Safer Child Products

My niece and nephew came to visit this weekend.  They are 4 and 2.  They are so cute and so much fun to play with. We all had a great time.  However, when you have a 2 y/o visiting, you have to be conscious of small pieces in toys and games and my niece loves to go up and down the stairs.  Most of the day she was engaged and well supervised, but at one point I went upstairs and found her walking down!  I got very nervous!  I had not closed the bathroom doors upstairs. In fact, I noticed that the lid on the toilet was open!  What if she had fallen into the toilet or fallen down the stairs?  What if she got caught on the closet door? 

Fortunately, none of these things happened, but Unintentional Injuries are the leading cause of injury and death among children in the United States.  According to the article Unintentional Injuries in Pediatrics, “1 in 4 children sustains an unintentional injury that requires medical care each year.”  To summarize the chart, the leading cause of Unintentional Injury Death Among Children Age 0-10 Year, 2000- 2005, Suffocation was #1 for infants younger than 1 yr. and Drowning was on top for children 1-4 years old.  For children older than 5 years, Motor Vehicle Crashes were the leading cause of injury, death and disability.  I could not believe when I read that “In 2005, 20 children younger than 19 years of age were killed each day from motor vehicle crashes and more than 200, 000 were injured in that year.”

I hate the thought of children being hurt ever, but if there is something we can do to prevent these injuries, than let’s all make an extra effort to do so. Below is the list of Injury Prevention Tips, from Table 2 and most we’ve heard before. It doesn’t hurt to see it again in fact, we could all use reminders and re-evaluations of our situations.  In spite of all we can do, there is no substitute for close supervision. 

Motor Vehicle Crash

·         Back seat (middle) placement of child
·         Rear-Facing car seat until age 2yrs,  
·         Forward-Facing car seat until at least 40 lbs
·         Booster Seat until at least 80 lbs. and 57 inches
·         Always check manufacturer’s specifications on car seat
·         Proper use of seat belts

Drowning

·         Enclose Pools w/ at least 4-ft fence and self-closing gate
·         Wear Life Jackets on boats and when playing near water
·         Do Not leave children unattended in baths
·         Supervise closely (adult within 1 arms reach of a child in or near water)
·         Teach swimming and water safety

Fire and Burns

·         Install smoke detectors on every level of the home and near sleeping areas
·         Test smoke detectors monthly, replace batteries yearly
·         Establish a family fire escape plan
·         Keep lighters, matches out of reach
·         No smoking in bed!
·         Reduce water heater temperature to 120 degrees
·         Do not drink hot fluids near children
·         Never leave the stove unattended
·         Keep appliance cords, pot handles, grills and fireplaces out of reach
·         Cover outlets with protective devices

Poisoning

·         Keep all potential poisons in original containers and out of reach
·         Keep all medication out of reach
·         Place child-resistant caps on medication
·         Dispose of medications immediately and safely
·         Install Carbon Monoxide detectors on every level of home
·         Keep poison control number near the phone 1-800-222-1222

Threats to Breathing

·         Back to sleep
·         Remove comforters, pillows, bumpers and stuffed animals from crib
·         Avoid nuts, carrots, popcorn and hotdog pieces
·         Keep coins, batteries, small toys,  magnets and toy parts awat from children < 4years old
·         Cut blind cords and tie them out of reach
·         Ensure cribs and mattresses meet safety precautions

Falls

·         No baby walkers with wheels
·         Supervise children closely
·         Use safety straps in high chairs, shopping carts, and for diaper changes
·         Keep car seats and “bouncy chairs” on the floor

 Recreation

·         Ensure helmets are fitted and worn properly
·         Keep children <10 years old off the road
·         Remove drawstrings, scarves, and ropes from clothing when children are on playground
·         Supervise children closely
·         Ensure playground equipment has deep soft surface underneath

Above information taken from Pediatrics in Review Vol. 32 No.10 October 2011, pages 431-433