SAN ANTONIO – KSAT Community is highlighting Safe Kids San Antonio led by University Health System, which helps prevent injuries and death in kids 18 years of age and younger with its dedicated and caring staff, operational support and other resources to assist in achieving our common goal, keeping kids safe.

Based on the needs of the community, the coalition implements evidence-based programs, such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics, that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries.

To help keep children safe this summer, University Health System has listed COVID-related concerns and tips for prevention about important summer safety topics, including heatstroke, water safety, safety around cars and scald prevention.

Heatstroke

COVID-related concern: More people may be tempted to leave children in vehicles as they don’t want to expose children at stores or restaurants.

• A car can heat up 19 degrees within 10 minutes; and cracking a window doesn’t help!
• A child’s body temperature can rise 5 times faster than an adult’s.
• Heatstroke tragedies often happen when someone’s daily routine is changed or disrupted.
• Never leave your child alone in a car, not even during a quick trip to the store. Keep car doors and trunks locked and keep key fobs out of reach, so kids can’t climb into cars on their own.
• When taking walks, remind kids and teens: heads up, devices down.

Water/pool safety

COVID-related concern: With limited access to public pools and parks, many families are purchasing/using above-ground pools, three feet pools and kiddie pools to cool off in the backyard or using their home pool with greater frequency. Drowning is silent.

There can be very little splashing, waving or screaming. More than half of all child drowning deaths are among children ages 0 – 4.

• Designate a ‘Water Watcher’ to watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted.
• Empty blow-up and kiddie pools after each use. Store them upside down so they do not collect water.
• Install fences around home pools that are at least four feet tall.

Pedestrian safety around cars

COVID-related concern: More families and children are spending time outdoors in their neighborhood but they are not always playing safely

• Before you leave your driveway, walk all the way around your parked car to check for children and pets.
• With more people home, remind children NOT to dart between parked cars and to look left, right, left to cross the street.
• When taking walks, remind kids and teens: heads up, devices down.

Burn and scald prevention

COVID-related concern: Hot liquids, such as coffee and tea, and hot foods are common yet unknown scald burn hazards that could result in burns that need skin grafts or long-term treatment and could result in lifelong scarring. Eighty-four percent of scald burns occur in the home. Never hold a child while you are cooking, drinking a hot liquid or carrying hot foods or liquids.

• Coffee drinkers, use travel mugs with tight-fitting lids and keep cups away from table and counter edges
• It only takes two seconds of exposure to hot coffee to cause a burn serious enough to require surgery.
• Hot soups and food should never be held in one’s lap. Microwaves heat unevenly, stir food and allow it to cool before serving to young children and tweens.
• Be extra cautious with children around BBQ pits, small portable grills, and campfires. Create a three-foot ‘safe zone’ to keep children away from the grilling area.

To learn more about Safe Kids San Antonio, click here.

KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.