Now that summer is upon us, children will be using lawnmowers to cut the grass. But the lawnmower is one of the most dangerous tools around the home. Nearly 210,000 people — approximately 16,200 of them children under age 19 – were treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms for lawn mower-related injuries in 2007, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
These injuries from lawnmowers can be in the form of deep cuts, loss of fingers and toes, broken and dislocated bones, burns, and eye and other injuries. Some of these injuries can be very serious. Both the person using the lawnmower and people standing nearby can be hurt by these powerful tools.
The AAP recommends that parents not allow children on ride-on lawnmowers, that they wear sturdy shoes when mowing, that they pick up objects from the lawn, that they mow hills sideways along the slope instead of up and down, and other practical tips to prevent lawn mowing injuries to children.
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