‘Little feet can definitely slip’: El Paso doctor offers safety tips for water parks
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One of many people’s favorite ways to beat the heat is to visit a local pool or spray park. But as children get excited and run around those parks, they can accidentally trip or fall.
“The little feet can definitely slip on the wet surfaces,” said Dr. Edward Michelson, the chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso.
Dr. Michelson said those falls can lead to injuries.
“Unfortunately, some of those falls do result in cuts,” he said. “Occasionally we see broken bones, broken wrists. As someone is falling and they reach out to try to stop themselves from falling, a lot of force can be applied to those wrists. We see similar types of injuries frankly from skateboards.”
There are some ways to avoid injury.
“I would recommend that parents invest in those water shoes, those little water moccasins, for kids to wear to prevent them from cutting up their feet, to reduce thorns in the feet and also to give them a better grip on surfaces,” he said.
Falling isn’t the only risk. The CDC also warns against drinking the water at a spray park. The agency also notes it’s important to remind children that spray parks are not bathrooms.
Dehydration is another concern. Look for signs and symptoms including dizziness, headache and fatigue.
