Winning the Helmet Battle

Let’s face it. There are lots of battles vacationing parents won’t win and we certainly don’t want to spend our much-needed time together arguing with the kids. But when their safety is the issue, we can’t give up.

Take the fight that starts in my house every year around this time and used to continue all winter. I would urge my son Matt, an expert skier, to wear a ski helmet: He’d insist he doesn’t need one.

But until I talked to Denver neurosurgeon Dr. Stewart Levy, an expert on the subject, I wasn’t ready to draw the proverbial line in the snow (No helmet, no lift ticket…). Now I have.

“The bottom line is that helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury as much as 75 percent,” explains Dr. Levy, who has done extensive research on the subject. “If you get a brain injury with a helmet, it won’t be as severe. ”

Far fewer children are badly injured skiing and snowboarding than riding bikes. But that’s no comfort if it’s your child and their injury could have been lessened or prevented.

“We’ve had children in our database who have skied into trees, metal poles, etc—usually the cause of the most severe injuries—while wearing helmets and none of them had a head injury more severe than a concussion,” explains Dr. Lori McBride, a pediatric neurosurgeon at The Children’s Hospital of Denver and Dr. Levy’s research associate. “It doesn’t take long to become a believer.”

The National Ski Areas Association, with the help of the National Ski Patrol, Professional Ski Instructors of America, American Association of Snowboard Instructors and the National Safety Council, among others, has also has gotten on the helmet bandwagon with a website (www.lidsonkids.org) to heighten parents’ awareness about helmet use and promote safety on the slopes.

“I get very upset when I see a parent without a helmet skiing with a child whose got one on,” says Dr. Levy. He warns that the older you are, the harder it is to recover from a brain injury.

Helmets, I’m glad to tell my son, not only will keep him safer but also are better made and more comfortable than the last time I got him to try one on. They are lighter, ventilated and sharper looking with metallic finishes and bright colors. New kids’ models offer room to grow and are the perfect place to display favorite ski-area stickers. Some have room for earphones. Many retail for less than a day at ski school costs at many resorts. You can also rent them at many places along with skis and snowboards.

“You wouldn’t play football or hockey without a helmet,” says Dr. Levy. “You can talk all you want about skier safety, “But you can’t prevent all accidents.”

I’m glad you finally realized that, Matt.

Copyright Eileen Ogintz 2005
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