Doctors are suggesting parents remain cautious for some of the most popular holiday gifts for kids and teens after seeing an increase in emergency room visits.
“This is something that is causing a lot of injuries to a lot of kids,” said Doctor Patricio Lau, a pediatric trauma surgeon.
Several doctors from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital are hoping some parents consider putting the brakes on e-bikes and electric scooters, which they say have led to a sharp increase in emergency room visits over the last year.
“We have double the number of patients that we have seen over the last year and so far in the first three-quarters of the year, we saw 40 patients already coming in quite severe. Injuries that we have seen range from little scrapes and bruises to very severe injuries, such as multiple broken bones, internal organ damage and in some cases, punctured lungs,” said Lau.
The hospital’s trauma team said one of the most concerning increases in visits was from patients between the ages of 8 and 16.
E-bikes and electric scooters are considered vehicles in the state of Florida, which is why hospital leaders are urging parents to ensure kids have a lot of experience before riding one.
“Children must master regular bikes and conventional scooter riding before they can go ahead and jump into these higher classified velocity vehicles,” said community outreach injury prevention coordinator Malvina Duncan.
Doctors also have several tips for parents.
They said supervision is critical, along with age-appropriate devices, helmets and giving your child clear rules about where and how to ride.
They also stressed to keep an eye out for the hot batteries on these e-bikes and scooters.
“We want to make sure to avoid burns,” said Duncan.
Doctors recommend making sure kids understand how fast cars can go and not to underestimate them if they need to cross a street.
“In just a matter of seconds, they can be approaching your vehicle,” said Duncan.
As the holiday season continues, trauma specialists say awareness and prevention can make the difference between a joyful gift and a trip to the emergency room.
“With the holidays and everything else coming up and more kids getting this as a present, we will probably see an increase in patients getting hurt from this,” said Lau.
Experts also suggested kids should not be riding these vehicles at night and to avoid busy roads.