This is National Childhood Injury Prevention Week, running from September 1-7, 2010. (That includes this Labor Day weekend, so take extra holiday safety precautions!)
According to the Washington Hospital Healthcare System, accidental injuries are the number one cause of child deaths…and, about 90% of all childhood injuries can be prevented. What can you do to keep the children in your care safe?
- Be a good role model–if you want your child to wear a seat belt, wear one yourself.
- Make sure every child is protected when they are on wheels of any sort: in a car, or on a bike, skateboard, scooter, or motorcycle. This means buckling kids into car seats…making sure your child has a well-fitting helmet for wheeled sports…and making sure that your child understands how to use the equipment he or she is trying to use.
- Lower your hot-water thermostat to 120 degrees so a child can’t be accidentally scalded by ultra-hot water.
- Never leave a child alone near any body of water–in a bathtub, wading in a pool, swimming in a lake. If you have a pool, make sure there is a fence with a child-proof latch on the gate.
- Cover electrical outlets with caps, and replace worn or sparking electrical cords or appliances.
- Remove tripping hazards–for the sake of children and adults. These hazards include loose or curled rugs, electrical cords that run in a child’s pathway ,
- Put gates up along stairways to prevent toddlers from taking a fall down the stairs. Install window guards for all windows above the first floor.
- Have emergency numbers posted somewhere obvious and convenient in your home. Include local hospital, your child’s pediatrician, and poison control. When in doubt, call 911.
