What Can I do to Help Prevent Traumatic Brain Injury?

There are many ways to reduce the chances of sustaining a traumatic brain injury, including:

  1. Buckling your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt (according to the child’s height, weight, and age).
  2. Wearing a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.
  3. Never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  4. Wearing a helmet and making sure your children wear helmets when:
    • Riding a bike, motorcycle, snowmobile, scooter, or all-terrain vehicle;
    • Playing a contact sport, such as football, ice hockey, or boxing;
    • Using in-line skates or riding a skateboard;
    • Batting and running bases in baseball or softball;
    • Riding a horse; or
    • Skiing or snowboarding.
  5. Making living areas safer for seniors, by:
    • Removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs and clutter in walkways;
    • Using nonslip mats in the bathtub and on shower floors; Installing grab bars next to the toilet and in the tub or shower;
    • Installing handrails on both sides of stairways;
    • Improving lighting throughout the home; and
    • Maintaining a regular physical activity program, if your doctor agrees, to improve lower body strength and balance.1,2,3
  6. Making living areas safer for children, by:
    • Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows; and
    • Using safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs when young children are around.
  7. Making sure the surface on your child’s playground is made of shock-absorbing material, such as hardwood mulch or sand.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.