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It’s the time of year when everybody – especially kids – want to be outside and move. But sometimes being safe and being healthy can be a bit of a balancing act. ORA’s Dr. Michael Pyevitch explains.

Kameron Morgan, a soon-to-be Davenport 9th grader, broke his wrist last year on probably the worst day possible.

“It was the last day of school,” he says. “I was riding home on my bike, and as I turned, my tire hit a little pothole, and I fell over trying to catch myself, and that caused it to break.”

“Of all days, of all timing,” his mom, Yolanda, adds.

Michael Pyevich, M.D. – ORA Orthopedics

In fact, doctors say it’s this time of year when injuries like Kameron’s happen the most.

Summer is a busy time for injuries

“Summer is definitely busier than the rest of the year,” says Dr. Mike Pyevich with ORA Orthopedics. Dr. Pyevich is the only fellowship-trained Pediatric Orthopedist in the Quad Cities.

Kids like 9-year-old Aaron Ingram, who got a scooter for his birthday. Then…“We went for a ride in the evening, and we ended up at Trinity Hospital that night for the broken arm and here the next day for a cast,” recalls his mom, Cindy.

Dr. Pyevich says anything with wheels is some of the most common ways to get hurt, and one of the most common spots — are playgrounds.

“You should make sure the playground equipment is age-appropriate,” he says. “You shouldn’t have a 2-year-old on monkey bars.”

Balancing being safe with being healthy can sometimes be a challenge

“It’s understanding the limitations between allowing a kid to be a kid and trying to instill some of the safety precautions in events,” says Cindy.

“I’ll be kind of iffy with him riding his bike and stuff, but he just loves to ride his bike,” says Yolanda with a shrug.

But Dr. Pyevich says rest is just as important as activity when it comes to kids.

“It is different,” he says. “Kids, of course, are growing, and so they have growth plates, and an injury to a growth plate can be a much more devastating injury.”

Luckily for Aaron and Kameron, their bones healed in time for busy sports schedules, which included track, swimming, biking, and triathlons.

“I’ll just sit back and inhale, exhale,” laughs Yolanda. “That’s about all I can do.”

Dr. Pyevich says the other top injury caused by playground equipment and bicycles is trampolines. He says if you don’t have to have one – don’t get one. Trampoline injuries make up 92,000 pediatric E.R. visits every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kameron Morgan, a soon-to-be Davenport 9th grader, broke his wrist last year on probably the worst day possible.

“It was the last day of school,” he says. “I was riding home on my bike, and as I turned, my tire hit a little pothole, and I fell over trying to catch myself, and that caused it to break.”

“Of all days, of all timing,” his mom, Yolanda, adds.

Michael Pyevich, M.D. – ORA Orthopedics

In fact, doctors say it’s this time of year when injuries like Kameron’s happen the most.

Summer is a busy time for injuries

“Summer is definitely busier than the rest of the year,” says Dr. Mike Pyevich with ORA Orthopedics. Dr. Pyevich is the only fellowship-trained Pediatric Orthopedist in the Quad Cities.

Kids like 9-year-old Aaron Ingram, who got a scooter for his birthday. Then…“We went for a ride in the evening, and we ended up at Trinity Hospital that night for the broken arm and here the next day for a cast,” recalls his mom, Cindy.

Dr. Pyevich says anything with wheels is some of the most common ways to get hurt, and one of the most common spots — are playgrounds.

“You should make sure the playground equipment is age-appropriate,” he says. “You shouldn’t have a 2-year-old on monkey bars.”

Balancing being safe with being healthy can sometimes be a challenge

“It’s understanding the limitations between allowing a kid to be a kid and trying to instill some of the safety precautions in events,” says Cindy.

“I’ll be kind of iffy with him riding his bike and stuff, but he just loves to ride his bike,” says Yolanda with a shrug.

But Dr. Pyevich says rest is just as important as activity when it comes to kids.

“It is different,” he says. “Kids, of course, are growing, and so they have growth plates, and an injury to a growth plate can be a much more devastating injury.”

Luckily for Aaron and Kameron, their bones healed in time for busy sports schedules, which included track, swimming, biking, and triathlons.

“I’ll just sit back and inhale, exhale,” laughs Yolanda. “That’s about all I can do.”

Dr. Pyevich says the other top injury caused by playground equipment and bicycles is trampolines. He says if you don’t have to have one – don’t get one. Trampoline injuries make up 92,000 pediatric E.R. visits every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.