Special to the Journal
Each year, more than 3 million kids ages 14 and under get hurt
at home – and more than 2,000 children die from unintentional injuries in the
home. Fire, suffocation, drowning, choking, firearm and poisoning are among the
top leading causes of unintentional home injury death for this age group. Falls are the leading cause of
non-fatal injuries to children.
“Children spend a lot of time in the home and it’s a parent’s
job to make sure that environment is as safe as possible,” says Patsy
Zoumberis, RN, Safe Kids of Houston County Coordinator and Houston Healthcare
Community Education Nurse. “Safety devices like smoke alarms and window guards
are important, but active supervision by an adult is also key to making sure
children stay safe. Baby-proofing is only the first step.”
Safe Kids of Houston County recommends parents keep these home
safety tips in mind:
Preventing Fires & Burns
• Make sure you have working smoke alarms
in every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom.
Plan how you would get each child in your home to help them escape in a
fire. Practice a family fire drill
twice a year.
• Set your water heater at 120 degrees and
test the bathwater by running your whole hand and write throughout the tub
before putting your child in it.
Around Water
• Always supervise children near water.
Never leave young children alone in the bathtub or pool – a child can drown in
a matter of seconds.
• Keep toilet lids closed and lock all
doors to bathrooms.
• Safeguard your pools and hot tubs by
making sure your pool has four-sided fencing and a self-closing, self-latching
gate that is locked when no adult “water watcher” is on duty. Hot tubs should
be covered and locked when not in use.
• Install protection to prevent entrapment
if you own a pool or hot tub, such as protective measures like anti-entrapment
drain covers and safety vacuum release systems.
Around the Home
• Prevent serious falls by keeping
furniture away from windows, installing guards or stops on windows that are not
emergency exits, and installing safety gates at the top and the bottom of
stairs if you have small children. Never use baby walkers and always use 9 to
12 inches of soft surfacing, such as woodchips, rubber mulch, or pea gravel,
protective under and around playground equipment.
• Put your baby on his or her back to
sleep on a crib that meets all current national safety standards. Remove all
pillows, comforters, stuffed toys and other soft products from the crib before
putting your baby to sleep.
• While looking at a room as your child
would, ask yourself what looks interesting and what can be reached. Get rid of
small items your child can choke on.
• Keep guns locked, unloaded and where
kids cannot reach them. Lock up ammunition in a separate place.
Preventing Poisonings
• Lock up poisons such as medicine,
vitamins, cleaning supplies and pet food. Read labels and follow directions
when giving medicine to children. Post the Poison Center Helpline by every phone: 1-800-222-1222.
• Make sure you have working carbon
monoxide detectors in every sleeping area and on each level of your home. Test
them every month and make sure heating systems are vented outside and checked
each year.
Be Prepared for Emergencies
• Be prepared for emergencies and keep
emergency numbers by every telephone.
• Call 911 if your child is choking,
collapses, can’t breathe or is having a seizure.
• Check your first aid kit to make sure it
is fully stocked.
• Make sure babysitters and other
caregivers know where to find first aid supplies and how to handle an
emergency.
“Injury risks change as children grow and develop, and parents
should regularly reassess the safety of their home to address the most serious
risks,” states Zoumberis.
For more safety tips on how to make your home safer for your
children, visit www.safekids.org.
Safe Kids of Houston County works to prevent unintentional
childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1
to 14. Led by Houston Healthcare, Safe Kids of Houston County is a member of
Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing
unintentional injury. If you’d like to be a part of Safe Kids of Houston
County, please contact 923-9771.
HHJ News
