Safety & Injury Prevention

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Safety & Injury Prevention

Holly Coleman & Jamecca Jones, Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing

Why is Injury Prevention important?

Injuries cause 45% of the deaths among children 1-4 years of age.
For the rest of childhood and the teen years, nearly 70% of deaths are due to injuries.

Leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths among children

Safety

Motor vehicle - Children less than 13 years old should always stay in the back seat. Place car seats in the rear seat, facing backwards if child is less than 1 year old or weighs less than 20 pounds.
Drowning - Keep children away from swimming pool if unattended by an adult. Never swim in a lake or go in a boat if you are not a good swimmer. Never leave child in the bathtub unattended, not even for a minute.
Fire and burns - Always check temperature of water with the back of your hand before placing your child in tub. Have a smoke detector in home. Limit exposure to heaters and open flames. Keep space heaters away from beds and furniture. Keep children away from hot pots and pans on the stove.
Suffocation - Check toy packages for age-appropriate limits. For children less than 3 years old, no small, round or removable parts. Place all cords out of child’s reach.

Injury prevention topics to consider when your child is:

Newborn: car seats, tap water temperature, smoke detectors
Infant: car seats, tap water temperature, bath safety
Toddler and preschooler: car seats, pedestrian skills training, water safety, childproof caps on medicines and household poisons
Primary school child: Pedestrian skills training, water skills training, seatbelts, bicycle helmets, removal of firearms from home

Emergencies and serious accidents

Call 911 immediately and give the dispatcher your address.
Teach your children how to call 911 and what your address is.
Be sure that your child’s school or daycare knows how to reach you in an emergency.