Injury Prevention in Children

The first year of life is a time of active exploring of a whole new world of things, some of which are potentially dangerous. We can do a great deal to protect our children from most of these dangers.

Use your carseat 100% of the time, and only in the back seat. Children should not ride in the front seat in cars with airbags, since the force of an airbag can kill a child.

Use a safe crib, with bars too close to allow the baby’s head to get caught.

Cold running water is the best treatment for burns!

Let baby sleep on her back as much as possible, to avoid suffocation or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Keep a smoke-free home. Any smoking inside the house will get to the baby (see Second Hand Smoke). Also, cigarettes are the #1 leading cause of house fires.

Test your water heater temperature, and turn it down if over 120 F. It takes only 1 second to cause third degree burns (needs skin graft) if the water temp is over 120 F. The most effective first aid for a burn is to run lots of cold water over the burn. This works even better than ice, since the flowing water transfers the heat away quicker.

Make sure you have working smoke detectors in every area of your house. 6000 Americans die from smoke inhalation every year. Most would have been saved if they had a smoke alarm.

Do not give the baby any honey during the first year. Babies can get infant botulism (paralysis) from bacteria in the honey. After a year, your immune system can protect you from traces of botulism found in honey, but you could still get sick from bad food. Don't eat refrigerated food that has been left out for several hours. Don't give the baby any small hard chunks of food that she could choke on (like a peanut, or popcorn).

Childproof your house, and remove any hazards. Lock up poisons and cleaners. Keep the poison hotline number (1-800-222-1222) by your phone. NEVER keep drain-cleaning liquids or granules in your home (these contain lye, which causes instant destruction of the esophagus and almost certain death!)

Learn more at: The Kentucky Regional Poison Center

Keep a bottle of activated charcoal in your medicine cabinet. It will last for at least 10 years, and only costs a few dollars at any drugstore. Always call the ER, the doctor, or the poison hotline to find out what to do in a given situation. If in doubt, give the charcoal; it can't hurt you.

Keep small objects (choking hazard) and plastic bags out of reach of babies and small children.

Avoid too much sun; babies can burn easily. Sunscreen is OK for babies, but will not prevent a burn if there is prolonged exposure (more than one hour). Try to stay out of direct sunlight during the middle of the day, 11 AM to 2 PM.

Baby walkers cause thousands of serious injuries every year. If used for prolonged periods of time, they also slow down your baby’s development. Many pediatricians recommend not to use them. If you do use one, be certain it is in a safe area away from steps or ledges, and use it no more than a few times per day.

Under a year, avoid foods that a child could choke on, such as hard candy, popcorn, peanuts, whole grapes, raisins, etc.

Keep guns locked up and not loaded!

Learn CPR at your local hospital, community center, or health department.

Never leave a water-filled bucket in the house. Curious toddlers often stick their heads into the bucket, fall in head first, and cannot get out. The water then drowns them. It is amazing how often this tragedy occurs.

Practice good gun safety. Keep guns locked up and unloaded. Store ammo away from your guns.

Make sure your mini-blinds are not lead-containing. Pre-1996, non-glossy vinyl blinds were treated with lead and should be disposed of! If you have blinds, cut the cords apart, so there is no loop at the bottom which could strangle a child. See health-byte on mini-blinds.

Coffee table corners cause many head injuries and permanent facial scars. During your child's toddler years, either store them, or apply padding on the corners.

If you have a pool or fishpond, make sure the baby cannot get to it. Plan further safety measures, such as additional fencing.

Be especially cautious of potential dangers, such as dogs, lawnmowers, driveways, streets, machinery, etc. Check windows to make sure a child could not fall out.

Are some children accident prone? Unfortunately, yes! The majority of accidents happen to only 18% of children. Siblings of these children are also at risk!