Ski helmets recommended for sledders

Deanie Wimmer reportingThere's a different patient load in emergency rooms recently that has doctors concerned. Sledding accidents have increasingly proved harmful, even fatal, for children.

We bundle them up for a sledding outing from head to toe to keep them warm; but too often, children fly down the hill missing the most important piece of gear.

Steven Rogers, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist, recommends "Helmets for everyone, if I had my choice."

Doctors at Primary Children's Hospital last year saw 55 kids hurt while sledding. Many had head injuries. Just this week, a boy in Provo died from his injuries. That's why doctors recommend helmets, but not just any will do.

Rogers said, "Bicycle helmets, although better than nothing are not designed for the speeds sleds go at. There's a recent study that looked at sledding speeds on designated sledding hills, and they can approach up to 25 miles per hour. The average urban bicyclist goes anywhere from 10 to 15 miles per hour."

They recommend skiing helmets, which are designed for higher speeds and harder impacts. In addition to wearing helmets, the American College of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends that kids always have adult supervision and that they sled only in designated, obstacle-free, well-lit areas, sitting straight forward on a sled with a steering mechanism.

"We don't want to discourage people from sledding. We just want to encourage them to do it safely," Rogers said.

Ski helmets cost anywhere from $70 to $150. It's an investment that could pay for itself in one fall.

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