Every Yom Kippur, an average of 200 children hurt while riding on bicycles, skateboards, roller blades and scooters.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
Every Yom Kippur, an average of 200 children are hurt while riding on bicycles, skateboards, roller blades and scooters five times the injury figure of a regular day, Magen David Adom said Monday.
It urged all parents to ensure that children who spend the holy day on wheels, when streets are quite empty, take precautions and avoid injuries.
All children on wheels should wear protective helmets and, if they go out at night, must wear light-colored clothing and wear luminous stickers or turn on bike lights. In the event of an injury, the child should be kept at complete rest and MDA should be called at 101.
MDA personnel and volunteers will be on duty with their ambulances around the country during Yom Kippur and MDA asked that children not interfere with the movement of ambulances during the fast.
Anyone who feels serious weakness or chest pains, who sweats excessively and has difficulty breathing during the fast should call an MDA ambulance immediately.
MDA also stressed taking special care when eating fish during the pre-fast meal. Bones can get stuck easily in the trachea and, when it happens to younger children who do not have a well-developed ability to cough bones up, it can be a grave emergency.
Looking ahead, Beterem, the National Center for Child Safety and Health, said that during Succot, candles should not be lit near flammable succa decorations or wooden walls and should never be left burning without supervision. Make sure that the electric cord providing light in the succa is attached properly and kept out of the reach of young children, Beterem said.