Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children under 14 years old, with over one-third of these injuries occurring at home. Accidents at home are one of the main reasons children under 3 are admitted to emergency care, and approximately 70% of child deaths due to injuries at home occur in children under 4 years old. Young children are more vulnerable at home as they spend most of their time there. Common accidents include falls, electric shocks, choking, poisoning, burns, and heat-related incidents.
Careful supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, but even the most vigilant parents cannot eliminate all risks entirely every moment.
Preventing Home Accidents for Children
- Sharp Objects such as knives and scissors should be kept in drawers out of children’s reach to prevent injuries.
- Cooking appliances, ovens, and kettles should be securely fixed, and chairs or stools should not be positioned near them to prevent children from climbing up and getting burned.
- Cooking pots and drinks should be placed in safe areas out of children’s reach to avoid burns.
- All medications should be stored in cabinets and away from children to prevent poisoning. It is important to immediately store leftover medications after use.
- All chemicals such as alcohol, cleaning agents, soaps, and insecticides should be stored safely out of children’s reach to avoid poisoning and burns.
- Electrical cords, outlets, and TV cables should be kept out of children’s reach to prevent electric shocks.
- Small objects should be kept out of children’s reach to prevent choking hazards.
- High chairs for children should be secured with safety belts to prevent falls.
- Washing machines should be set with safety modes to prevent children from using them unsupervised.
- The home’s hot water system should be set up with child safety features to prevent burns.
Use of Walkers
Avoid using baby walkers. Children can fall or even tumble down stairs when using walkers. The use of baby walkers has gradually decreased due to approximately 3,000 injury cases annually in the United States involving baby walkers.
Windows
To prevent children from falling out of windows, ensure that windows are safely secured and cannot be opened by children. Ensure safety features are easy for adults to open in case of emergencies like fires.
Stairs
Children should never be left alone near stairs, even if there is a guardrail, as they might climb over it and fall. Avoid placing objects on stairways to prevent slips. Parents must guide children on how to safely use stairs.
Floor Safety
The floor should always be kept clean and dry, with no objects that may cause children to slip. Wet floors should be dried immediately to avoid accidents.
