By Les Gura

Wake Forest Baptist

HealthWire

Children’s safety takes a spotlight at this year’s Community Day at Wake Forest Baptist Health – Davie Medical Center on May 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Car seat safety checks and a bicycle rodeo will be offered by Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont, the regional Safe Kids chapter based at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Safe Kids educates parents, caregivers and children about childhood injury prevention.

Davie Medical Center Community Day will be held at the Bermuda Run campus. It includes programs for all ages: free health screenings, a cooking demonstration, the popular Peachtree Farmer’s Market, and free food, music and entertainment.

The two children’s safety events are being led by Luly Beckles, pediatric injury prevention coordinator for Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest Baptist and coordinator of Safe Kids Northwest Piedmont.

“Research shows that 74 to 94 percent of parents think their car seats are properly installed—and they are not,’’ Beckles said.

Among the common problems found during car seat inspections conducted by SafeKids Northwest Piedmont are:

• Seat belts or harness not properly fastened to secure an infant or booster seat.

• Car seats face the wrong direction.

• Towels or plastic mats placed under a seat against safety recommendations.

• Seat belt systems not functioning properly.

Any of those things can hurt the seat’s performance in an accident, Beckles said.

“Transporting a child in a car requires science; there is technology and research behind car seat design,’’ Beckles said. “We want parents to have the information needed to make informed choices so they can transport their children safely.”

She plans to give an educational presentation during Community Day, and then offer as many inspections as time allows. Parents have the option to set up appointments for an inspection.

Bicycle safety education will be provided along with free, properly-fitted helmets for kids while supplies last. At the bike rodeo from 10-11 a.m., children will learn skills and precautions to ride safely.

Parents and caregivers will learn how children view traffic since their peripheral vision is not fully developed. Children will also learn proper hand signals and traffic rules.

“Most parents do not know that after age 7, if a child is riding a bicycle in North Carolina, that’s considered a vehicle. They’re not playing with a toy,’’ Beckles said. “And they must comply with rules of the road.”

Chad Brown, president of Davie Medical Center, said child safety is a good fit for Community Day.

“Our role as a community hospital is to keep people—children and adults—from facing injuries or illness whenever possible. We’re proud to be able to add the car seat safety checks and bike rodeo to our full Community Day program.”

The free health screenings include cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose, vision and foot exams. The cooking demonstration will be from 10 to 11 a.m.

Davie Medical Center is at I-40 (Exit 180) and NC 801 N., Bermuda Run.