Dog Attacks

March 10, 2009

More Dogs Bite Kids in the Summer, Says Study

A new study published in the new issue of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery is reporting that children have a greater chance of getting bitten by a dog and sustaining a serious injury to the neck or head areas in the summer time. This finding is based on an analysis of 84 dog bite cases involving child victims.

The reason for why this happens is not clear, but two possibilities are that the hot weather may put dogs in a worse mood, while kids tend to spend more time outside the house playing with pets.

According to the study:
• Family pets caused 27% of dog bite injuries.
• 34% of dog bite wounds occurred on children’s cheeks.
• 21% were lip injuries.
• 8% were ear injuries.
• 8% were nose injuries.
• The average wound size was 7.15 centimeters.
• 64% of children who sustained dog bite wounds had injuries on more than one part of the body.
• The pit bull is the breed most likely to attack or maul a child victim.

Children and Dog Bites
Dog bites can cause serious harm to a child. A dog that mauls a child can cause serious bodily harm and/or facial disfigurement. Sometimes, it may take years until a child is fully-grown before he or she can undergo all the necessary reconstructive surgeries. This can lead to ongoing physical suffering, as well as mental and emotional trauma. Serious scarring from dog bite wounds can also deprive a boy or girl from experiencing a normal childhood.

In the US, about 44,000 dog attacks each year result in facial injuries. 1% of all emergency room visits involve a patient who was injured in a dog attack or a dog mauling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 800,000 dog bite victims a year will require medical treatment. Nearly 50% of people injured in dog attacks are younger than age 12.

Dog bite risk for kids greatest in summer

Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery

Related Web Resources:
Dog Bite Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Most dog bites are avoidable, Post-Gazette.com, January 26, 2009

December 29, 2008

Car Crashes and Fall Accidents are Leading Causes of Accidental Deaths and Injuries to Minors in the US, Says CDC

by Matthew D. Kaplan

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says auto accidents and fall accidents are the leading causes of accidental teen and child injuries and deaths in this country.

Facts included in the CDC’s report:

• 9.2 million teenagers and children a year are treated in US emergency rooms for accidental injuries.
• 2.8 million teens and young kids are injured in fall accidents annually.
• Over 50% of the nonfatal injuries involving kids younger than 1 occurred during fall accidents.
• About 8,000 minors are killed each year in traffic accidents as pedestrians, vehicle occupants, and pedalcyclists.
• 12,175 people under age 20 die in the US every year because of accidental injuries.
• Approximately 20 kids die every day because of an injury that could have been prevented.
• Some 20 million kids and young adults sustain injuries each year that limit their activity and require medical care.

Leading causes of injury deaths, according to age group:

• Infants – suffocation
• Ages 1 to 4 – drowning
• Ages 5 to 19 – traffic crashes
In addition to fall accidents, other leading causes of nonfatal injuries to kids include:

• Animal bites
• Insect bites
• Getting hit by or falling against an object
Children in the 1 – 4 age group were most likely to suffer nonfatal injuries in fall accidents or due to accidental poisoning. According to CDC Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention Director Grant Baldwin, many of these injuries can be predicted and are preventable.

Many times, these injuries occur while a child or teen is engaged in everyday activities, such as riding in a car, walking to school, or swimming in the neigborhood pool. Such injuries are often caused by reckless motor vehicle drivers, careless property owners, negligent product manufacturers, careless dog owners, or other responsible parties.

Car Crashes, Falls Top List of Accidental Injuries for Kids, US News, December 10, 2008
Childhood Injury Report, CDC
Related Web Resources:

Children Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA (PDF)

World Health Organization

November 24, 2008

7-Year-Old Gladstone Girl and Her Father are Injured in Oregon Dog Attack Involving 90-Pound Pit Bull Mix

by Matthew D. Kaplan

A Gladstone man and his 7-year-old daughter are recovering from their injuries after a 90-pound pit bull mix attacked them outside a friend’s home. Police later shot and killed the animal.

The Oregon dog attack occurred last Wednesday while 7-year-old Jayda Kempas was playing on a tire swing. Without provocation, Titan reportedly jumped up and clung to her left leg, pulling her off the swing and onto the ground.

Jayda’s father, Steven Hehr, heard screams and rushed to her rescue. The 31-year-old Oregon National Guard sergeant managed to get the pit bull to release his jaw from his daughter’s leg, but then the dog attacked him, biting his leg, hands, and chest in an attempt to grab his throat. Hehr also dislocated his shoulder during the incident.

Neighbors and friends came forward to help him, with two men hitting the dog about 40 times with an aluminum baseball bat. Two other people managed to tie straps around the dog’s hind quarters and get a noose around his neck. Clackamas County Sheriff deputies, who were called to the scene, eventually shot Titan.

Jayda sustained severe lacerations and puncture wounds on her legs. She underwent surgery for her injuries last Thursday. In addition to dislocating his shoulder, Hehr sustained bite wounds on different parts of his body.

At the time of the dog attack, Hehr’s friend Alan Clinansmith was in possession of Titan. He was trying to find a home for the animal. The pit bull belongs to Gresham resident Rick Harrison.

Oregon Dog Bite Incidents
If you or your child was attacked by a dog in Oregon, you may be able to fie a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Oregon’s “one bite rule” holds a dog bite owner strictly liable for personal injuries if he or she knew or should have known that the dog can be dangerous. Dog attacks and dog maulings can lead to serious injuries—even death.

Pit bull mix attacks 7-year-old, her dad in Happy Valley, OregonLive.com, November 20, 2008
Father Fights Pit Bull To Save Daughter, Fox 12 Oregon, November 20, 2008
Related Web Resources:

Dog Bite Liability, Insurance Information Institute, August 2008
National Dog Bite Prevention Week, CDC