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Outdoor Safety Kids should never swim alone. Even
great swimmers should have buddies. Advise children never to dive into oceans, lakes or rivers. No one should ever dive in water less than nine feet deep. Do not allow children younger than 14 years to operate a personal watercraft. Recreational water illnesses (RWIs)
are germs that are present in swimming pools, hot tubs, water play areas, lakes and rivers. Swallowing just a small amount of water can make your child sick. Con- trary to popular belief, chlorine does not kill all bacteria. Prevention is the best pro- tection. Do not allow your child to swim if he has diarrhea. Shower before entering the pool. Take your kids on frequent bath- room breaks to avoid having them urinate in the pool. Change diapers in a bathroom or diaper-changing area, not poolside, to keep germs away from the pool. Check your pool’s chlorine levels (1 to 3 mg/L or parts per million) and pH (7.2-7.8) to maximize germ-killing power. Children can get swimmer’s ear (otitis
externa), an infection of the outer ear canal that can cause pain. To prevent swimmer’s ear, use a bathing cap, earplugs or custom- fitted ear molds to keep water out of the ears. Dry your child’s ears thoroughly with a towel after water activities. Pull the earlobe in different directions and tilt the head at dif- ferent angles to drain water from the canal. You should never use cotton-swabbed tips to clean your child’s ears, as they can be abrasive, increase inflammation and pack wax tightly enough to cause an obstruc- tion and temporary hearing loss. Ask your healthcare provider about using drops to prevent swimmer’s ear. These can be appropriate for use in some kids, but not in cases of children who have ear tubes, ear infections or damaged eardrums.
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Don’t make bicycle helmets optional for anyone in your family
Bug Off Protect yourself and your family from bugborne illnesses such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease and the newly identified Zika virus. Use an effective insect repellent when playing outdoors. Insect repellents with diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) are very effective but should be used with caution. Look for the concentration of DEET on the label, which ranges from 10 to 30 percent. Lower concentrations work well, but not for as long as higher ones. A ten- percent concentration can repel insects for about two hours. Do not apply bug spray more than once a day. Some non-DEET alternatives such as lemon eucalyptus are safe, but potentially ineffective. If you are in a wooded area, be on the lookout for ticks. Tuck in your clothes and remain covered. If you need to remove a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Don’t twist or jerk it, but pull straight up. After removal, clean the bite area and your
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