| Publications :: | Assistant
Professor of Pediatrics Division of General Pediatrics 
Bicycle helmet use is the most effective prevention for serious head
injury and mortality associated with bicycling. Previous interventions,
however, have focused on the 5-14 year age groups. This group of children
has the highest risk for injury, and their behaviors are often already
established. Dr. Karen Lakin has undertaken a study to determine if
young children can develop a “helmet habit” by imprinting
the behavior at a young age to protect them later in childhood. Dr.
Lakin was recently funded by the CFRC to determine if bicycle helmet
use introduced during the preschool period could effect better compliance
and increased use later in life. Results from her study may lead to
fewer bicycle-related deaths and injuries in children. Dr. Lakin is also interested in the epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the Mid-South area, where the incidence has not decreased at the same rate as other parts of the country over the past few years. She is currently designing a study to identify factors that might be responsible for this local trend. |
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Lakin, KL: Continued High Incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in African-Americans in Shelby County, TN: Failure to Reflect National Trend of Decline. Pediatric Res 2003; 53:211A. Lakin KL. Imprinting the use of bicycle helmets in the preschool age group to establish a "helmet habit." Pediatric Academic Societies’ Meeting, 2006, San Francisco, CA |
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