Riding in a Car

·        A child riding in a car should be in a properly-fitted, age and weight-appropriate car seat in the back seat.  Statistically, the back seat is safer in a crash.  The basic rules are:

·      Children under 20 pounds ride in a rear-facing seat.

·      Children 20-40 pounds ride in a toddler seat.

·      Children 40-80 pounds ride in a booster seat.

·      Children exceeding 80 pounds can use the booster seat until tall enough for the lap belt to fit around their thighs and the shoulder belt across their chest.

·        Children should ride in the back seat until they are teenagers. 

Pedestrian-Auto Accidents

We often hear of children injured or killed by cars because they dart into the road when playing or aren’t old enough to know a car is dangerous. 

·        Parents should cross streets with their children hundreds of times before they do it on their own.  Teach children to stop at the curb or road’s edge, listen and look left-right-left (or “this way”, “that way”, “this way” if they don’t know directions), wait until the street is clear and keep looking until safely on the other side. 

·        Do not stand in the road with your child to talk to people in a parked car.

Over 100,000 American children will suffer head injuries this year that are preventable with properly-fitted bicycle helmets.  Children should always wear properly fitted helmets when biking.  When roller-blading and skateboarding, they should wear helmets, wrist guards, and elbow and knee pads.

DROWNING

Children can drown in a bucket of water, bathtub, or even a toilet, as easily as the family pool or hot tub.

·        Never leave children unattended in the bath, even if contained in a baby bath ring.

·        Never leave mop buckets around the house or toilet covers open, especially around infants and toddlers.

·        Pool and hot tub areas should be fenced off and inaccessible directly from the house.  A gate should always separate the pool from easy access. 

·        Parents are encouraged to wait until children are at least five before installing a pool. 

·        Children three and above should receive formal swim instruction but still require adult supervision while swimming.

·        Drowning hazards for adolescents, ages 12 to 18, include diving accidents in unsupervised swimming areas, plus injuries and death related to swimming or operating a boat or other motorized water vehicle while intoxicated.

    

FIRE

·        Smoke inhalation and burns can be caused by many hazards: matches, gasoline and other flammables, fire crackers, adults smoking in bed, faulty wiring, etc.

·        Install smoke detectors and change batteries twice a year.  An alert by a smoke detector within the first four minutes of fire, allowing for quick exit from the house, often means the difference between life and death.

·        Plan an exit route for the family, including a meeting place outside the house (tree, light pole, mailbox, etc.).  Home fire extinguishers are encouraged.

·        Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure have been linked to increased cases of asthma, ear infections, and a higher rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

·        Buy snug-fitting, flame-resistant Halloween costumes.  Jack-o’-lanterns with open candle flames should be kept away from curtains and not placed on landings or doorsteps where they could come in contact with costumes.

GUN SHOT WOUNDS

FACTS:

·        Most wounds are caused by hand guns in the home, often due to children playing with an easily-accessible, loaded gun. 

·        A gun in the home is 43 time more likely to kill a family member or friend, either by accident or suicide, than to kill an intruder. 

·        Homes are safer without any guns.  If you must have a gun, use a trigger lock, and always keep it unloaded and locked up, with bullets in a separate, locked location. 

CHOKING AND SUFFOCATION

·        Small objects, plastic bags, and toys that are not age-appropriate can cause serious and often fatal hazards.

·        Infants should sleep on their backs on flat surfaces, not pillows, waterbeds or mesh playpens with the sides down.  Crib side slats should be no further apart than 2 3/8”.

·        Avoid rare but catastrophic events by removing doors from unused airtight appliances such as refrigerators.

·        Avoid digging deep into collapsible sand or dirt.

FALLS

FACTS:

·        Most fall injuries include broken bones, or organ or brain damage. 

·        Baby walkers are problematic.  In recent years, many walkers have been designed as stationary play areas, thus taking away the possibility of a child toppling down stairs in the device.   

Recommendations:

·        Window guards and safety screens

·        Stair gates

·        Secure railings on bunk beds

·        Soft surfaces, such as mulch, around outdoor play equipment.