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Grandparent News
Grandparents Need to Be Aware of the Critical Need
to Buckle-Up the Grandkids
70% of spinal cord injuries in children result from
motor vehicles, most without seatbelts
 March 8, 2007 – When today's senior citizens were
kids, there was no such thing as a car seatbelt. Everyone piled into the
car, or maybe even the back of a pickup, and took off. Although senior
drivers have had to adjust to these new fangled safety devices, they
need to be aware of the danger to their grandchildren, if not buckled
in. About 1,500 spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are sustained by children
age 18 and younger every year, approximately 70 percent are a result of
a motor vehicle accident.
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When Grandkids Stay Over You May Want to Record
Mother's Alarm Voice
Parent voice alarm superior to
smoke alarm at awakening children
October
3, 2006 – When the grandkids come over to spend the night, you may want
to have their mother make a voice recording yelling the first names of
the kids and telling them to get out of bed and leave the room. New
research says this does a much better job of awakening young children
than do traditional smoke alarms.
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Grandparent News |
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In 68 percent of those accidents, the child is not
wearing a seatbelt. These findings—from one of the first studies to
report on the incidence and causes of pediatric SCI—are authored by
physician-scientists at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
and Columbia University Medical Center, and published in a recent issue
of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics.
When taking care of the grandkids, senior should
also be aware of other common causes of pediatric SCI - accidental fall
(14 percent), firearm injury (9 percent) and sports injury (7 percent).
Alcohol and drugs were involved in 30 percent of all cases.
The study additionally found that boys are more
than twice (2.79) as likely to experience SCI than girls;
African-Americans are at greater risk than whites (1.53); and Hispanics
and especially Asians are at lower risk than whites (0.87 and 0.36,
respectively).
"The study set out to identify specific high-risk
populations with the goal of improving the prevention and treatment of
this traumatic injury," adds Dr. Vitale.
SCI is defined as an acute traumatic injury of the
spinal cord that results in varying degrees of motor or sensory issues.
Although SCIs account for only a small percentage of all injuries,
severe cases may require long-term medical treatment and strenuous
rehabilitation for the patient, which can impose emotional stresses on
family and friends.
Many of the auto accidents involved teenage
drivers.
"Our findings reinforce the need to educate
teenagers on the importance of taking safety precautions when operating
a motor vehicle and the tragic consequences that can result from the
irresponsible use of alcohol and drugs," says Dr. Michael G. Vitale,
chief of the Pediatric Spine Service at Morgan Stanley Children's
Hospital and the Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Orthopedic
Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is
also director of the Division of Pediatric Outcomes at the International
Center for Health Outcomes and Innovation Research (InCHOIR).
The study's data sources include the Kids'
Inpatient Database (KID) and the National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). The
data reported represent the years 1997–2000.
The study's co-authors include Dr. David P. Roye
(chief of the pediatric orthopaedic service at Morgan Stanley Children's
Hospital and the Livingston Professor of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons), Jordan M.
Goss, B.A., and Hiroko Matsumoto, M.A.
For more information, patients or family may call
(866) 697-6397.
Editor's Notes:
Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
Ranked by U.S.News & World Report as one of the top six children's
hospitals in the country, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian
offers the best available care in every area of pediatrics—including the
most complex neonatal and critical care, and all areas of pediatric
subspecialties—in a family-friendly and technologically advanced
setting. Building a reputation for more than a century as one of the
nation's premier children's hospitals, Morgan Stanley Children's
Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is affiliated with Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons, and is New York City's only hospital
dedicated solely to the care of children and the largest provider of
children's health services in the tri-state area with a long-standing
commitment to its community. Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of
NewYork-Presbyterian is also a major international referral center,
meeting the special needs of children from infancy through adolescence
worldwide.
Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in
pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical education and health
sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains
future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians,
scientists, nurses, dentists and public health professionals at the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Dental Medicine, the
School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical
departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied
research centers and institutions. For more information, visit
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/.
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