The importance of obstetricians/ gynecologists in promoting children's unintentional injury prevention: a focus on bicycle helmet use.
Injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, as well as for women between the ages of 19 and 39. The leading cause of injury death for these groups is motor vehicle injuries. There are approximately 900 deaths every year related to bicycling, with 40% of these occuring to children between the ages of 5-14. Most of these deaths occur due to collisions with motor vehicles. It has been shown that the use of bicycle helmets prevents the majority of head and brain injuries that occur due to bicycle crashes. While it is true that the pediatrician is an important conduit for information about children's injury prevention, there is also a role for ob/gyns. Many women who visit ob/gyns have children, are expecting children, and/or plan to have children in the near future. In addition, adult women are at risk for many of these same injuries. For these reasons, the ob/gyn and his/her office setting can serve as important vehicles for education. An effective way to get started may be to counsel on bike injuries and deaths and the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. There are several educational sources/materials and helmets that can be obtained free of charge. Successful injury prevention efforts have involved the participation of a wide cadre of professionals, including members of the medical profession. It is important for ob/gyns to consider themselves and their office staffs effective partners in children's injury prevention efforts.
Liller
KD
Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA