Child safety

Childhood Injuries

Injuries are the leading cause of death in children 19 years and younger. In school-aged children, car accidents cause the most deaths. In addition, over 9 million children visit an emergency room each year for treatment of a non-fatal injury. Child injury is predictable and preventable. It is also among the most under-recognized public health problems facing our country today.

Child Passenger Safety

Children and Hot Cars

Even on mild or cloudy days, temperatures inside your car can reach life-threatening levels. Leaving windows slightly open doesn't help. Children should never be left unattended in or be able to get inside a vehicle.

Three common situations resulting in deaths of children in hot cars are:

• A caregiver forgetting a child in a vehicle

• The child getting into to the vehicle unknown to the caregiver

• Someone knowingly leaving a child in the vehicle

To avoid this tragedy, parents and caregivers can stick to a routine and avoid distractions to reduce the risk of forgetting a child in the car. Place a purse, briefcase or even a left shoe in the back seat to force you to take one last look before walking away. Keep car doors locked so children cannot get into a car when they or the car are unattended, and teach them that cars are not play areas. There is no safe time to leave a child unattended by an adult in a vehicle, even if you are just running a quick errand.

Pedestrian Safety

It's important to teach your child to be safe when walking to and from school, and when they may be out walking without adult supervision. Some important rules are:

• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic.

• Wear bright colors during the day and reflective clothes ( or carry a flashlight) at night.

• Obey traffic signs and signals.

• Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right, and left again to see if cars are coming.

• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections.

• Watch for cars leaving driveways and parking lots.

• Pay attention; don't be distracted by your phone or other device.

• Follow the crossing guard's directions if one is on duty.

Bicycle Safety

Riding your bike is a great way to get exercise, and it's fun for kids and the entire family! However, bicycling can be hazardous. Here are some tips to keep you and your child safe.

Rules of the road

Here are some "rules of the road" for bicyclists. Remember, bicyclists must follow the same traffic laws as cars on the road. Make sure your child knows these rules and is able to follow them before allowing them to ride on the street.

• Ride single file and in the same direction as traffic.

• Stop at stop signs and traffic lights.

• Use hand signals for turns and slowing/stopping, and be extra careful at intersections.

• Before entering traffic, look left, right, left, and over your shoulder.

• Be alert for opening car doors and other hazards.

• Don't weave in and out of traffic or hitch onto cars.

• Wear bright colors and ride only during daylight hours if possible.

• Always wear a properly fitted helmet.

Young children who are not able to follow these rules should ride on the sidewalk or other area closed to motor vehicle traffic, under constant supervision of a parent or another responsible adult. They should wear a helmet.

Helmets

Properly fitted helmets for bicycling should be worn by all riders to prevent serious head injury if a fall or accident occurs. Be sure the helmet is certified by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Water Safety

Bathroom safety

• Never leave a young child unattended in the bathroom, even for a very brief time.

• Never prop a small child unattended in a safety tub or bath ring.

• Check water temperature with your wrist or elbow before placing a child in the tub.

• Prevent slips in the bathtub by placing antiskid strips or a mat that sticks to the bottom of the tub.

• Place a washcloth over the faucet to avoid injuries in the tub.

• Supervise small children around the toilet (so they do not fall in and drown).

Pool safety

• Make sure your child learns to swim.

• Do not run or push each other around a pool.

• Never dive into areas that are not marked for diving.

• Leave the pool when there are signs of bad weather (especially lightning).

• If at a party pick an adult whose job it is to watch the children in the pool area.

• When children are done in the pool make sure all toys are removed from the pool.

• Watch children at all times. Swimming lessons and flotation devices do not eliminate drowning risks.

Parents and caregivers may want to get training in CPR, so that in the case of an emergency, you are prepared to give life-saving care until medical help arrives.

These are only some of the considerations for safety in and around the water.

Burns

Another frequent cause of childhood injury are burns. Younger children are more likely to get what are called scald injuries, burns that are caused by hot liquids or steam, while older children are more likely to be injured from flame burns that are caused by direct contact with fire. How can you help protect your children from burn injuries?

• Be “alarmed”.
  Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home—on every floor and in all rooms family members sleep in. Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they are working properly. Use long life batteries when possible.

• Have an escape plan.
  Create and practice a family fire escape plan, and involve kids in the planning. Make sure everyone knows at least two ways out of every room and identify a central meeting place outside.

• Cook with care.
  Use safe cooking practices, such as never leaving food unattended on the stove. Also, supervise or restrict children’s use of stoves, ovens, and especially microwaves.

• Check water heater temperature.
  Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Infants and small children may not be able to get away from water that may be too hot, and maintaining a constant thermostat setting can help control the water temperature throughout your home—preventing it from getting too hot. Test the water at the tap if possible.

Accidental Poisoning

Lock them up and away.

Keep medicines and toxic products, such cleaning solutions and detergent pods, in their original packaging where children can’t see or get them. Install child-proof locks on cabinets.

Know the number.

Put the nationwide poison control center phone number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every telephone in your home and program it into your cell phone. Call the poison control center if you think a child has been poisoned but they are awake and alert; they can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 911 if you have a poison emergency and your child has collapsed or is not breathing.

Read the label.

Follow label directions carefully and read all warnings when giving medicines to children. Children should not be allowed or expected to take any medication without the supervision of a responsible adult.

Don’t keep it if you don’t need it.

Safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs and over the counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements. To dispose of medicines, mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter and throw them away. You can also turn them in at a local take-back program or during National Drug Take-Back events. Click on the button below to find your nearest drop box location.

For more information on preventing accidental poisoning, see these websites.

Playground Safety

A visit to the playground is more than fun. It lets kids exercise their bodies, brains, and social skills. It also gives them a chance for unstructured, free play that's important for healthy development. Here are some helpful tips to make sure your family's next visit to the playground is enjoyable and safe.

• Supervise children while on the playground.

• Watch out for hazards, such as rusted, broken equipment or dangerous surfaces.

• Teach children that pushing and shoving, especially on a crowded playground, can be dangerous.

• Dress appropriately for play; make sure any loose clothing is secure so that it does not get caught on equipment, and wear closed-toed shoes such sneakers.

• Choose a playground with equipment that is age appropriate for your child, their abilities, and developmental level.

• Both plastic and metal slides may become very hot in warm sunny weather; try to find slides in a shaded area if possible.

• Always go down the slide feet first, never head first.

• Remember to sit on a swing; never stand or kneel, and make sure the swing comes to a complete stop before getting off.

• Maintain a safe distance while someone else is using the swing.

• Face each other on a seesaw, never away from each other. Hold onto the handle tightly. Keep your feet on the ground to the sides of the seesaw, and never under the seesaw.

Sun Safety

Cover up. When possible, long-sleeved shirts and long pants and skirts can provide protection from the sun. Clothes made from tightly woven fabric offer the best protection. A wet T-shirt offers much less protection than a dry one, and darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors. Some clothing comes with information on its ultraviolet protection factor.

Get a hat. Hats that shade the face, scalp, ears, and neck are easy to use and give great protection. Baseball caps are popular among kids, but they don’t protect their ears and neck. If your child chooses a cap, be sure to protect exposed areas with sunscreen.

Wear sunglasses. They protect your child’s eyes from UV rays, which can lead to cataracts later in life. Look for sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.

Apply sunscreen. Use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and UVA and UVB (broad spectrum) protection every time your child goes outside. For the best protection, apply sunscreen generously 30 minutes before going outdoors. Don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips, and the tops of feet. Reapply every two hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.

Take sunscreen with you to reapply during the day, especially after your child swims or exercises. This applies to waterproof and water-resistant products as well. Sunscreen is not meant to allow kids to spend more time in the sun than they would otherwise. Try combining sunscreen with other options to prevent UV damage.

Turning pink? Unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun in as little as 15 minutes. Yet it can take up to 12 hours for the sunburn to fully show. So, if your child’s skin looks “a little pink” today, it may be burned tomorrow morning. To prevent further burning, get your child out of the sun.

Tan? There’s no other way to say it—tanning your skin is damaging skin. Any change in the color of your child’s skin after time outside—whether sunburn or suntan—indicates damage from UV rays.

Cool and cloudy? Children still need protection. UV rays, not the temperature, do the damage. Clouds do not block UV rays, they filter them—and sometimes only slightly.

Oops! Kids often get sunburned when they are outdoors unprotected for longer than expected. Remember to plan ahead, and keep sun protection handy—in your car, bag, or child’s backpack.