by Sandra Roberts | PHWeek |
Cobb and Douglas Public Health (CDPH) is beginning the New Year with a special focus on enhancing the safety and wellbeing of its child population. Through new donations secured from Amerigroup’s Community Relations Fund, Safe Kids Cobb and Safe Kids Douglas will increase their existing initiatives that promote safe child transportation and sporting activities.
The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup, a wholly owned subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., provides charitable contributions and programs to support strategic initiatives that create a healthier generation of Americans. Through the Amerigroup funding, Safe Kids Cobb received a donation for child passenger safety educational supplies and equipment while Safe Kids Douglas will utilize the donation to expand its Youth Sports Safety Program.
“The generous donations from Amerigroup will help our Safe Kids programs ensure that our young people can live, grow and play in a safe environment,” said Viva Price, Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) Safe Kids coordinator. “We are truly grateful for Amerigroup’s support and their commitment to protecting our children.”
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a strong need for increased safety programs among the nation’s youth due to rising rates of injuries caused by popular sporting activities.
U.S. emergency departments (ED) treat approximately 173,285 sports and recreation related Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs), including concussions, among children and adolescents from birth to 19 years old. Furthermore, ED visits for sports and recreation related TBIs among children and adolescents have increased by 60 percent throughout the last decade.
Surprisingly, the activities associated with the greatest number of TBI-related ED visits are caused by some of the most popular childhood pastimes including bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball and soccer.
The Safe Kids Youth Sports Safety Program in Douglas County provides youth coaches, parents and athletes with practical information and skills that will lower the risk of sports injuries, emergencies, and illnesses that occur each year in America’s youth athletes. Through educational materials and seminars, the program educates local community members on the most pertinent issues in organized sports today including overuse injuries, dehydration, helmet use during wheeled sports, heat stroke, concussion and emergencies caused by pre-existing medical conditions.
Ensuring child occupant safety while traveling on Georgia’s busy roads has also become a more prominent public health concern throughout the state, particularly for younger car passengers. According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHSTA), the 5 to 7 age group experiences one of the highest rates of motor vehicle crash injuries and deaths in the state.
In an effort to address this growing problem, Safe Kids Cobb County provides child passenger safety (CPS) education classes to families and caregivers at the Cobb County Safety Village. Participants are provided personalized training and education about how to secure their child in, adjust, and properly install a car seat with on-site support from a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
During these sessions, an assessment of the child’s current car seat is also made to determine its safety. If deemed a high risk by exhibiting characteristics such as inappropriate size, dubious structural integrity, expired or unknown history, the car seats are subsequently replaced.
Collectively, Safe Kids Cobb and Safe Kids Douglas are leading the way in providing crucial prevention services that ensure children in Cobb and Douglas counties have a safe place to grow and play, free from unintentional injuries.
For more information regarding Safe Kids, please visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org orwww.safekids.org.