Conference moira::parenting_v3

    There are a number of good quality helmets on the market, they are
    primarily available at bike shops.  I strongly recommend a good bike
    shop that will fit your child to the helmet.  The fit is CRITICAL.
    Confort and looks are strong second requirements.  Many of the newest
    helmets look "cool" and kids are actually excited about wearing them.
    Bell and Rhode Gear both make good kids helmets that pass the standard
    crash tests.
    
    If you are in the Central MA area, O'neils Bike and Ski in Worcester
    has a nice Rhode Gear helmet for around $30.00. 
    
    steve

    		BIKE Nashbar has it all.
    
    	an 800 number :
    
    		800 - 627-4227
    
    	I think it is in Dedham.

	The children in my neighborhood wear their bike helmets for
	roller skating around the block.  While skating they also
	wear kneepads and elbowpads.

	Kathy

NASHBAR is in NEEDHAM.  The price there is not as good as the catalog price
(they claim that you are paying for service  8^{).  The store is just off of
128 at the Highland Ave. exit.

Their selection is VERY good, but they DON'T have every helmet available.
There was also a Consumer Reports article recently on bicycle helmets.  I don't
know if they rated kids helmets.

Skiing helmets are designed for downhill racing (speeds in excess of 50mph for
kids).  For recreational skiing, a full head bicycle helmet should be adequate.
The same is probably true for skateboarding.  I always used a hockey helmet for
skateboarding and the heat was a real problem.

Dick

Consumer Reports had an excellent article on bicycle helmets earlier this
year.  Based on their ratings, I bought my 6-year-old son the
Bell "Streetrider" helmet.  This is an expanded polystyrene helmet without
a separate shell.  CU found it ranked best overall for comfort, fit and
protection.  It also comes with a sheet of colorful stickers that kids can
use to decorate it, and is readily adjustable. 

I would highly recommend buying a helmet from a reputable bike shop, and not
a discount store.  Each helmet fits differently, and the bike shop has the
staff to help you select the best helmet and adjust it to fit your child's
head.  Bring your child to the shop with you - don't just pick one and
bring it home.

Be aware that there are two levels of "standard conformance" that helmets
are tested to.  The less stringent standard is the ANSI standard - the
more stringent is the Snell standard, signified by a green Snell sticker inside
each helmet.  I advise buying only Snell-approved helmets.

					Steve

    Steven has the same helmet described in .5.  I would second the
    advice about buying in a reputable bike shop -- the Bell helmet
    was the only one that fit Steven's rather large long head, and I
    don't think we would have noticed it on our own.  The gaps at the
    sides were very slight, but enough to allow injury in a serious
    accident. 
    
    We bought at Goodale's Bike and Ski shop in downtown Nashua.  I
    suppose we might have paid less in a discount store, but I don't
    care to take shortcuts with my kids' safety.  
    
    You might also want to look in the bicycling notes file
    (RAINBO::BICYCLE) for information about good sources for
    equipment, advice about fitting, and so on.  I think helmets,
    including helmets for kids, have been discussed there several
    times.
    
    --bonnie

    We also picked the Bell Streetrider that .5 described.  My kid
    loved putting the stickers on it and loves to wear it.  We also
    bought it at a bike shop.  I read the Consumer article and am
    glad I did.  The other advantage and thing to consider is that
    the child should be able to buckle/unbuckle it himself.  This
    buckle is easy for a child to use.  A friend bought a helmet for
    her child and the child cannot buckle it/unbuckle it herself.  
    The kid has to always ask for help.  It is frustrating for the
    child.
    Sharon

.7 brought out an important point.  The most wonderful helmet in the world
is of no use if your child won't wear it.  I am fortunate indeed that Tom
seems to have paid attention to the TV commercial that says "If you want to
be cool, helmets are the rule."  Even though his friends don't wear helmets,
Tom ALWAYS does.  Of course, it doesn't hurt that I told him that if he ever
rides his bike without the helmet, he loses his bike!  He did ask me the
other day if he was "old enough now" to not wear a helmet.  I told him he
would NEVER be too old to wear a helmet, and that when Daddy starts riding
his bike again, Daddy would wear a helmet.

Helmets are cheap protection for your child's life. 

				Steve

If fit is so important, how do you cope with the fact that the size
of your kid's head is constantly changing?  How often do you need to
change helmets?

    There are three basic sizes of helmets, baby/toddler, child and adult.
    So if you buy for a 5/6 year old when they are learning to ride, it
    should last most of their childhood.  There are foam pads in most
    helmets that are used to adjust head sizes.
    
    steve

The helmets are adjustable - for example, the Streetrider comes with foam
pads in three thicknesses which attach with Velcro to the inside of the
helmet.  As your child grows, you replace the pads with a thinner set.  The
store will select the right combination for the initial fitting.

The straps are also adjustable.  One important point is to make sure that the
helmet stays in position even if pushed back.  It should not rotate back
on the head.  Some helmets do better at this than others.

Go to the library and read the CU article.

			Steve

    
    I got my boys helmets through a mailorder offer that was available at
    our pediatrician's office, and that is being offered for awhile through
    pediatricians generally, so check with yours.  I don't remember the
    brand name, but it's a standard one, that I've seen in bike stores. 
    Prices were much lower with this offer (like 1/2).  There were 3 sizes,
    and you could pick the right size easily with a tape measure.  Each
    helmet came  with three sets of foam pads of different thickness, for
    both custom initial fit and easy later adjustment.
    
    		- Bruce
    

    We also ordered our helmets from a special program called
    The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP) of the American
    Academy of Pediatrics.
    
    The helmets are available via mail through a company 
    called Troxel. They're address and phone number is:
    
    Troxel Bicycle Safety Helmet Offer
    1333 30th Street
    San Diego CA  92154
    (619) 429-1441
    (800) 288-4280 Customer Service
    
    The prices are as follows:
    
    Infant and Toddlers...........................$16.95 
    (9 months-3 years)
    Head sizes-16 7/8" to 18 7/8" 
    
    Child.........................................$16.95
    (3-7 years)
    Head sizes-17 5/8" to 20 1/2"
    
    Youth head....................................$17.95
    Head sizes-20 1/2" to 22 1/2"
    
    Adult head....................................$17.95
    Head sizes-22" to 24 1/4"
    
    Add $2.00 per helmet for shipping/handling....$ 2.00
    
    
    The above prices represent a 40% savings off the
    suggested retail price.
    
    They are ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
    safety-tested and approved.
    
    One of the helmets we ordered had a slight defect.
    I figured it was the reason the prices were lower.
    When I called to order a helmet for another member
    of the family, I mentioned the defect and Troxel 
    told me to put it in a box for UPS to pick up and 
    a new helmet would be on its way.  Two days later
    the new helmet arrived and UPS picked up the old.
    Two days after that, my new order came in.  I was
    very impressed with the service.
    
    Jodi-
    

I don't remember if CU rated the Troxel helmets.  Note that they are
not Snell approved.

				Steve

In addition to looking on them as bicycle helmets, also consider what other 
uses they might to put to and buy a helmet suitable for the most hazardous 
activity.  

Also, remember that these are things that are relatively durable, but that 
kids outgrow.  Thus, if you know what you are looking for, you may find one at 
a yard sale or in a classified ad magazine.

Clay

    RE: .14  Steve...
    
    The Troxel brochure reads as follows:
    
    How Should I Choose a Helmet?
    
    The first thing you should look for when choosing a helmet is an
    ANSI (American National Standards Institute) or Snell Memorial
    Foundation sticker.  These stickers mean that the helmet has been
    safety-tested and approved. Never buy a helmet that doesn't have
    an approval sticker.
    
    bla bla bla...
    
    
    >I don't remember if CU rated the Troxel helmets.  
    >Note that they are not Snell approved.
    
    I'm assuming that ANSI and Snell both put these helmet through
    similar, rigorous testing. Also, since the American Academy of
    Pediatrics is endorsing them, I felt confident in my purchase.
    
    Do you know something that I should know, Steve??? 
    
    Jodi-
    

    Snell is a stricter standard than ANSI.  I don't remember the
    details; maybe Steve does.
    
    I wasn't going to mention brand names, but since it appears to be
    relevant -- the Troxel helmet was one of the ones that didn't fit
    Steven.  It's got a roundish shell, and Steven has a more
    elongated head, so when he was wearing the helmet, there was a gap
    the size of the clerk's finger on either side between the helmet
    and Steven's skull.  It probably could have been made to fit by
    adjusting the pads, but the Bell helmet fit much better.  
    
    --bonnie

    
    The Troxel offer Jodi describes in .13 is the one I referrd to in .12
    as well.  I got one Child and one Youth helmet, and have been very
    happy with both (as have my kids).  The kind of fit problem that bonnie
    describes could be very easily accomodated with the interchangable pads
    (you can have thick ones at the sides, and thinner front and back, or
    vice versa; they come with three different sets).  I can't believe that
    any alleged difference between Snell and ANSI approval can be 1% as
    important as the difference between an ANSI helmet and none.
    
    		- Bruce

I'll have to dig out my CU issue to find the details on Snell vs. ANSI.  The
Snell tests are stricter.  Certainly ANSI approval at a minimum is required.
In no way am I suggesting that a helmet that only meets the ANSI standard
is necessarily inferior.

I would be cautious about buying a second-hand helmet.  Helmets protect
the wearer by controlled destruction of the helmet upon impact.  If a helmet
has been involved in an impact, the signs of damage may not be visible.
Is the risk worth a few bucks?

				Steve

    We've had Elspeth using her horse-riding helmet for bicycly riding,
    under the assumption that both kinds of helmets are designed to
    protect people who fall on their heads.  Does anyone have any
    specific knowledge as to whether this is or isn't a good idea?
    
    	-Neil

       <<< Note 482.20 by MOIRA::FAIMAN "light upon the figured leaf" >>>
Neil,

I don't know what current riding helmets are like, but the current bicycling
helmets are better for road impacts than what I remember of riding helmets.
As Steve mentioned, modern bicycling helmets, like modern car bodies, are
designed to sustain alot of damage to protect the person.  This is particularly
appropriate for most road riding situations.  A riding helmet (as I remember
them) would be less good at this but better at puncture protection.

Dick

    The Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide arrived yesterday, and
    repeated the helmet rating from the May, 1990 issue.  In both Youth and
    Child sizes, the Troxel helmets ranked 2nd (based primarily on safety). 
    In one case, a  Snell approved model ranked below the Troxel.  The
    slightly higher rated Bell models were not Hard Shell helmets, and thus
    rated worse on penetration resistance, and might be a good deal less
    durable (which was not a rating factor).  The Troxel models were rated
    average to superior on adjustability.  All of the kids' helmets rated
    Acceptable had a list price between $30 and $40, making the the prices
    in the special Troxel offer seem even more attractive.
 
                - Bruce
    

    Thanks for posting the CU info, Bruce, I feel much better now.
    
    
    Jodi-
    

    Yes, the Troxel helmet would appear to be perfectly good.  CU said
    there weren't significant differences between closely rated helmets.
    
    One point about ANSI vs. Snell is that to obtain the Snell approval,
    one must submit helmet samples to the Snell Memorial Foundation
    for testing.  Companies can perform their own testing to claim
    that helmets meet the ANSI standard.
    
    			Steve

    To the basenoter and all the concerned replies a heartfelt THANK YOU!
    
    I am forever grateful to see a child wearing a helmet on a bike or
    other athletic activities.  This is one place that this EMT would like
    NOT to have to respond, by wearing these helmets you're keeping me
    UNEMPLOYED and happy to be that way!!
    
    As a quick side note, if your child falls off his/her bike and you
    suspect ANY impact to the spine or head, near the cervical (neck area) 
    spine particularly, please DO NOT REMOVE THE HELMET!  and DON'T remove
    the helmet or Move the child, leave that to the EMS people or the ho
    spital personnel.
    
    Now I have a related question, someone I worked with last year coached
    peewee football, he mentioned a style that had a blow up type liner. 
    It was placed on the child's head and blown up with a foot pump, with
    a "needle" adapter like you use to blow up a basketball.  Can someone
    explaine to me how these work?  I'm intrigued to say the least!

    Re: .25 & football helmets
    
    We used to call these 'air-heads' or 'bubble-heads'...;^)
    
    Basically, what you have is a standard hard-shell football helmet, but
    instead of being lined with the typical dense foam padding, it's lined
    with an air bladder that gets inflated after the helmet's put on the
    head. The bladder inflates and shapes itself to the contours of the
    player's head. This, in effect, allows for a 'custom-fit', rather than
    the standard fit of a regular helmet. The principle is the same as that
    of foam-fitted ski boots, or of the current Reebok 'Pump' sneakers,
    wherby you use air to fill any voids between the device & the body.
    Enough pressure is pumped in to cushion the impacts typical to the
    game.
    
    Freddie

    Thanks Freddie, for you explaination.  (That's the dumb-female part of
    me speaking)  Hopefully the price of these helmets are up around where
    the price of these Reebocks are ($100+ I heard)!
    
    Now questions related are, do you deflate before taking them off or are
    they pumped up and left until adjustments are necessary.  Have there
    been any studies done as to whether this type of helmet absorbs the
    impact as well, or even better than conventional types.
    
    My first question comes from the idea that I may be called upon to deal
    with an injured child with this type of helmet, should I deflate it
    first, should I need to take it off?  Might bring this up at our next
    in-service training session.
    
    Lyn
    

    Re:.27
    
    Lyn, I never wore this type myself, but if I remember correctly, you
    had to deflate the helmet at least partially in order to get it off,
    since the fit was so snug when fully blown up.
    
    I'm not qualified to even guess about the correct procedure to follow
    in case of an accident. To satisfy my curiosity, please let me know
    what you find out.
    
    Freddie
    
    P.S. The high-top Reebok Pumps for basketball are going for $130+. 
    They're also starting to expand the line to include running shoes, 
    cross-trainers, tennis shoes, etc. They even sell a kid's version 
    for approx $100. I'm already dreading the day when Nicholas (now 13
    months) asks me for that kind of money for a pair of shoes that he'll
    probably outgrow in a few months...:^} Hopefully I can say "no" with
    a straight face.

    Does anybody have experience with getting their 5-6 year old boy to
    ROUTINELY wear a helmet while biking?  "But Dad none of the other kids
    wear one and it makes me look DUMB!" or the kid puts it on but the
    minute he is out of sight off it comes.  Do other parents think this
    is enforceable and reasonable to expect a kid to wear his helmet
    routinely in a recreational biking with his friends context?  Jeff

    
    I haven't had trouble getting Aaron and Eric to always wear helmets (so
    far!).  It helps that we mostly ride together, and I wear one.  It also
    helps that there is one two-wheeler at Eric's pre-school, which nobody
    may ride without a helmet.  It also helps that there are a lot of
    serious adult bicyclists who go by our house, and most of them wear
    helmets.  Thus it seems grownup to the boys, even though Aaron didn't
    have a helmet the first couple of years he rode.
    
    		- Bruce
    

Re: .29

I've had no trouble getting Tom (6) to wear a helmet, and he is very
conscientious about it.  His friends don't wear them, but he thinks the
helmet is "cool" and it's comfortable and easy for him to put on and take
off.  Of course, his knowing that if he rides without one he loses his
bike privileges doesn't hurt, but that hasn't really been an issue.

			Steve

        <<< MRDATA::DISK$MRDATA_AUX2:[NOTES$LIBRARY]PARENTING.NOTE;1 >>>
                                 -< Parenting >-
================================================================================
Note 482.32                 Help with Helmets please                    32 of 32
RICKS::WARREN                                        29 lines  20-FEB-1991 16:34
                            -< try a hockey helmet >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I have used a air/gel football helmet and NO they do NOT require
    inflating/deflating after initial fitting.
    
    Since I don't recall the age of the child you want to fit with a
    helmet, I can only speak from my own experience.
    
    When my son was old enough to keep his head up for a significant 
    amount of time, he has ridden on the back of Dad's bike to the
    park, market, etc...  We figured it necessary to purchase a 
    helmet to protect him.  At 1+ years we considered the CU report,
    advise from cyclists, and made our own decision to buy a professional
    Junior size hockey helmet.  
    
    It is far more protective than the bike helmets, is adjustable
    with a screw driver and most of all - he likes it!  We have to hide
    it in his closet or he wants to wear it.  My spouse was concerned 
    that the neighbors thought he was handicapped and had to wear it all
    the time.
    
    On our toddler/infant it has not proven to be too hot to wear - he is 2.5
    
    Another plus is its future applications.  They should be able to wear
    it until age 7+
    
    On warning:  You should make sure your infant/toddler can support the
    weight of the helmet comfortably.  i.e., if they are too young it may
    get too heavy over time...
    
    

Re: .32

Why do you say that a hockey helmet is "far more protective than a bike
helmet"?  It seems to me that a hockey helmet is designed to protect against
injury from a projectile, but not to absorb impact of the head hitting a
hard surface at a significant speed.  If the helmet transmits most of the
force of the impact to the child's head, you have not done your child any
favors.

Do you have some reference source that makes this claim?

				Steve

    Well ... I'm not sure exactly what .32 was referring to - but all the
    bike helmets that I've seen for kids look like a joke.  I honestly
    don't believe that they could do much (if anything) in the event of a
    wipeout.  They're mostly some type of plastic with styrofoam inside. 
    The inflatable interior of a hockey helmet would provide more
    cushioning.
    
    I don't see how the regular KIDS bike helmuts help absorb the impact at
    all.
    
    

re: .34

Most good bike helmets for kids and adults are made of a foam material.  Some
of the more expensive ones have a hard plastic shell over foam.  Please do not
judge the helmet by the way it looks.  Check to see if the helmet is listed
as meeting either the ANSI or Snell standards.  The ones that meet the Snell
standards are better than the ones that meet only the ANSI standards.

re hockey vs. bike helmet.  Not being a hockey fan, I can only guess that
the hockey helmet is designed to protect the player from sudden blows like the
hockey puck or a hit from another players stick.  So, these helmets are
designed to protect from sharp projectile type impacts.

The foam bike helmet is designed to absorb the shock of a sudden impact of
say hitting ones head on the pavement, by cracking and/or breaking into
pieces.  The liner on the outside of the foam helps the helmet retain its
shape during this process.  It is also designed to protect the head during
the more typical bike accident where the rider falls off and slides on the
pavement, by abrading.

The foam-only helmet is somewhat lacking in penetration protection in case
the rider falls on a sharp object.  This is where the foam helmets with
a hard shell fit in.  The hard shell provides penetration protection with a
minimal amount of weight and the foam part acts as it does in a foam-only
helmet.

Bob

P.S.  Mom and Dad, don't you forget to wear a helmet too.

    The foam helmets with or without hardshell exteriors are meant to act
    as shock absorbers for heads.  They fall apart as they take the shock,
    poreventing the skull and brain from doing the same thing.  While this
    may not seem "safe" it really does work well.  A few months ago a
    coworker took a tremendous header off his mountain bike.  He had black
    eyes and abrasions from the slide, but his helmet did its job, self
    destructed, while leaving his head intact.  

    
    re. .34
    
    According to Consumer Reports, the best bike helmets are the
    kinds are foam with a thin plastic shell. Different helmets 
    are made for different purposes. Please don't judge things
    by their looks.
    
    
    Eva.

    Re: .37
    
    CU's top-rated helmet for kids was the Bell "Streetrider" which
    has no shell at all.  My son has this helmet.  It is quite strong
    and I trust its ability to absorb the shock of impact should he
    fall off his bike.  I would not trust a hockey helmet to do that -
    it would very likely transmit a large part of the impact to the
    child's head.  Yes, the helmet might appear unscathed but the
    child might be dead.
    
    This is not an area where I'd second-guess the manufacturers and
    testing institutes!
    
    				Steve