As parents, we all have different perceptions of risk, which affect our choices about safety precautions for our children. Regardless of which end of the spectrum you are on – from strongly safety-conscious to only focusing on “the basics” – a wealth of injury statistics exist to help us prioritize our efforts to protect the little people in our households.
The good news, if there is any, about childhood injuries is that deaths from unintentional injury among children 1-14 declined 43% from 1987 to 2004. This is significant proof that being pro-active about safety makes a real difference.
However, the sobering reality is that, according to SafeKids USA, every year in the United States over 14 million children still sustain an injury serious enough to require medical attention, over 92,000 children become permanently disabled from their injury, and approximately 5,500 die.
Injury risks change over time as children grow, so as parents it is incumbent upon us to review our safety precautions periodically to ensure we have taken into account new phases of physical growth, mental development, and “travel patterns” (around the house and elsewhere). Many families tackle such things in a reactive, ad hoc way, but far greater safety and peace of mind will result if you schedule a quarterly family safety review.
Every family has a myriad of issues to contemplate, but in considering how to best to protect a small child of any age. Here are a few key priorities:
Your Car – Car crashes are the cause of most childhood deaths, so becoming expert at the use of your infant carrier, car seat or booster seat is essential. Pay particular attention, as well, to how your children will ride with other parents in carpools. Be sure your child has the right child restraint present and that it is properly configured at all times.
Your House – Eliminate from your child's environment: choking/suffocation hazards (soft materials in crib and/or small objects left unattended); fire/burn/scalding hazards (unsupervised access to water, open or in-use electrical outlets, heaters, ovens, stoves, fireplaces); drowning hazards (unsupervised access to bathtubs, toilets, buckets, puddles, ponds, fountains, pools); fall hazards (stairs, railings with wide gaps or furniture nearby, scalable furniture, insufficient crib depth); poisoning hazards (accessible medicines, chemicals, toothpaste, changing table items).