Mineola, NY - It can happen so quickly. There are 2,685 deaths a year in the United States among youngsters ranging in age from newborn to14 years due to a traumatic brain injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In an effort to reduce the number of injuries sustained by children in local communities, Winthrop-University Hospital’s Department of Pediatrics is offering an Injury Prevention Program on Thursday, April 1, 2010. It will be held at the Hempstead Primary Care Office, located at 175 Fulton Avenue, Suite 100, between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 PM.

Free bicycle helmets will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the pediatric staff and obtain educational materials on issues such as helmet safety, car seat safety, pedestrian safety and more; there will also be a raffle for Target gift cards.

The program is part of an initiative developed by Sheetal Shah, DO, Chief Resident of Pediatrics at Winthrop, and Andrea Ali, DO, Pediatric Resident. The doctors were awarded a grant through the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop a program that will educate the community about how potentially devastating traumatic brain injuries can be prevented.

“We were inspired by our patients in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit who have suffered traumatic brain injuries which could have been prevented,” said Dr. Shah. “We felt we have to make a change in our community since something as simple as wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce the risk of brain injury by 88%”.

The Hempstead office offers pediatric primary care and a bi-lingual staff. For more information on the program or pediatric healthcare, please contact (516) 292-1034.