A Well-Protected Child Bears No Scars
Accidents are difficult to prevent when you have a young, inquisitive youngster that is crawling or walking around the house and wants to explore the world. While you have a lot on your plate as a parent, you can still take precautions and be ready in case of an emergency. Most home injuries suffered by children are consistent with their stages of development and it can be hard for parents to keep up with their child’s activities. Babies can move around, grab things, and roll over when they are very young. Between 6 and 12 months, they may be able to stand, sit, crawl, and put things in their mouth.
As children get older, they are able to walk and move around, reach things that are higher up, climb, and find things that are hidden. With their new sense of freedom and movement, toddlers can move quickly, and accidents can happen in a matter of seconds. While most accidents are minor, it’s a good idea to be prepared for what to do if the accident or injury is more severe. According to Sirwiss-affiliated home health care experts, following are some of the most prevalent forms of injuries that occur in young children. Continue reading to learn the preventive steps you should take to protect your child.
Where Do Most Incidents Take Place?
The living or dining room has the highest number of accidents, but the kitchen and stairs have the highest number of fatalities. According to Sirwiss-collaborated healthcare specialists, more than 67,000 youngsters have an accident in the kitchen each year, with 43,000 of these children being under the age of four.
Who Is the Most Vulnerable?
Accidental injuries are the leading cause of mortality in children over the age of one. Children under the age of five are most susceptible to injury, with boys being more likely to be harmed than girls. Many children end up in the hospital due to burns and scalds, or after swallowing items or being suspected of poisoning. Fractures, such as a broken arm or wrist, are more common in older children. Many accidents in the home are preventable. It is easy to keep your children safe by identifying and understanding potential threats and implementing simple safety precautions.
Why Do Children Get Hurt at Home?
A child can get hurt in any part of the house. In every residence, dangers lurk, including the usual suspects of boiling water, chemicals, fire, and sharp items. Balconies and exposed stairwells are only two examples of how the layout of certain houses may increase the risk of injury. Young children, being preoccupied with their own activities, may fail to see what is going on around them. Their inexperience, including challenges with coordination and balance, makes children more vulnerable to harm.
If Your Youngster Is Involved in an Accident
It might be difficult to determine whether to call the home emergency service or an ambulance and when to take your child to the accident and emergency room (A&E).
Call an ambulance if your child:
1. Stops breathing.
2. Is fighting for air (for example, you may notice them breathing fast, panting, becoming very wheezy, or see the muscles just under their ribcage sucking in when they breathe in).
3. Is unconscious or seems unaware of what’s going on.
4. Has a cut that will not stop bleeding or is gaping open.
5. Will not wake up 6. Has a fit for the first time, even if they seem to recover.
Falls
As they start to walk, toddlers may inevitably stumble and get some scrapes and bruises. The majority (44%) of all home accidents involving children are caused by falls. Most falls involve tripping on the same level, but those between two levels, such as from a pram or highchair to the floor, or from a bed to the floor, may have devastating effects. Most infant deaths occur when the infant rolls off of a high surface like a table, bed, or couch.
Young children have a natural curiosity and inclination to climb and explore, and as a result, they have a high risk of injury if they were to tumble down the stairs, off a balcony, or off a piece of furniture. However, most major injuries can be prevented with proper supervision and care. Install a baby gate at the top and bottom of the stairs and replace or repair any torn or old carpeting to eliminate potential tripping risks. Never leave something there that someone could trip over. Don’t place anything beneath the windowsill that kids may use as a step stool to prevent harm near open windows.
Fires
Children are especially vulnerable to harm in the event of a house fire. Numerous house fires are started by children playing with matches and lighters. Little ones frequently panic and run away, only to be discovered when it’s too late. Make sure you and your kid are safe from inhaling toxic smoke by taking all necessary steps to avoid a fire beginning while you sleep. Put in smoke detectors on each floor of your dwelling. It is recommended that smoke alarms be tested monthly and that batteries be replaced annually. Better still, invest in alarms that can be hardwired into your home’s electrical system or that can simply be plugged into a nearby lamp.
It’s important to prevent a fire from spreading by turning off all electronics and keeping doors closed before retiring for the night. Conceive of a way out of the house in case of a fire, and make sure your kids know how to get out. Maintain frequent practice of the strategy. Make sure a fireguard is installed and securely fastened around any open fireplace. Make sure nothing is leaning on it or hung from it. Children should never be allowed to have access to lighters or matches. Keep the night air clean by properly extinguishing and disposing of cigarettes.
Scalds and Burns
Most scalds in children less than five are brought on by beverages that are too hot to handle. Since children have considerably more delicate skin than adults, in order to prevent burns, children should never be held while holding a hot beverage, and any hot liquid should be kept far from the edge of tables and countertops.
Children often get scalds when they play with the hot water while in the tub, go in before it’s ready, or fall in while reaching for a toy. Hot bath water is the leading cause of fatal and serious scorching injuries in children under the age of five. Turn the cold water on first and always test the water temperature with your elbow before letting a kid into the bath or shower. Keeping your kid safe during bath time and spending quality time together is a win-win when you stay with them the whole time.
Keep cigarettes, matches, and cigarette lighters out of the reach of youngsters at all times, as well as open flames, the stove, irons, curling tongs, and hair straighteners. If you must cook with a young kid in the room, keep them out of the kitchen as much as possible and always use the back burners with the pan handles facing away from the front of the stove.
Drowning
As children may drown in as little as 3 centimeters of water, it is imperative that they be closely monitored whenever they are near water. Don’t ever leave your kid in the tub alone, not even for a second, and definitely not if there’s an older sibling. Avoid leaving paddling pools out of their covers and emptying bowls and buckets of water while they are not in use. It’s important to be cautious around ponds and other water features, so make sure your own backyard is properly fenced.
Poisoning
Medicines, cleaning supplies, and beauty products account for the vast majority of accidental poisonings. You should always get medical help right away if your youngster has been exposed to a toxin that causes difficulty breathing. Use containers with child-resistant tops, still be aware that by three years of age, many children are able to open child-resistant tops, although it may take them a little longer. You should always store medications and chemicals safely out of the reach of children, ideally in a locked cupboard, and properly dispose of any that you no longer need.
Most cleaning supplies are stored in the cabinets beneath the kitchen sink, which are the ideal height for an exploring toddler and full of potentially harmful chemicals. Dishwasher and laundry liquitabs pose a serious threat. Despite their extreme toxicity, they seem like candy to a small toddler. Several wild plants and fungus are potentially lethal to children, therefore it’s important to keep them from eating them. If you want to save your health, you must not select plants that produce deadly berries or leaves.
Suffocating, Strangulation and Choking
Small toys, peanuts, and marbles are just some of the objects that might cause serious harm or death to a child if they swallow, inhale, or choke on them. It’s important to choose age-appropriate toys for your infant or toddler, and to teach older siblings to keep their toys out of reach.
Nappy bags, used for throwing away dirty diapers, should be stored out of the baby’s reach. When youngsters pull them over their heads, they represent a suffocation danger since, unlike shopping bags, they don’t have holes in them.
Young children should be kept away from looped cords like those found in blinds and chains. Blinds with cords should be stored out of children’s reach, and cordless blinds should be used if possible. A corded item of clothing, a necklace with a dummy pendant, or a bag strap may easily get entangled and cause a strangling neck injury.
Prevent cats and other pets from entering the bedroom by placing a net over the stroller. Pets, no matter how gentle, should not be allowed to sleep on top of infants because of the danger of asphyxia. Put your infant to sleep on his or her back in a cot; do not put your infant to sleep on your bed or on a couch, and do not use pillows; newborns may suffocate on these items.