Sledding injuries account for a large number
of injuries seen in community Emergency Depts. Every winter. Consider
this:
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326,000 sledding injuries were seen
between 1991-1998 in Emergency Departments
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2.8 BILLION dollars was spent on
Health Care for sledding injuries.
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In a single year (1995) 54,727 sledding
injuries occurred at a cost of 365 million $$.
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50% of sledding injuries involve
the extremities.
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17% involve spinal injuries
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15% of injuries involved the head
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11% of all sledding injuries are
FATAL
Most sledding injuries involve children
less then 14 years old. Head injuries are more likely
in the younger age group, as the neck muscles in children less
then 6 years old are weaker, their head is proportionately
bigger, and their bodies have a higher center of gravity.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
(AAOS) and the U.S. Forest Service recently released their
guidelines for safe sledding. They are:
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Sled only in designated areas clear
of fixed obstacles such as trees, fence posts and boulders.
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Children should be supervised by
an adult. There should be adult supervision at
the BOTTOM of the sledding area to prevent
collisions or going off the trails.
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Children younger then 12 should wear
a protective helmet. If a bicycle
helmet is worn, a knit cap should be worn under it to
preserve body heat.
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All sledders should avoid sledding
in a head first position. Instead, the sledder
should sit upright and steer with his feet.
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Avoid sledding on plastic sheets,
since they can be pierced by sharp objects and cannot
be steered. Sleds with runners are safer then toboggans
or saucers which have no steering mechanism.
You may obtain copies of the AAOS sledding
safety brochure, free of charge by calling (800)824-BONES or
sending a self-addressed stamped business envelope to "Sledding",
AAOS, PO Box 1998, Des Plaines, IL 60017
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