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18th December 2023
10:01am GMT
There will be lots of children receiving Christmas presents of bikes, scooters and hover boards from Santa and family members and it is essential they have a helmet.
One mum has urged parents to make sure their kids wear one on anything with wheels after her child ‘simply fell’ and ended up with serious repercussions.
Taking to Reddit, she said: “Is Santa bringing your kiddo a bike or scooter for Christmas? Make sure he knows to bring a new helmet as well.”
She went on to explain the tragic situation her son ended up in, all thanks to not wearing a helmet.
“After 3 head surgeries and about a year of both resident facility and home-based rehabilitation and therapy, my son was cleared to ride a bike again.
“He simply fell at 8 years old (2015). Not a big deal right?
“He ended up with a brain bleed so severe, the hospital he was life-flighted to told us to "say goodbye" before he went in to surgery.”
She even said: “They wrote a medical article about him because the odds of surviving this are very low.
“The near death experience he went through is avoidable with a $20 piece of plastic you can buy at Walmart.”
Some advice on healthychildren.org explains how to ensure your child's helmet fits correctly.
They say: “You should only buy a helmet that meets the bicycle helmet safety standards of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Any helmet meeting these standards is labeled. Check the inside of the helmet to confirm.
The advice goes on to say: “The essential part of the helmet for impact protection is a thick layer of firm polystyrene, or plastic foam, that crushes on impact, absorbing the force of the blow. All helmets require a chin strap to keep them in place in a crash.
“Hard-shell bicycle helmets also have a hard outer shell of plastic or fiberglass that provides a shield against penetration by sharp objects. The hard shell also holds the polystyrene together if it cracks in a fall or crash. These helmets are more sturdy, but tend to be heavier and warmer than the soft-shell models.
“Soft-shell bicycle helmets have no hard outer shell but are made of an extra-thick layer of polystyrene covered with a cloth cover or surface coating. The cloth cover is an essential part of many soft-shell helmets. If the helmet comes with a cover, the cover must always be worn to hold the helmet together if the polystyrene cracks on impact.”
As for how it should be worn: “A helmet should be worn squarely on top of the head, covering the top of the forehead. Your child should be able to see the brim of the helmet when glancing up. Make sure the helmet sits parallel to the ground when your child's head is upright. If it is tipped back, it will not protect their forehead.
“The helmet fits well if it doesn't move around on the head or slide down over your child's eyes when it is pushed or pulled, or your child shakes their head. The chin strap should be adjusted to fit snugly.”
In terms of how long they should last: “An infant's or child's helmet should fit for several years. Most models have removable fitting pads that can be replaced with thinner ones as the child's head grows.
“But keep in mind that helmets should be replaced every 5 years, or in the manufacturer’s recommended time frame, since materials can degrade over time.”
