©20

09 H

ealth

ON

E LL

C

Brought to you by:

To learn more about this and many other topics for children, go towww.RockyMountainHospitalForChildren.com

Yet some of the most serious injuries occur in bathtubs andshowers — and they occur at asurprising rate. Each year, more than43,000 children are sent to the emergency department for these bath- and shower-related injuries. Even with parents watch-ing their kids, the injuries still happen.

“Keeping a close watch on your kids duringbathtime isn’t always enough to preventinjuries. With one quick move, a child canslip, fall and end up with a serious bump,bruise or broken bone. Placing a slip-resis-tant mat or non-slip appliques on the tubfloor can help counter the slick surfaces,”says Dr. Christine Darr, pediatric emer-gency specialist.

Types of Bathtub andShower Injuries

! Drowning Children can drown in

very small amounts of water.

! Burns & scalds Water straight out

of the faucet can be hot enough to cause

major burns.

! Slips, trips and falls In a split

second, one little mishap can cause deep

cuts, bumps and bruises, broken bones

and serious head injuries.

Young Children are atthe Biggest Risk

! More than half of all bathtub- and

shower-related injuries occur to children

younger than five years old.

! Two-year-olds have the largest number

of injuries.

! Young children have little strength and

when they fall, they tend to top-

ple head first. This causes

young children to hurt their

heads and faces more than

older children.

While bath time can be a fun timefor you and your little one, it canalso pose a big hazard. With slipsand falls injuring thousands ofkids each year, here are a few tipsto help keep kids safe and healthy.

Source: Center for Injury Research and Policy

(The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital)

The Emergency Department at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children atPresbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Centerhas pediatricians available 24/7 and is located on 21st Street, one block west of High Street in Downtown Denver.

Bath and Shower Safety Tips! Never allow a young child to take a bath

or shower without adult supervision.

! Baby seats do not prevent drowning.

In fact, injury experts recommend

NOT using baby seats.

! Check the water temperature before

placing your child in the bathtub or

shower. Hot water scalds are the most

common and most severe types of

childhood burn.

! Set the water heater thermostat to no

higher than 120° F. Consider installing

anti-scald devices on faucets to stop the

flow of water if it gets too hot. Anti-

scald devices are also available with

options to keep the water temperature

at a safe level.

! Always run the cold-water tap first

when filling a bath, and then mix in the

warmer water to reduce the risk of

scalds or burns.

! Never put your child in the bathtub

while the water is still running; the

water temperature could quickly

change, or the water level might

become too high.

! Install

handholds

inside of the bath-

tub or shower.

! If your shower

has a glass door,

make sure it is

shatterproof.

! Make sure that the corners on all bath

and shower fixtures are cushioned or

rounded to avoid sharp, dangerous edges.

! Use slip-resistant mats inside and out-

side of the bathtub and shower.

And finally, never leaveyour child alone in thebathtub! Don’t get distracted.

If the phone rings, let it ring! “Never take your

eye off of your child for even a second,” says

pediatrician Scott Merenstein, MD of Lowry

Pediatrics. “If you have to leave the bathroom,

take your child with you. And remember that

children should always be sitting or lying in the

tub, never standing.”

For more information on health and safety for kids, please visit: www.RockyMountainHospitalForChildren.com

www.injurycenter.org

Physician Resources Guide Physician Referral Line: 1-877-752-2737 pslmc.com

Pediatric Medical/Surgical Specialists Adolescent Medicine Christine Gilroy, MD 303-869-2160 Richard Miranda, MD 303-869-2160 Allergy & Asthma Sanford E. Avner, MD 303-706-9923Asthma Margarita Guarin, MD 303-831-9853 Lee Rusakow, MD 303-831-9853 Cardiology 303-860-9933

Samuel Brescia, MD

Douglas Christensen, MD

David Miller, MD

Jane Nydam, MD

Cardiovascular Surgery 720-475-8730

Damon Kennedy, DO Steven Leonard, MD

Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Clinic 303-320-7122Congenital Deformities: Hand Laurel Benson, MD 303-861-2663

David Schnur, MD 303-830-7200

Congenital Deformities: Leg Laurel Benson, MD 303-861-2663

David Hahn, MD 303-837-0072

Craniofacial Surgery Khalid Chowdhury, MD 303-839-5155

Mario Imola, MD 303-839-7980

Dermatology Meg Lemon, MD 303-831-0400

Margaret Muldrow, MD 303-830-2900

Barbara Reed, MD 303-322-7789

DevelopmentalNext Step Developmental Clinic 303-839-6798

866-610-4076Endocrinology Clifford Bloch, MD 303-783-3883

Stephanie Hsu, MD 303-649-9972

Aristides Maniatis, MD 303-783-3883

Sunil Nayak, MD 303-783-3883

Gastroenterology Jose Barrios, MD 303-869-2121 Chad Best, MD 303-869-2121 Kyle Kusek, MD 303-869-2121 Sandy Oesterreicher, MD 303-869-2121

Jeff Rosensweig, MD 303-830-9190 Ted Stathos, MD 303-869-2121

Gynecology: Adolescent Carol Stamm, MD 303-869-2158

Hand Surgery Laurel Benson, MD 303-831-2663

William Brown, MD 303-830-7200

David Schnur, MD 303-830-7200

Conrad Tirre, MD 303-830-7200

Hematology Offi ce 303-832-2344

Jennifer Clark, MD

Julie Zimbelman, MD Infectious Disease 303-831-4774 Ray Blum, MD Wendy Gill, MD Matthew Terra, MD Nephrology Mindy Banks, MD 303-301-9010 Ian Dresner, MD 970-947-9999

Neurology 303-226-7230 Jessica Litwin, MD Benjamin Ross, MD Neurosurgery Roderick Lamond, MD 303-861-2266

Renatta Osterdock, MD 303-832-2449

Oncology 303-832-2344

Jennifer Clark, MD Julie Zimbelman, MD Ophthalmology 303-456-9456

Christopher Bardorf, MD Justin Cohen, MD Diana DeSantis, MD Robert King, MD Adrienne Ruth, MD Anna Steele, MD Orthopedics Laurel Benson, MD 303-861-2663

David Hahn, MD 303-837-0072

Orthopedic Injury Clinic 303-861-2663

Orthopedic Oncology Offi ce 303-837-0072

Ronald Hugate, MD Cindy Kelly, MD Ross Wilkins, MD Orthopedics: Sports Medicine Kris Geiger, MD 303-861-2663 Otolaryngology (ENT) Head Neck Offi ce James Jaskunas, MD 303-839-7900

Nigel Pashley, MD Physiatry/Physical Medicine Suzanne Rosenberg, MD 303-881-3739

Plastic Surgery Offi ce 303-830-7200

William Brown, MD David Schnur, MD Conrad Tirre, MD Psychiatry Asa Yancey, MD 303-740-0400

Psychology Jeanne Floerke, Psy D 303-861-1128

Pulmonology Margarita Guarin, MD 303-831-9853 Lee Rusakow, MD 303-831-9853 Sleep Medicine Robert Ballard, MD 303-832-2955

Jessica Litwin, MD 303-226-7230 Sleep Scheduling 303-869-2069 Spine and Scoliosis Shay Bess, MD 303-301-9006

Surgery: General & Minimally Invasive Offi ce Saundra Kay, MD 303-839-6001

Steve Rothenberg, MD Kristin Shipman, MD Suzanne Yoder, MD Tracheostomy Clinic 303-839-7900 Urology 303-839-7200

Bruce Blyth, MD Job Chacko, MD Peter D. Furness, III, MD Stan Galansky, MD 303-733-8848 Dry Voiding Clinic 303-839-7200

HealthONE Pediatric Emergency

CarePoint Pediatric Medical Director Christine Darr, MD 303-436-2727

The Medical Center of Aurora 303-695-2780Centennial Medical Plaza 303-699-3060North Suburban Medical Center 303-450-4519Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center 303-563-3111Rose Medical Center 303-320-2455 Sky Ridge Medical Center 720-225-1900 Southwest ED 303-932-6911 Swedish Medical Center 303-788-6911

HealthONE Pediatric Emergency

Swedish Medical CenterTrauma Level I 303-788-6911

Reginald L. Washington, MDFAAP, FACC, FAHAChief Medical Offi cer303-839-6100

Jack HT Chang, MDPediatric Physician Liaison303-839-6100

www.rockymountainhospitalforchildren.com