Child Safety

Most parents have heard about the need to childproof their home. But they might not know that more children ages 1 to 14 are killed by injuries that can be prevented than by any other cause.

Every year, more than 3.3 million children age 14 and under are injured in their homes. It’s impossible for parents to be with children every minute. But parents can be prepared. If you are a parent, here’s what you can do: Buy a first-aid kit and keep it handy. Post phone numbers for your doctor, local police, fire department, poison control, and other emergency services near each telephone.

Then take these steps to protect children in your home:

	Childproof danger zones. Don’t place furniture in front of windows, since a child could climb up. Remove any furniture that a child could pull over. Put screens in front of hot radiators and fireplaces. Use safety gates to keep small children away from stairs and out of bathrooms.
	Prevent drowning. Never leave a child alone in or near water. Drowning can happen in any standing water, including bathtubs, buckets, or toilets. A child can drown in less than 2 inches of water.
	Prevent falls. Window screens are not strong enough to keep a child from falling out of windows. Put special bars called window guards on all windows. Use safety netting on balconies and decks. If you use window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily opened in case of fire.
	Take a child’s-eye view. Inspect your home for possible child hazards. Get down on your hands and knees, and explore the way a child would. You may feel silly, but that’s better than putting your child at risk. As you creep around your home, examine items on the floor and in the space about three feet above it. What looks tempting? Are wall outlets left open for little fingers, or are they covered with child-safety caps? Do tables have sharp corners, or are they cushioned to guard children against bangs and bruises? Correct any hazards that you see.
	Prevent hot-water burns. Stay with and closely watch young children the entire time they are in the bathroom. Set the temperature of your water heater to no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes only three seconds for a child to get severe burns from water at 140 degrees. Those burns would require putting a child in the hospital. Also put covers on tub faucets. They will prevent a small child from turning the faucets on.
	Guard against choking and suffocation. Unplug any electrical devices you’re not using. Wind up their cords so children can’t pull on or get tangled in them. If your window blinds have looped cords, cut the loops so children can’t get caught in them. Throw away any toys with small parts or with parts that could come off in a child’s mouth. Keep kitchen wraps and plastic bags away from children. Never use a plastic bag as a waterproof sheet for a crib or bed.
	Make baby’s room safe. If you have an infant, be sure crib bars are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Any openings on the crib should be too small to trap a baby’s head. The crib mattress should fit snugly into the crib. Don’t hang anything with strings, yarn, or ribbons above the crib.
	Keep danger out of reach. In the kitchen, make sure the handles of pots and pans are turned inward. Use safety locks on cabinets and drawers to keep children away from chemicals, cleaners, and sharp tools. Put a lock on your bathroom medicine chest. If you have firearms, keep them unloaded and locked out of reach, away from bullets. Use doorknob covers and door locks to keep children out of closets or other rooms that might pose risks. The covers should spin freely when a child tries to grip the knob.

News for You®, Vol. 52, No. 42. October 20, 2004. New Readers Press, division of ProLiteracy Worldwide. Adapted by permission.