Ask A Doc – Dr. Caroline Yaphockun

A weekly column addressing your most sought-after health questions, answered by Harbin Clinic’s expert healthcare professionals.

Question: How do I keep my children safe around fireworks?

Dr. Caroline Yaphockun: While fireworks are a fun addition to any event or celebration, they can also cause a child’s injury if not careful. To keep your children safe around fireworks this year, consider following these tips.

Young children should never play with fireworks and should always have adult supervision if they are near them. Younger children, especially infants, also need eye and ear protection during fireworks. While the noise from fireworks may not seem too loud, the noises could potentially damage an infant’s ears. Earmuffs, earplugs or headphones are all good ways to protect their ears from loud noise exposure.

Firecrackers and sparklers can also be dangerous to children. Sparklers can burn up to 2000 degrees and can quickly ignite clothes and cause burns. Sparkler-related injuries in children are common, but you can keep your child safe by using alternatives such as glowsticks, confetti poppers or silly string.

If a firework-related eye injury occurs, don’t apply ointment, flush out the eye, rub or touch the area. Instead, simply protect the area and seek immediate medical attention.

If your child is burned by a firework or sparkler, remove the clothing from the area and inspect the burn. If the burn has increased swelling, redness, warmth, pain, or pus or involves the face, neck, hands or feet, seek immediate medical attention.

The physicians at Harbin Clinic Pediatrics Rome care completely for the health, wellness, diagnosis and treatment of infants, children and adolescents.