mushrooms and berries might look edible, yet they are poisonous. Even pretty flowers in the garden like azaleas, daffodils and rhododendron are toxic.
• In the garage, store dangerous chemicals like pesticides, gasoline, lighter fluid and  cleaners out of your child’s reach in a locked cabinet or garden shed.
• Keep chemicals in their original containers and add a Mr. Yuk™ sticker so your child knows the product is poisonous.
• If using pesticides, keep kids and pets away from the area until the pesticide has dried, or as long as recommended on the label.

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This August will mark my 16th Care-A-Van for Kids benefiting the Child Abuse Prevention Fund. If you’re not familiar with this incredible annual event, you need to give a listen.

For two days, Thursday, Aug. 27, and Friday, Aug. 28, FM106 listeners who have been touched in some way by the vicious cycle of child abuse are motivated to tell their stories. Sometimes it’s a mom who takes on the extra challenge of fostering a child affected by shaken baby syndrome. We’ve also talked with young women who were pregnant as teens and decided to keep their babies even though they knew it would be an uphill climb. Programs funded by the CAP Fund helped them with their climb. The most emotional stories often come from those who were victims of abuse themselves as children.

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The Weiss family

In 2007, our daughter Erica began feeling sick. Her condition worsened quickly from minor to severe, so we decided to have her seen in the Emergency Department at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Erica immediately was admitted with suspected pneumonia, but over the next 24 hours Erica’s health continued to decline.

As the mystery of Erica’s illness started to unfold, the staff transferred Erica to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. They reassured us they were going to take care of her. While the outlook for Erica was overwhelming, the doctor was very honest and realistic about both possible good and bad outcomes. We then said our goodbyes and left her in the extremely capable hands of the staff of the PICU.

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