{"id":8532,"date":"2020-12-22T14:50:27","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T03:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/?p=8532"},"modified":"2020-12-22T14:50:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T03:50:27","slug":"dont-meet-us-by-accident-this-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/dont-meet-us-by-accident-this-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t meet us by accident this summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Christmas and New Year only days away, the RCH Emergency Department is calling on all Victorians to take care this summer, to avoid meeting us by accident.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over the summer, as families enjoy holidays<\/a>, pools and beaches<\/a>, and new toys<\/a> gifted on Christmas day, it\u2019s particularly important for parents to remain vigilant and supervise their children to avoid preventable injuries.<\/p>\n

RCH Emergency Department Acting Director, Dr John Cheek said the Department sees many children over the Christmas and New Year period with avoidable injuries, some of whom are very unwell.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPlaying with new gifts is an exciting time, but toys and other household items that contain button batteries<\/a> and high strength magnets are dangerous. When swallowed, these can cause significant injury, and even result in death,\u201d Dr Cheek said.<\/p>\n

\u201cButton batteries need to be kept away from small children, and any electronic equipment that uses these batteries must have a battery compartment that is securely closed with a screw. Spare batteries should always be kept out of reach from children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Summer is also the peak time for drownings in Australia, and often these tragic incidents occur around dams and other bodies of water when children are unsupervised.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren need to be supervised at all times in the pool, and young children should always be in arms reach of an adult,\u201d Dr Cheek said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you live near or visit an area with a dam, lake or other body of water, please ensure children are always supervised when they are near them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Families can also stay safe this summer by being sun smart and wearing a hat and sunscreen, drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and supervising children around backyard barbeques<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We wish all families a safe summer and strongly encourage parents and carers to check out our top tips for keeping children safe over the holidays and our range of Kids Health Info fact sheets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Top tips for a safe summer<\/strong><\/p>\n