Healthy Living

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child Safety at Home and on the Move


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.

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 common situations that cause injuries to babies and children, and tips for preventing them.

To test your child safety knowledge click on the link below.
http://www.bcchildrens.ca/KidsTeensFam/ChildSafety/SafeStart/chyildsafetyquiz.htm


Child Safety – Accidental 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 poisonings keep all chemicals, cleaning, beauty and medical products locked up and out of sight and reach of children. These products include:

  • Cosmetic/personal care products (e.g., perfume, nail polish remover, cologne and aftershave).
  • Household cleaning supplies (e.g., bleach) and over the counter drugs (e.g., acetaminophen).

Babies and Bathing Safety - 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 always need to be watched over 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 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.

Babies and Travel Safety – Avoiding Injuries on the Move

Car Seats

  • Look for a rear-facing car seat (they are the safest) and use it every time your child travels and until he/she is at least 1 year old.
  • Never place a rear-facing child seat in a vehicle seat equipped with an active air bag.
  • Make sure your car seat has a CMVSS (Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label.

Strollers and Carriages

  • Always use the 5-point harness (in the stroller) to prevent babies from tipping the stroller over and falling out of it.
  • Watch everyone’s fingers when folding and unfolding the stroller.
  • Do not hang your bag or heavy packages on the stroller handle. They    can upset the stroller’s balance and cause it to tip over.
  • Read the manufacturer’s instructions when buying new or used strollers.
  • Check strollers regularly for sharp edges, loose and folding parts, like wheels, and brakes. Make sure they work properly.

For more information on stroller and carriage safety, or car seat safety, call the child seat information line at: 1-877-247-5551, or click on the links.


For more information click here to find out about hazardous products.


For information on how to avoid choking and burns visit the Healthy Eating - Babies 6-12 Months section of this site.

For more information on sleep safety visit the Healthy Living – Sleep section of this site.

For information on childproofing your home to prevent all these injuries visit the Childproofing section of this site.

 

Sources:

Baby’s Best Chance: Parents’ Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care 6th edition (2005).
Province of British Columbia: Ministry of Health.
BC HealthGuide: Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years. http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kbase/topic/special/ue5131/sec1.htm
BC Health Files. Baby’s First Foods. Child Nutrition Series – HealthFile # 69c, May 2007. http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile69c.stm#E46E1