Health officials urge parents to remain vigilant of children during festive season

Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo has urged parents to be more vigilant with children during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season.

He said that most child-related accidents occur mainly due to parental negligence and stressed the importance of constant supervision to prevent such incidents.

Dr. Perera encouraged parents to introduce children to traditional folk games during the festive season and promote participation in cultural activities, otherwise, he said, children will be stuck on mobile phone screens.

He also highlighted the importance of encouraging children to consume traditional foods such as ‘Kavum’, ‘Kiribath’ (Milk Rice) and local fruits.

“One thing we see every year during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is that parents tend to lose a little attention on their children during these days. Children are allowed to play as they want,” he said.

He further warned that injuries such as broken fingers and eye damage often occur when children engage in unsafe playing activities, particularly with fireworks, and urged parents to minimize such incidents this year.

“During the New Year, fathers consume alcohol and travel with their children on the roads. This is a time when accidents increase due to that. In addition, many people go on vacation. Parents should be very careful about their children during this period,” he added.