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and fire extinguishers. Change the batteries at least twice a year. • Have a fire-escape plan. Fire safety • Practice fire-escape plan routinely. • Nobody should smoke in bed. Teach what to do in case of a fire: use fire extinguisher, call 911, and how to put out clothing fire. Use stove and other cooking facilities under adult supervision. Allflammable materials and liquids should be stored safely. Fireplaces should have protective gratings. • Teach children to avoid touching wires they might encounter while playing. Water safety • Teach children how to swim. • Ifswimming skill is limited, child must wear life preserver at all times. • Child should know never swim alone—if at all possible, swim only where there is a life guard. • Understand basic CPR. • Teach child to never run or fool around at edge of pool. • Drains in poolshould be covered with appropriate cover. • Life jackets should be worn when on boat. • Make sure water is deep enough to support diving. Firearm safety • Teach child never to touch gun—tell adult. • If have guns in household, need to secure them in safe place, use gun safety locks, store bullets in separate place. • Never point a gun at a person. Toxin safety • Teach child the hazards of accepting illegal drugs, alcohol, or dangerous drugs. • Store potential dangerous material in safe place. Adapted from American Academy of Pediatrics, The Injury Prevention Program. (2007). Age-related safety sheets: 6years. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from http://www.healthychildren.org/english/tips-tools/Pages/Safety-for-Your-Child-6-Years.aspx; American Academy of Pediatrics, The Injury Prevention Program. (2007). Age-related safety sheets: 8years. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from http://www.healthychildren.org/english/tips-tools/Pages/Safety-for-Your-Child-8- Years.aspx; American Academy of Pediatrics, The Injury Prevention Program. (2007). Age-related safety sheets: 10 years. Retrieved March 24, 2011, from http://www.healthy-children.org/english/tips-tools/Pages/Safety-for-Your-Child-10-Years.aspx; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). Unintentional drowning: Fact sheet. Retrieved March 23, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html; and Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. (2008). Bright futures guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children between 1 and 21 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009). Each year, 20 million children sustain an injury sufficiently severe to seek medical attention (Borse et al., 2008; CDC, 2008c). School-age children are very active at home, in the community, and at school. This increased mobility, activity, and time away from parents increases the risk for unintentional injuries. School-age children continue to need supervision and guidance. They need information and rules about car safety, pedestrian safety, bicycle and other sport safety, fire safety, and water safety. Car Safety Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of injury in the school-age child. While traveling in the car, school-age children should always sit in the rear seat. The front seat is dangerous because of passenger-side airbags in most new-model cars. The school-age child should use a three-point restraint system in the rear seat of the car with the shoulder strap and lap belt fitted snugly. In addition, a school-age child over 40 pounds (generally 4 to 8 years of age) should use a belt-positioning, forward-facing booster seat using both lap and shoulder belts (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA], 2008). School-age children who outgrow the convertible restraint can sit in a booster seat until their head is higher than the vehicle seat back (usually 4’9” and taller) (NHTSA, 2008). Children younger than 12 years of age should not ride in the front seat of a vehicle with an airbag (NHTSA, 2008). Pedestrian Safety Twenty percent of fatal crashes in children between the ages of 5 and 9 involve pedestrian-related fatalities (Percer, 2009). Children younger than 10 years of age should not cross the street alone (Percer, 2009). Young school-age children therefore should walk to school or the bus with an older friend, sibling, or parent. Darting out into the street without looking both ways or from between cars is a common occurrence in the school-age years. Teach children safe street and pedestrian practices. Bicycle and Sport Safety Bicycling, riding scooters, skateboarding, and inline skating or rollerskating are common activities of school-age children. Laws in most states require helmets for riding bicycles and scooters. In addition, when skating or skateboarding, school-age children should wear a helmet, kneepads, and elbow pads. Research has shown that head injuries due to bicycle accidents have been reduced by 85% by wearing a well-fitting helmet (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, 2009). National estimates of bicycle helmet ownership and use varies greatly among different areas and sectors of the U.S., but overall it is estimated at about 25% (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, 2009) (see Healthy People 2020). It is important for children to wear helmets that fit and that do not obstruct their vision or hearing. Because school-age children have completed most of their skull
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