Growing up, we all remember those random childhood scrapes, bumps, and falls. While it's almost inevitable for kids to get hurt occasionally, this doesn't mean you should not do anything to prevent it.
As much as all parents would like to put their children in "bubble wrap" until they reach adulthood, you cannot safeguard them from everything. That said, there are specific measures that all parents and caregivers can take to prevent and reduce the overall risk of injuries.
Did you know that unintentional injuries are amongst the leading causes of death in kids from one to 14? While this fact may surprise most people, hundreds of kids each year end up in the emergency room. As a result of severe unintentional injuries like burns, pinched fingers, falls, and more. But most of these injuries could have been easily avoided with safety precautions, such as installing door hinge guards or keeping floors clean.
While paediatric injuries have declined in the past few years, thanks to several public safety initiatives and injury-prevention guidelines, there are still many who take them for granted. Let's take a closer look at some of the most common childhood injuries and how you can prevent them from happening.
Kids love to put things in their mouths, such as small toys, marbles, Legos, or peanuts. But as parents, you should do your best to prevent this from happening since your child could easily choke on these things.
All kids are born curious, so they are always at risk of choking when examining things around them by tasting them. When buying new toys for your kids, ensure you choose something age-appropriate for your child. Any toy that comes with small detachable parts could pose a choking hazard.
If you have pets at home, especially cats, keep them out of the bedroom. Also, use a safety net on your pram to ensure your pets can't reach your child without supervision. While we agree that most pets are very loving towards kids, they can still pose a suffocation risk if they decide to sit or lie across your newborn.
While they may seem harmless at first, door-related injuries can be severe for young kids. A closing door can exert enough pressure to crush fingers, break bones, and even amputate fingers!
Since doors can be easily found anywhere, teaching your kids about door finger safety is essential. Tell them how dangerous the hinge side of the door can be and how to stay careful around it. When you go to their parent-teacher interaction, check if their institute uses door finger guards for schools. If not, you can always bring this issue to their notice.
Given the dangers doors pose to young kids, your chosen school must take all safety measures to ensure your child is always safe.
Falls are also one of the top reasons why kids are rushed to the emergency rooms. Falls generally happen at home, with accidents on stairs, wet floors, or out of windows. Tumbles off bikes or playground equipment are typical for elementary school children. To prevent such falls from happening at home:
Ensure you install baby gates for stairs and child locks for all windows.
Teach your kids how to ride bikes safely, especially on the street. If you are a school owner or manager, ensure you don't leave any water or liquid on the floor.
Check all playground equipment periodically to ensure everything is safe.
By monitoring these three things, you can easily ensure your child's safety at home or at school.