( Researchers at St. Louis Children's Hos...)Call To Ban Use Of ATVs By Children,Health

Researchers at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have requested authorities not to allow children under the age of 16 to// use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). This call was issued after a 10-year review of the injuries.

Children have no experience or training in driving motorized vehicles, and they're driving them on uneven terrain where they can't see what's coming up ahead of them very well,' says T.S. Park, M.D., the Shi Hui Huang Professor of Neurological Surgery at the School of Medicine and pediatric neurosurgeon-in-chief at St. Louis Children's Hospital. 'This is leading to an increasing number of fatalities and devastating injuries with lifelong consequences for children and their parents.'

Park and colleagues reviewed all cases seen at the hospital over a 10-year span, identifying 185 patients admitted as a result of ATV-related accidents. Among the study's findings:

* One-third of the patients suffered serious neurological injuries including cerebral hemorrhages and skull fractures.
* Two-thirds of the total patient population had to undergo inpatient rehabilitation.
* Two patients had spinal cord injuries.
* Two patients died.

The review was published in a July 2006 pediatric supplement to the Journal of Neurosurgery.

The study found twice as many males as females suffered neurological injuries. Patients included both riders and drivers, and their ages ranged from 2 to 17 years. Many of the injured did not wear helmets, according to Park.

'In Missouri, there are currently very few regulations on children's use of ATVs,' Park notes. 'No training or licensing is required. The law states only that children who drive must be a minimum of 16 years old, and that any riders 18 or under must wear helmets. In many cases even these minimal regulations are being ignored. This must change.'

In thei
'"/>




Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Antibiotics Dangerous for Diarrhoea in Children Caused by E.Coli
2. Inhaled Steroids Safe & Effective for Children with Asthma
3. General Anesthesia Safe For Children On Ketogenic Diet Suffering From Epilepsy
4. Children suffer the most when parents divorce
5. Childrens snoring may indicate a serious problem
6. Children exposed to smoke show decreased levels of Vitamin C
7. Children! Protecting them from medical mistakes
8. Children who used anaesthesia drugs could suffer brain damage
9. Children’s Cholesterol Matter
10. Race Affects Sleep in Children
11. Vaccine Reduces antibiotic-resistant infections in Children