Fire Safety
Household fires are a threat to your child’s life, as well as your own. Install smoke alarms in your house, and test the batteries every month to make sure they work. Change the batteries once a year.
Teach your child not to play with matches or lighters, and keep matches and lighters out of your child’s reach. Also, do not smoke in your home. Most fires are caused by a lit cigarette that has not been put out completely.
Car Safety
Car crashes are the greatest danger to your child’s life and health. The crushing forces to your child’s brain and body in a collision or sudden stop, even at low speeds, can cause injuries or death. To prevent these injuries, correctly USE a car safety seat or booster seat and seat belt EVERY TIME your child is in the car. Your child should use a car safety seat or a booster seat until the lap belt can be worn low and flat on the hips and the shoulder belt can be worn across the shoulder rather than the face or neck (usually at about 80 pounds and 4 feet 9 inches tall). The safest place for all children to ride is the back seat. Set a good example. Make sure you and other adults buckle up, too!
Firearm Hazards
Children in homes where guns are present are in more danger of being shot by themselves, their friends, or family members than of being injured by an intruder. Handguns are especially dangerous. It is best to keep all guns out of the home. If you choose to keep a gun, it should be kept unloaded and in a locked place separate from the ammunition. Ask if the homes where your child visits or is cared for have guns and how they are stored.
Would you be able to help your child in case of an injury? Put emergency numbers by or on your phone today. Learn first aid and CPR. Be prepared…for your child’s sake!
Last Updated 5/27/2015
Source TIPP: The Injury Prevention Program (Copyright © 1994 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 9/2005)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
