Theresa Mayes, a registered dietitian and a mother of three young children, became concerned with the increase in these types of injuries. So she went beyond her work as a clinical dietitian at Shriners and developed a poster about treadmill safety. �The contact burn from a treadmill is often a third degree burn and it can take the skin right off, requiring a skin graft,� notes Mayes.

The poster she developed won first place in the annual Burn Prevention Poster Contest at the 2006 American Burn Association meeting held in Las Vegas this past spring.

Of the many cases seen at Shriners, most of these types of injuries heal quickly with minimal scarring, but the pain with the initial injury and ongoing rehabilitation can be very scary.

�Our son was just 18 months old when he barely touched the moving belt of the treadmill,� remembers Kim Carter. Her son Garren�s hand was injured in a treadmill accident in 2004. He needed a skin graft to his hand and is seen at the Cincinnati Shriners Hospital on a regular basis to assess whether he will need additional surgeries as he grows. �It happened so quickly. Within seconds his hand was injured. I tell parents all the time � never have your children around a treadmill, unless they are in a contained area, like a playpen and always unplug the treadmill when it is not in use.�

Kim knows that Garren will most likely have scars on his hand the rest of his life, but is thankful for Shriners Hospitals and how his injury was handled, �We couldn't�t have been in a better place,� recalls Carter. �Everyone at the hospital made him feel comfortable and I just can�t thank Shriners enough.�

TREADMILL USE SAFETY TIPS

• Never let a child play on or near a treadmill
• Always unplug the treadmill or other exercise equipment when not in use
• Provide continuous supervision and keep children away from the treadmill when in use; use a playpen
• Consider using the treadmill when young children are not in your �direct� care (napping, preschool or under the care of another responsible person in the home)
• For older children, set firm limits that they are not to �play� on the treadmill
• Seek proper medical attention if a child contact with a moving treadmill

Copies of the poster are available to organizations and day care centers by contacting Louise Hoelker at lhoelker@shrinenet.org.