Newspaper Page Text
♦ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008
6A
HEALTH
Safe Kids of HC warns hat weather, vehicles a deadly combination
Special to the Journal
As temperatures rise, chil
dren are at a serious risk for
heat stroke when left alone
even for a few minutes in
a closed vehicle. In the last
10 years, approximately 365
children across the United
States have died from heat
stroke caused by being left or
trapped in a vehicle.
“The inside of a vehicle
can rise 19 degrees above
the outside temperature
in just 10 minutes,” warns
Patsy Zoumberis, RN, Health
Educator for Houston
Healthcare and Coordinator
of Houston County’s Safe
Kids Coalition. “After an
hour, the temperature inside
and outside of a vehicle can
differ by 45 degrees or more
- even if the window is left
open a crack.”
Heat is much more dan
gerous to children than it
What parents, children need to
know about sun protection
Special to the Journal
Considered the most prev
alent cancer today with more
than one million new cases
diagnosed each year in adults
and children, skin cancer is
also considered the most pre
ventable - approximately 90
percent -when proper sun
protection is practiced consis
tently. Unfortunately, most
parents do not know how to
properly protect themselves
or their children from the
sun’s damaging effects.
“Excessive sun exposure
during childhood significant
ly increases a person’s risk
of skin cancer,” comments
William E. Freeman, MD,
dermatologist and member of
the medical staff of Houston
Medical Center. “For a child,
one sunburn can double their
risk for developing melanoma
later as an adult.”
Skin cancers such as basal
cell carcinoma, squamous cell
carcinoma and melanoma
are caused by overexposure
to both natural and artifi
cial ultraviolet light through
sunburn or tanning. Due to
continued depletion of the
earth’s ozone layer, American
children are experiencing
higher rates of repeat and
severe sunburns each sum
mer than previous genera
tions.
Another area of concern is
the overexposure to artificial
UV light from indoor tanning
beds, particularly in teenage
girls between the ages of 14
and 16. “Despite advertising,
there is no such thing as a
‘safe tan’,” adds Freeman.
“In addition to sunburn and
the risk of skin cancer, with
tanning beds you also risk
burning your corneas, devel
oping cataracts on your eyes,
skin infections and photoag
ing your skin.”
Developed by the
Environmental Protection
Agency and the National
Weather Service, the UV
Index is used to predict the
intensity of ultraviolet radia
tion levels from low (level
one) to extreme (11 and high
er) with recommended sun
precautions for the different
UV levels.
These precautions include
wearing sunglasses, sun
screens, protective clothing,
and avoiding the sun alto
gether. “Parents should learn
to pay attention to the UV
Index each day to protect
their children and themselves
from the harmful effects of
the sun,” says Freeman.
According to Freeman,
parents need to educate
themselves about the proper
use of sunscreen and the dif
ferent levels of SPF, or sun
protection factor, available.
“Proper sunscreen appli
cation is the only way to
achieve the SPF rating indi
cated by the manufacturer,”
he explains. “Most people
apply significantly less than
the amount needed and at
the wrong time to achieve
the appropriate level of sun
is to adults. When left in a
hot vehicle, a young child’s
core body temperature may
increase three to five times
faster than that of an adult
causing permanent injury
or even death. Heat stroke
occurs when the core body
temperature reaches 104
degrees Fahrenheit. A core
body temperature of 107
degrees Fahrenheit is consid
ered lethal.
According to research
conducted by San Francisco
State University, even with
relatively cool temperatures
outside - for example, 70
degrees - the inside of a car
can reach a dangerous tem
perature in just minutes.
The research also revealed
that more than half were
accidentally left behind in a
closed, parked car by parents
or caregivers while nearly
a third were trapped while
playing in a vehicle left unat
protection indicated.”
When choosinga sunscreen,
parents should consider the
SPF rating, the spectrum of
protection offered against
UVA and/or UVB rays, the
method of application such
as spray or lotion, and how
water resistant the formula
is, advises Freeman. “The
ideal sunscreen is a water
resistant lotion rated SPF 15
omm MLi
** fBI | * §Wj 'J/ I
\/J IWm if X H
C , 1# Jk ?|p £ 5 ** ||r*fr JgV /
■ 5•• •'* • •.• >•-. Z‘-‘ ••••-*. yr‘ •• .£f. * ¥£• • -v k '.:: .
U- ./'#« ■ v jr* ' i »'• 'V&Bmx- * mSSF -• <■ >' aBBr
•iabk kflkSl'to, a| . dMi
:Sk W wHUR: Jg *• ft; * Iff «* *
PRESENTING OUR ADVANCED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
At Houston Healthcare, you’ll find new advances in surgical care performed by experienced surgeons who specialize in
general, vascular, ENT, urology, gynecology and orthopedic surgery. Backed by the staff and resources of a full-service
healthcare system, we offer surgery and recovery services that make your comfort and well-being a priority. In fact, weVe
earned exceptional patient satisfaction ratings for post-op comfort and care, along with national recognition for patient safety.
When you need expertise and quality care from someone you trust, the answer is within reach.
***>
■v
Health Grades Houston Medical Center I Perry Hospital I The Surgery Center
QUItCHC AMERICA TO ttTTER MtAITMCARE “
tended. Sadly, one in five who
died was intentionally left in
the vehicle by an adult.
“A child is our most pre
cious cargo and drivers must
know that these deaths and
injuries are entirely prevent
able,” says Zoumberis. “Our
heart’s go out to every family
that has lost a child in this
way. No one ever thinks it
would happen to them, and
that is why it’s so impor
tant to get this message out
to parents, family members
and other caregivers, espe
cially during the summer
months.”
Houston County’s Safe
Kids suggests these safety
tips for parents and caregiv
ers:
• Teach children not to
play in, on or around vehi
cles.
• Never leave a child unat
tended in a vehicle, even with
the window slightly open.
or higher with broad-spec
trum protection because it
protects the skin from both
UVA and UVB radiation and
will maintain its SPF longer
during swimming or heavy
exercising,” he adds.
Freeman also advises par
ents to include sunglasses
and protective clothing as
part of their child’s sun pro
tection routine.
• Always lock a vehicle’s
doors and trunk - especial
ly at home. Keep keys and
remote entry devices out of
children’s reach.
• Place something that
will be needed at the next
stop such as a purse, lunch,
gym bag or briefcase on the
floor of the backseat where
the child is sitting. This sim
ple act could help prevent
Perry Hospital donates to PVO
WmAr .*
■'jSfr' ill ***
Mat. \
w .iy wmmm- r: ~
Contributed
Perry Hospital recently donated gently used furniture to the Perry Volunteer Outreach
to assist those in need in the local community. The donated furniture was replaced with
new furnishings, purchased by the Perry Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary, for the Intensive
Care Unit waiting room to make it more comfortable for family members and friends
visiting patients in the ICU. Pictured, from left to right, are members of the PVO and
staff of Perry Hospital’s ICU with the donated furniture.
"Something to feel good about"
a driver from accidentally
forgetting a child is in the
backseat.
Safe Kids of Houston
County works to prevent
accidental childhood injury,
the leading killer of children
age 14 and younger. Its mem
bers include volunteers from
the Houston County commu
nity. Founded in 1992 and
led by Houston Healthcare,
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Safe Kids of Houston County
is a member of Safe Kids
Worldwide, a global network
of organizations dedicated to
preventing childhood injury.
Safe Kids of Houston County
meets the third Tuesday of
each month, except for July,
at 12:30 p.m. For more infor
mation about Safe Kids of
Houston County, call 478-
923-9771.
mm
Houston Healthcare
64272