Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

This week on Health Watch, we're talking about keeping kids safe. Young children may not be responsible for mowing the lawn, but Dr. Maureen Finnegan, an orthopaedic surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, says lawn mower injuries are far more common among children than with adults.

She says children under the age of 14 shouldn't be allowed to operate lawn mowers. Most mower-related injuries involve cuts and amputations of fingers, toes, hands or feet from working around the mower blades. Bystanders — especially children — should be kept out of the mowing area, and you should inspect the area before mowing for rocks, sticks, toys and other items that can become dangerous projectiles when thrown by mower blades. The bottom line is that you can prevent most injuries by staying focused on the task and using common sense.

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June 2006

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