YNHHS News Releases

Released September 29, 1998

Yale New Haven Health Plans Now I Know Better II for Children

Contact:
Bridgeport Hospital (203) 384-3637
Greenwich Hospital (203) 863-3127
Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (203) 688-2488

NEW HAVEN—An essay contest for children to write about their experiences with accidents and their advice for other children was announced today by Yale New Haven Health System.

The collaboration among Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital and Greenwich Hospital will result in the compilation of Now I Know Better II, a follow-up to the award-winning book published by Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in 1996. Authors of essays selected for publication in the new volume will receive a U.S. savings bond and copies of the book.

Three years ago 700 essays were submitted to the Children’s Hospital and 70 of those stories became the book Now I Know Better: Kids Tell Kids About Safety, which was published and distributed free to schools and pediatricians throughout Connecticut. The book, including a national edition published by Millbrook Press, won national recognition from health care organizations and was the basis of a videotape which aired on Connecticut Public Television in June.

One out of every four children ages 14 and under sustain injuries serious enough to require medical attention each year in the U.S., according to a 1997 report, Child and Adolescent Emergency Department Visit Databook, published by the Department of Health and Human Services. That translates into 39,000 children per day, or 14 million injured children annually. The report said 34 percent of all emergency department visits involve children and adolescents. On average, a child or adolescent visits an ER every second. Of all child and adolescent visits, 43 percent were injury-related.

“Every parent and caregiver knows a child’s safety is often in the youngster’s own hands. Our experience is that letting another kid explain the consequences of a bad decision often captures their attention better than a warning from an adult,” noted Dr. Doug Baker, director of pediatric emergency services at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital.

In a survey conducted by Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, three out of four parents whose children read Now I Know Better recommended it to another parent. More than 60 percent of the parents reported that their children initiated a discussion about safety after reading the book.

“When youngsters read these stories three and four and five times, like many children do, and when they talk about what they've read with their parents and siblings, real learning is going on,” said Dr. Kevin Smothers, director of emergency services at Greenwich Hospital.

Contents of the new volume, scheduled for publication in spring 1999, will include the youngsters’ stories and advice, plus additional safety information from physicians affiliated with Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. A section on safety tips for parents and children will also be included.

According to Dr. Thomas Kennedy, chairman of pediatrics at Bridgeport Hospital, members of the medical staff of the various Yale New Haven Health System entities will participate in reviewing the submissions and adding their own comments to accompany the selected stories. “The most important element we will look for is the quality of the child’s advice for other youngsters. Good advice can avert a tragedy.”

Last week, letters and flyers were sent to nearly 1,000 public and private school principals throughout Connecticut inviting youngsters to contribute an essay for consideration for Now I Know Better II. Entries are due Monday, Nov. 16, 1998, and may be submitted to either:

• Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, 20 York Street, New Haven CT 06504
• Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant Street, Bridgeport CT 06610, or
• Greenwich Hospital, 5 Perryridge Road, Greenwich CT 06830

Now I Know Better II is the most extensive collaborative health promotion effort launched by Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive integrated health care delivery and financing system in Connecticut. With 11,100 employees and a medical staff of over 3,300, YNHHS is the third largest nongovernmental employer in Connecticut.

The current edition of Now I Know Better is available for order at Amazon.com or by calling Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (203)688-2488. It includes stories on topics ranging from bee stings and bicycles, to knife cuts and swimming pool accidents, and all offer the sound advice of a youngster.