Keeping Kids Safe at Home
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Health Tip of the WeekPublished on
Health Tip of the Week Each year, about 3.5 million children go to the emergency room for injuries like falls, cuts, burns and poisonings that happen in the home. And about 2,200 of these children will die, says Gina P. Duchossois, MS, an injury prevention expert with the Injury Prevention Program at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“While the best defense in preventing accidental injuries is proper supervision,” Duchossois says, “there are a lot of things families can do to prevent injuries in their homes.”
This year, as your family starts planning spring cleaning projects, take some time to check each room in your house — as well as your yard, garage and shed — for potential safety hazards, then follow Duchossois’ advice for keeping kids safe at home.
Children are frequently injured when they attempt to climb furniture or reach televisions. Every three weeks in the U.S., a child dies from a TV toppling over.
Each year, CHOP’s Poison Control Center answers thousands of calls from concerned caregivers about children who have eaten, drank or been exposed to dangerous products, such as medicine and cleaning products.
Suffocation is the leading cause of injury-related deaths for babies up to age 1. Unsafe sleeping environments are a major cause of these deaths, though crib location can also play a part.
Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death for toddlers 1 to 4 years old. What’s more surprising: Every week, a child dies from downing in a bathtub.
Last year, almost 2 million children visited an Emergency Room for a fall-related injury. And more than 93,000 children younger than age 5 went to the hospital for stair-related injuries.
Contributed by: Gina P. Duchossois, MS
Categories: Safety