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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

AAP on Bicycle Safety: Wear a Helmet Every Time

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Thursday, June 7, 2012   

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Wear a helmet every time. No exceptions. That's the message from the American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) this summer - and it's the law for kids in Maryland. The group confirms that the risk of head injuries rises when a bicyclist without a helmet crashes, and crashes can be serious even when the cyclist is just riding around the neighborhood.

Emergency room doctor Mike Gittleman says wearing a helmet can reduce the chance of head injury by 85 percent. Such injuries run the gamut, he adds.

"Sometimes you just see some abrasions, but they can also be more serious. You can have skull fractures, you can have intracranial bleeding, and it can even cause death."

A helmet is required for those age 15 and under in Maryland, which is among the 21 states with bicycle helmet laws. In 2010, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, more than 600 people on bicycles were killed in collisions with motor vehicles across the country - and at least 70 percent of the victims were not wearing a helmet.

It's important to make sure that the helmet still fits correctly, Gittleman says, particularly for kids as they grow. He notes there is also an economic rationale for bike helmet use.

"The usage will not only save lives and injury, but it also saves health-care dollars. The expense on these injuries is great, and if we can prevent them, we would be saving health-care dollars, as well."

Dr. Gittleman says with the exception of vehicles, bikes are linked to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product - including trampolines, ladders and swimming pools.

Helmet laws by state are listed at http://bit.ly/1UwfzG. Cycling fatality statistics are available at http://bit.ly/LvKfI4. AAP recommendations may be found at http://bit.ly/p1h4lo.




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