'Tis The Season For Trauma

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Now that the warm weather is here, one local ER Physician says the number of injured children is rising as fast as the temperature outside your door and there are a few steps parents can take to make sure their child is not one of them.

Dr. Christopher Haines, Director of Emergency Medicine at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, explains what he is seeing.

"Baseball injuries, getting hit with baseball bats and getting hit with balls. Falls where they hurt ankles. We see a lot of orthopedic injuries and broken bones. Commonly arm fractures which is our most common, radius ulna which is the two bones in your forearm," Dr. Haines said. "Then we see a lot of elbow fractures from falling off of playground equipment."

Dr. Haines says parents can help minimize this risk by choosing playgrounds that have a bed of mulch or other padded material to cushion falls. He also says children should wear helmets and wrist and elbow guards when rollerblading or biking.

"We also see a lot of auto versus pedestrian accidents and it usually starts this time of year. Revisiting, as a parent, the proper safety when crossing a street is really, really important," Dr. Haines said.

Reported by Michelle Durham, KYW Newsradio