Keeping Your Child Safe From Accidents
by
Amy Scholten, MPH
Injuries from accidents are the leading cause of death in North American children. Even if accidents do not cause death, they can lead to lasting damage. Many children have brain damage from head injuries. Others have lasting scars from burns, or organ damage from poisoning. Accidents also lead to medical treatment and days home from school. In children, the main cause of injuries are:
Motor Vehicle AccidentsDifferent types of motor vehicle accidents injure children. The child may be riding in a vehicle that crashes. Or the child may be hit by a vehicle when walking or riding a bike. To help keep your children safe:
DrowningBabies and toddlers often drown when not being watched. They can drown even in small amounts of water. Examples are bathtubs, cleaning buckets, toilets, and children's wading pools. Preschoolers are most at risk for drowning in swimming pools or ponds. Older children are at risk if they cannot swim, dive in shallow water, or do not understand water currents or water safety. To help keep children safe:
BurnsYounger children have a high risk of burns from hot water. Burns also happen often when a child’ clothing catches fire. To help keep your children safe:
PoisoningChildren are at risk of poisoning from cleaning products, medicines, supplements, plants, and makeup. Toddlers and preschoolers like to out things in their mouths. To help keep your children safe:
Choking and SuffocationChildren can be at risk for choking from foods and other items. To help prevent children from choking
FallsFalls are a common cause of injury in children. Babies often fall from furniture, down stairs, or when using baby walkers. Toddlers and preschoolers are at risk for falling from windows and shopping carts. Older children tend to fall from playground equipment, bikes, or scooters. To help keep children safe:
Accidents Involving FirearmsFirearms can cause death and severe injury. Firearms can discharge accidentally and be used for murder or suicide. To help keep your children safe:
Supervise, Supervise, SuperviseThere are many possible unsafe situations for children. Safety rules can help. But the most important safety measure is careful, consistent adult supervision. RESOURCES:American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org Child Injury Prevention Alliance
https://www.childinjurypreventionalliance.org/ CANADIAN RESOURCES:Canadian Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca Child Safe Canada
https://childsafecanada.com/ ReferencesCar seats: information for families. Healthy Children.org—American Academy of Pediatrics website. Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Child injury. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at:https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/childinjury/. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Foreign body aspiration. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/foreign-body-aspiration. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Preventing burn injuries. Stanford Children's Health website. Available at: https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=preventing-burn-injuries-90-P01750. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Safety for your child: birth to 6 months. HealthyChildren.org website. Available at:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Safety-for-Your-Child-Birth-to-6-Months.aspx. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Water heating devices and temperatures allowed. Caring for Our Children website. Available at: https://nrckids.org/cfoc/database/5.2.1.14. Accessed November 4, 2021.
Last reviewed November 2021 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
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