Helmets

QUESTION: My son used to wear his bike helmet willingly, but now at age 10 he resists.  Is that really a big deal?

ANSWER:

Bicycle and rollerblading accidents are frequent causes of injuries to children.  Minor injuries often occur when young children learning to ride fall from the bike.  They can sustain cuts and scrapes or a broken wrist.  Novice in-line skaters sustain similar injuries.  Skating wrist guards can reduce the incidence of wrist fracture in half.  As children ride faster, they are more likely to impact a stationary object, such as a pole or a tree.  They are more likely to break their collarbone, shoulder, or elbow. 

The most serious injuries occur when a child impacts a motor vehicle.  This most commonly happens when a child rides or skates out of a driveway and into the street.  The injuries produced can include broken bones in the legs or injuries to the internal organs.  However, the most serious injury for a child is a head injury.  A bike helmet absorbs the energy of impact and can protect the child’s brain.  

WRITTEN BY: William M. Mirenda, Jr., M. D.