Children continue to die in road crashes due to ‘laxity of parents’

A significant number of children continue to be injured or killed in road traffic accidents in Qatar due to their parents’ laxity in observing road safety measures, a senior paediatric emergency consultant said yesterday.
“Children  are still getting injured in road traffic accidents  because the regulations about the use of child safety seats and seat belts are not being followed by many parents here,” Paeditaric Emergency Centres director Dr Khalid al-Ansari observed.
According to him, a lot of kids younger than eight years are seen sitting in the front seat while travelling in their private vehicles while many parents choose to place their younger children on laps while driving.
“This is a very dangerous practice and it can lead to bad consequences for the children if they are involved in an accident. There have been mortality and disabilities happening to children, which could have been prevented by up to 80%. Parents could help decrease this if they comply with safety rules on road usage,” Dr al-Ansari said.
The official also mentioned that at the Al Saad PEC, up to 20 cases of children, aged below six years, sustaining injuries at home are seen  daily.
“Home injuries are very common too because children get into trouble as they are not smart enough to stay away from danger. They always try to explore and taste different kinds of chemicals at home and if they found medications, as many medication look like sweets, they will just put them in their mouths. And any type of medication should be toxic to children if ingested in high doses,” he explained.
“So, it is very important for parents to take note of this. Medication should be  locked away in a cupboard high and away from the reach of the children. So also cleaning chemicals and detergents,” he cautioned while recalling incidents of children ingesting even  a solution used to unclog drainage, which he said could have serious outcomes such as cancer in the affected children.
Though, the official mentioned that cases of children drowning are not common nowadays, up to 20 incidents of children drowning at swimming pools were recorded last year.
“Although, parents might not realise the significant effects of all these negligence and ineptitude, but they should know that if they occur, the children will suffer for it,” he added.