Childhood Safety Hazards
Keeping a child safe should be a parent's No. 1 priority. Every year, 2 million children 4 and younger are taken to the emergency room for injuries that happened in their own homes, according to the International Association for Child Safety. Everyday activities can quickly turn dangerous if a child is left unsupervised. Knowing about potential hazards can help a parent better understand how to prevent injury.
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Ingestion
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The average house is filled with dozens of potential hazardous materials that could be ingested by a child, including chemicals, cleaners, medicine and personal hygiene products. It is extremely important to keep these items in a place where a child does not have access to them, such as a locked cupboard or a high shelf or cabinet. Some items that may not seem dangerous at first, but excess consumption of things such as toothpaste or hairspray can cause poisoning. Experts at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center say that 79 percent of calls made to its Poison Control Center are about children, and 70 percent of these poisonings could have been easily prevented.
Water
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Drowning is the No. 2 cause of injury-related child death, second only to motor vehicle accidents, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most drownings can be prevented if you simply keep an eye on your child while he is in or around water. A child can drown in just inches of water, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Do not leave a child unattended in the bathtub, even for a very short period.
Children should also be supervised while swimming or playing near water. Pools and hot tubs should be surrounded by a fence and accessible only with a key.
Water can also be a burn hazard. When you're bathing a child, be sure to check the temperature of the water before it touches his skin.
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Toys
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Approximately 186,000 children younger than 15 required emergency room attention for toy-related injuries in 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found. Most of these injuries resulted from young children choking on small toy components. Toys that are not age-appropriate for a child can be dangerous and cause injury, so it is important to read the labeling and check the suggested age group for an item before you let your child play with it.
Ride-on toys are another big culprit when it comes to toy-related injuries. A helmet should be worn at all times while using a bicycle, skateboard or roller skates.
Dogs
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Dog bites are the fifth most common injury for which children are taken to the emergency room, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children should be closely monitored when they are around dogs--especially dogs that they're not familiar with or that have shown aggression.
Proper behavior around dogs needs to be taught at a young age. They should know to not hurt or bother dogs, and they should be taught to keep their hands away from the animal's mouth. It is also important for them to respect the dog's territory and not touch its food or bed. Children should be warned to stay away from dogs that are growling or seem agitated.
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References
- Baby Center: Baby Safety at Home
- Cinncinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Drug and Poison Information Center / DPIC
- Hyperbaric-Oxygen-Info.com: Drowning Statistics
- Consumer Product Safety Commission: How to Plan for the Unexpected / Preventing Child Drownings
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center: Household Safety / Toy Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates
- Dog Bite Law: Statistics
Resources
- Photo Credit Child image by Serenitie from Fotolia.com
