Representatives from Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey spoke with reporters this week about a recent uptick in injuries to children, likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has closed schools and non-essential business across the country.

Experts at the hospital explained that this time of year usually only brought in one or two pediatric trauma patients on a daily basis. Since Governor Wolf ordered the closure of all schools, those numbers have risen to four, five, even six pediatric trauma patients a day.

“Kids climbing, literally climbing things in the house they shouldn’t be, using beds as trampolines all those things that kids do to burn off energy,” Amy Bollinger, Program Manager for Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention at Penn State Children’s Hospital, said. “But kids are falling and they are getting hurt.”

With spring officially here kids are also outside more, learning to ride bikes or scooters, climbing trees – just playing as kids are supposed to do.

“The problem,” Bollinger said, “is that if a child has never ridden a bike before, or never been on a scooter before, they’re going to fall.”

In normal circumstances and under proper supervision, these types of activities would be encouraged, but with the pandemic changing just about everything in our day-to-day lives, families are dealing with more stress than normal. Bollinger suggested that parents feeling burdened by the circumstances of the quarantine measures should let kids play outside in the backyard but perhaps skip attempting new things like bike riding. And no jumping on furniture!

Essentially, anything you can do to keep your kids out of the hospital is a must. Hospitals are currently stressed with the influx of coronavirus patients. Healthcare workers are working long shifts and getting sick which is further stressing the system. The best thing for families right now is to stay safe, at home. Of course, if your children already know how to ride a bike, let them! But helmets are a must!

New Jersey and Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates know that most of the time, parents do all they can to keep their children safe. Often times, professional negligence gets in the way and we are left to deal with the physical and emotional consequences. If your child has been injured in an accident caused by negligence, or by a defective product, contact the Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates. Our extremely skilled team of attorneys is experienced in cases regarding injuries to children. Call toll-free at 877-MessaLaw or submit a free online inquiry.

Let the attorneys at Messa & Associates secure peace of mind and financial security for you and your family.