Playground injury prevention.
Playground safety recently has received increasing attention from parents and municipalities. Orthopaedic surgeons treat a large number of the more than 350,000 injuries per year sustained on the play areas of this country's school, home, and community play areas. A parent brings a child to the playground for fun, healthy exercise, and imaginative play. Unfortunately, most parents may not be aware of recommended injury prevention methods. Data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other epidemiologic studies document frequency, identify at-risk activities and equipment, give direction for additional research, and guide regulations. It is appropriate for the medical community to lead in this safety effort and to contribute to additional research and advocacy efforts.
Purvis
John M
JM
Pediatric Orthopaedic Specialists of Mississippi, and the University of Mississippi Medical School, Jackson, MS 39202, USA. jpurvis@mbmc.org
Hirsch
Stuart A
SA
D000056:Accident Prevention; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010988:Play and Playthings / Q000293:injuries*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*