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White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group, Kansas City, MO, USA

Helmets for Tricycles

It's not enough that your program owns bicycle helmets for the children to wear during tricycle riding. The helmets have to be worn and worn properly in order to protect children from head injury during a fall or collision. A recent study shows that 96% of kids and parents cannot properly fit a helmet.

Gregory Parkison, who runs a private practice in Falmouth, Mass, recruited 395 families, including 479 children for a study on helmet use. During regular pediatric visits, children were timed while putting on a helmet. Only 4% of them passed. His findings were published in Pediatrics and include these main helmet-fit problems:

• The helmet rested too high on the forehead
• Straps were positioned incorrectly
• The helmet moved excessively from the front to the back

Dr. Parkinson developed his own safety acronym, MVP:

• M - Move the helmet down the forehead less than two fingers' width above the brow,
• V - The straps should make a V around the ear,
• P - Pull the chin straps snugly.

For illustrations on how to wear a helmet properly, go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission Website.

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