Healthy Living

 

Childproofing your Home to Prevent Injuries

 

Almost 40,000 children and youth go to hospital emergency rooms every year because of home injuries. Another 500 die from home injuries each year. The main causes of deaths in the home are fires, falls, poisoning, choking, suffocation, and drowning. Outside the home car crashes kill more children than any other injury.

Surprisingly, children under 5 years old are injured more often than any other age group, even though their parents are with them when they get injured. The likelihood of children getting injured becomes greater if their parents are distracted, stressed, tired, hungry, and/or emotionally drained. This is why it’s so important to know your limits and take good care of your physical, mental and emotional health. Healthy parents are much more alert to what’s going on around them and more capable of dealing with dangerous situations, if they happen.

To protect children from being injured it’s important to know where and how accidents happen most, and how to prevent them. Below is information about the most common situations that cause injuries to children, and tips for preventing them.

 

Baby Safety and Avoiding Poisonings

Accidental poisonings among children 6 years of age and under happen often. Most poisonings involve 1 and 2 year-old children who swallow household products.

  • To avoid poisoning, keep all chemicals, cleaning, beauty and medical products locked up and out of sight and reach of children. 
  • Poisons that children are commonly come across include
    • Cosmetic/personal care products (e.g., perfume, nail polish remover, cologne and aftershave), and
    • Household cleaning supplies (e.g., bleach) and over the counter drugs (e.g., acetaminophen).

Babies and Bathing Safety - Avoiding Burns, Scalds and Drowning

  • Never leave babies alone in water or on counter tops. Whether bathing them in a sink, a basin, a baby bathtub, or in a bathtub with an adult, babies need constant supervision when they are in water being bathed. Always keep at least one hand on your baby when in the bath or on the table.
  • Bath water should be lukewarm. Water temperatures greater than 100 degrees F / 39 degrees C are dangerous to babies. Check the temperature of the water carefully by moving your hand rapidly through the water for several seconds or measure the temperature with a hot water gauge or mercury thermometer.
  • Prepare yourself to bath your baby safely by washing your hands and removing your jewelry that could scratch your baby.
  • You don’t need to bathe your baby every day. Washing the face, neck, hands and diaper area, in that order, with attention to skin folds, can be done daily. When washing, think cleanest to dirtiest. The eyes and face should be washed first.
  • Have everything you need to bath your baby within easy reach before you start. Having to reach for something that takes you away from your baby even for a second could result in an accident. Having everything you need right beside you will prevent accidents.

For information on Child Safety at Home and on the Move visit our link.

For information on babies and food/eating safety visit our Babies 6-12 Months link.

For information on babies and sleep safety visit our Sleeping link.

For more information on poisonous and/or hazardous products visit the Health Canada Website http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/securit/season-saison/summer-ete/house-maison_e.html#chemicals

 

 

Source:

Baby’s Best Chance: Parents’ Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care Sixth Edition 2005. British Columbia: Ministry of Health.