Wednesday, May 14, 2014
The lawn mower is one of the most dangerous household tools. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission 253,000 people were treated for lawn mower-related injuries in 2010, nearly 17,000 of them children under the age of 19. Most childhood injuries due to lawn mowers are related to riding mowers, and most are injured in their own yard.
“One important statistic to remember is that a significant number of these accidents occur among family members,” says Junichi Tamai, MD, Division of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. “Most families think that if the child stays with a family member, everything will be okay, but that is not always the case.”
Most common injuries associated with mowers can include lacerations, amputations, fractures, infections and skin defects.
Dr. Tamai and the American Academy of Pediatrics give the following tips for staying safe around lawn mowers.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S. News and World Report’s 2013 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for cancer and in the top 10 for nine of 10 pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children’s, a non-profit organization, is one of the top three recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a research and teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The medical center is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org. Connect on the Cincinnati Children’s blog, via Facebook and on Twitter.