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One of the biggest jobs parents
face is keeping their child safe. Understanding the dangers children
face, planning ahead, providing close supervision, and teaching children well is fundamental in
creating a safe environment.
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General tips
Rearing a child is hard work. These steps will help keep your family safe from serious harm.
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Post emergency numbers by every phone in your home: 911, pediatrician, poison control
center, nearest health clinic or hospital. For sitters, add your full name, address,
and pertinent information of close neighbors.
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Fires are major danger. Put smoke detectors on each floor of your home
and a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Test them often. Keep fire escapes clear.
Have a plan for leaving your home in a fire. Figure out ways to leave each room.
Tell your children what to do and practice escapes at night.
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Hot water burns many children.
You can prevent this by turning your water heater
temperature down to 120 degrees F. If you rent, ask the landlord to turn the
temperature down or put ‘anti-scald' devices on the tub and sink faucets.
They will turn the water off if it gets hotter than 120 degrees F.
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Smoking cigarettes in the house and car can cause fires and harm your child's health.
Try to quit. If you smoke, smoke outside. Keep cigarette butts, matches and lighters
out of their reach.
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Keep first aid supplies, including different sized bandages and syrup of ipecac,
where you can get them quickly, but out of reach of children.
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Learn how to save your child's life in an emergency. Take a first aid and CPR class
or ask your doctor for information.
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Babies — birth to six months
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Watch your child. While your new baby does not appear
to move very much, you will be surprised at how quickly infants become active and learn to move, grasp, turn over and crawl.
Be careful about the kinds of items you leave within their reach.
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Never leave your infant unattended. Cars, businesses and the homes of others aren't designed
with the safety of children in mind. They can all present dangers to your child with you near by.
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Car Injuries
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Car accidents are the biggest danger to your baby's life. Put your baby in a safety seat
every time he rides in a car. Not only is this the law, it will prevent most injuries and
deaths which otherwise might occur in an accident. The seat must face the rear
of the car until your baby is one year or weighs 20 pounds. Remember to strap the seat
and your baby on every trip.
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Safety seats must face the rear of the car until your baby is one year old or weighs 20 pounds.
Remember to strap the seat and your baby on every trip.
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Falls
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Don't leave your baby alone on high places. Babies quickly learn to roll over.
Watch your child when it's on the changing table, bed, sofa, or other furniture. Always put the side rails up on his crib when he sleeps.
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Use gates on stairways. By six months, your baby may begin to crawl. Use gates (but not the accordion-style ones)
on stairways and watch your child constantly in other peoples' homes.
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Household dangers
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Burns. By three to five months, your baby will wave his fists and grab at things. A cup of hot coffee
or tea can be a prime target. Do not drink, eat or carry anything hot while you hold
your baby. If your baby is burned, put the area in cold water right away. Then, cover the burn
loosely with a bandage or clean cloth. Call your doctor or 911. |
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Choking. Once your baby learns to hold things, he will put them in his mouth. Do not leave small
objects in his reach. Check the floor when you lay him down.Watch older children
who might give him food or small toys. |
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Shaking. Shaking a baby by the arms, legs or shoulders can cause bleeding inside his head and result
in brain damage, blindness hearing loss, even death.
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Suffocation. Put your baby to sleep on his back or side to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome (SIDS). Don't use a pillow, or put your baby to rest on soft, fluffy bedding
like a comforter or sheepskin. Never lay your baby face down on a waterbed. |
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Poisoning Prevention. All vitamins and medicines should be stored in a high, locked cabinet,
out of the sight and reach of children. Purchase medicines
with child-resistant caps, avoid taking medicines in front of children, and
never refer to medicine as candy. Always store poisonous substances
in their original containers, because content information needed
by a Poison Control Center or physician is listed on the label.
Other locations where the child is present (such as a grandparent's
or baby-sitter's home) should also be safeguarded against potential poisonings. |
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Firearms Injury Prevention. Nearly all childhood unintentional shooting deaths occur in or around
the home. If you have a gun in your home, make sure it is kept
unloaded and locked away at all times. Lock up and store bullets
in a separate location. |
Keeping toys clean and safe
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Watch for small parts, sharp edges, loose ties, or other possible dangers
for small children. |
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Be sure products are labeled non-toxic. |
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Cover exposed electric sockets. |
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Clean and disinfect toys handled frequently by infants and toddlers. Toys should be cleaned daily
or when spoiled to prevent the spread of germs. |
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To disinfect washable, colorfast toys:
- Wash toys in soapy water, then rinse thoroughly
- Clean toys with a solution of 3/4 cup household bleach in 1 gallon of water,
let stand 5 minutes
- Rinse completely and dry
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Get in touch — find out more
For answers to your child safety questions, contact your local
health office, or call (601) 576-7380.
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