June 25th, 2019 / 0 Comments

With July Fourth looming, many of us are revving up search engines to find the best local spots for viewing this year’s fireworks. As it turns out, there’s quite the historical precedent for this: The first Independence Day fireworks were set off on July 4, 1777, honoring John Adams’ wish to mark the occasion with “Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Two hundred and forty-two years later, we’re still doing just that. Over the years, pyrotechnic capabilities, quite literally, have exploded. So, too, has awareness of, and need for, safety. Read on to keep yourself and your children safe and out of the hospital this holiday.
Most fireworks-related injuries we see in the pediatric Emergency Department (ED) are from fireworks people purchase legally. And almost all of these injuries occur in the days surrounding the July Fourth holiday: Last year at Children’s National in Washington, D.C., more than 85% of the year’s total ED firework injury visits occurred over four days, from July 3 to 6.
The term “safe and sane” is often used to describe fireworks that do not explode or fly through the air. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by this classification; all fireworks have the potential to cause harm.
At the most extreme end of the fireworks injury spectrum are amputations and even death.
The bottom line? There is no “child-safe” consumer firework. And parental supervision, while always a good thing, is simply not enough: More than half of pediatric fireworks injuries occur under direct and adequate parental supervision. Bear in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends banning private sale and use of fireworks.
Unfortunately even bystanders can be hurt by others using commercial fireworks. If, despite every precaution, your child sustains an injury, here’s what to do:
For a burn:
For an eye injury:
While there’s no doubt our flashy, powerful modern-day pyrotechnics would dazzle the Founding Fathers, let’s make sure our adherence to safety is equally dazzling. Leave the fireworks to the professionals; focus your attention on crafting the perfect Fourth of July picnic basket, and go out to enjoy a public fireworks display.
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