The Fourth of July is a nostalgic holiday marked by outdoor activities and gatherings. However, it also sees a spike in emergency room visits due to various injuries, particularly from fireworks. Pediatric doctors emphasize that children should not handle fireworks due to the significant risks they pose, as burns and other injuries often occur. Experts advise parents to prioritize firework safety and limit children's exposure to these dangerous devices, as accidents can lead to serious health repercussions during the holiday.
"As a pediatric emergency medicine physician and parent to three small children, firework safety is paramount, and I would never let my own children play with or assist with fireworks," Dr. Tyler Rainer, a pediatric emergency doctor at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, tells TODAY.com.
Fireworks are devices that produce a spectacle of light and color as a result of burning explosive or flammable materials. You light a fuse, which travels to the firework and causes gunpowder inside to explode, propelling it into the air which produces 'stars' of light.
Burns are the most common fireworks-related injury, says Kaziny. These often affect the fingers, hands, head, and face, and can range from minor to third-degree.
Every summer, children wind up in the emergency room due to accidents with fireworks, which spike around the Fourth of July, Dr. Brent Kaziny, medical director of emergency management at Texas Children's Hospital, previously told TODAY.com.
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