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T M C » P U L S E | J U LY 2 0 1 8 35 things can be prevented." In the summer months, the trauma center does see an increase in hot-car deaths, heat strokes, bicycle injuries and drownings, Beckworth said. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States and drownings are the leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 to 4, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On average, three children in the United States die every day as a result of drowning. By late June, Texas had already recorded 45 drowning fatalities for 2018. "Go for Green" The YMCA of Greater Houston, which hosts 4,000 campers each day during the summer months, spends a lot of time teaching children to swim. Campers attending the YMCA's day camp qualify to participate in free swim lessons in the "Go for Green" program. Each day campers swim, they take a swim test adminis- tered by the YMCA's aquatics staff. The kids qualify with a red, yellow or green band—the latter signifying the most proficient swimmers. "Our goal is for all kids to have green bands by the end of the summer," said Curtis Lemieux, the executive director of summer programs for YMCA of Greater Houston. The YMCA also trains counsel- ors to help prevent other potential injuries. Each staff member spends more than 40 hours getting certified in first aid, CPR, emergency oxygen and automated external defibrillator (AED) use. In addition, the YMCA's risk management department ensures each program and environ- ment is safe for the campers. "They'll do a playground audit or a field audit—we call it a 360 assess- ment of the areas that surround us— to make sure that it is a safe place for our kids," Lemieux said. Hydration and shade are top priorities, he added. "We make sure that all of our programs have water breaks sched- uled every 30 minutes throughout the day and that even our outdoor camps have indoor spaces for kids to be sheltered from the sun," Lemieux said. 100 deadliest days Fatalities related to teen driving also increase substantially in the summer—so much so that the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day have been called the 100 Deadliest Days of Summer by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (continued) Our focus is on unintentional injury prevention—things that happen unexpectedly. We don't like to use the word 'accident' because when we're talking about car seat safety or bike safety or water safety, these things can be prevented. — KRISTEN BECKWORTH Manager of the Center for Childhood Injury Prevention at Texas Children's Hospital Make this summer a season for living life on your terms. Licensed chiropractors at The Joint help provide pain relief and preventative care, so you can live life to the fullest. Chiropractic can help with back and neck pain, joint discomfort, allergies, migraines and more. Stop by a clinic today! NEW PATIENT SPECIAL Consultation | Exam | Adjustment S 39 Value RELIEF RECOVERY WELLNESS ® No Appointments | No Insurance Needed | Open Evenings & Weekends *Offer valued at $39. Valid for new patients only. See clinic for chiropractor(s)' name and license info. Clinics managed and/or owned by franchisee or Prof. Corps. Restrictions may apply to Medicare eligible patients. Individual results may vary. © 2018 The Joint Corp. All Rights Reserved. West U (713) 588-0858 | thejoint.com 3177 W. Holcombe Blvd. Houston, TX 77025