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 Ask Dr. Jana
Skiing for Two-Year-Olds | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
Is it too early to put my child on skis at the age of two years? What are the possible risks to my child?— JC Dad in Midland, MI | | | ANSWER |
March 22, 2001 | | | Dear JC Dad,
It's funny you should ask this question, since I just moved from the East coast to the Denver area, and suddenly there seems to be a whole lot of three-year-olds around who ski about as well as I do!
In order to answer your question more specifically, I spoke with Dr. Mark Erickson, who is a pediatric orthopedist at The Children's Hospital in Denver. He feels that the main issue in deciding when a child is ready to be put on skis is more a matter of attention span and interest on the child's part than any specific risk. In addition to these important considerations, leg strength and coordination are necessary skills in learning to ski that are not sufficiently developed in many two-year-olds. Without these skills, simple tasks like snow plowing or even stopping are quite difficult.
Apparently, there are such items as ski harnesses (which allow an adult to keep hold of a young child while skiing) and ski bras (to keep a child's skis from crossing) that can help young children learn more safely.
When you do decide to put your child on skis, Dr. Erickson reports that the main risks are about the same as they would be for older children and adults--one of the most significant being the potential for head injuries. When Dr. Erickson takes his own three-year-old skiing this season, he says that his child will be wearing a helmet for sure!— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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