Le Bonheur to teach kids sports safety | Health

(WMC-TV) - Le Bonheur Children's Hospital will hold a safety clinic this weekend to help teach kids how to properly get ready for the school sports season.

“With scorching high temperatures and vigorous practice sessions underway for school-age children, parents and coaches have an even greater role to play in keeping children safe and injury free,” said Susan A. Helms, director of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South at Le Bonheur. “It’s vitally important to set realistic expectations for children about sports and understand how to help them prepare properly, prevent injuries and play safely.”

The hospital says that about 3.5 million kids from across the country have to be treated for sports related injuries.

Dehydration is one of the most common and easily preventable problems for active kids and teens.

But hospital officials say there are some things adults can do to prevent dehydration:

• Don’t wait for kids to tell you they are thirsty. Making regular water breaks (every 15-20 minutes) a habit will help avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
• Encourage young athletes to drink water at least 30 minutes before play and every 15-20 minutes during play.
• For fluid intake during physical activity, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
  • 5 oz. for an 88-pound child every 20 minutes
  • 9 oz. for a 132-pound adolescent every 20 minutes
  • A child’s gulp equals a .5 oz. of fluid, so generally, your child should drink about 10 gulps for every 20 minutes of play

The free sports safety clinic will be held on August 11 at Dick’s Sporting Goods, 2392 N. Germantown Pkwy., from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

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