Posted April 29, 2009
A study of child development and unintentional injury released by Safe Kids USA . safekids.org) is the first to link age-appropriate safety tips to an extensive analysis of research on children’s cognitive, behavioral and physical development.
The eport reveals how parents and caregivers can create a blueprint of necessary safety recommendations to follow as their children age.
“We’ve always taught parents how to keep their kids safe, but this report highlights precisely when and why those precautions are essential,” says Coalition Coordinator Greta Burton of the Prince William Community Safe Kids Coalition stead.com), whose injury prevention programs are supported by the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue cgov.org/fire).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov), there were more than 6 million unintentional injuries to children ages 0 to 14 in 2007 that required care in an emergency room (12 injuries per minute–nearly all of which are preventable).
The release of this report, “Raising Safe Kids: One Stage at a Time,” is divided into four stages of development with safety tips for the five leading injury risks to children: falls, bicycle-related injuries, motor vehicle occupancy injuries, fire and burns and poisonings.
Safety tips
Infants (0 to 12 months)
— Use a rear-facing, semi-reclined car seat until your baby is at least age 1 and 20 pounds. Use a rear-facing car seat longer if the seat has higher weight and height limits.
— Always follow directions and read labels when giving medicine to your baby to avoid overmedicating.
— Do not hold an infant while cooking or carrying hot liquids and foods.
Children 1 to 4 years old
— Provide safe places to play. Only allow your child to play on playgrounds with 12 inches of safe surfaces, such as shredded rubber, hardwood fiber/mulch or fine sand below the equipment to create a softer landing in case of a fall.
— Install stair gates so your curious child will not fall down stairs, and secure furniture to the wall to avoid it tipping over on them if they try to climb on it.
— Keep medicines and poisonous household items locked up and out of reach. Also, choose products with child-resistant packaging.
Children 5- to 9-years-old
— Make sure children wear a helmet and protective gear every time they are on wheels.
— Do not allow children to use a microwave until they are tall enough to reach the items in it safely and understand that steam can cause burns. Children at this age are at a higher risk of cooking-related scald injuries than adults.
— Keep children in booster seats with the vehicle lap and shoulder safety belts until the seat belt fits correctly.
Early adolescents (10- to 14-years-old)
— Make sure your child wears a helmet and protective gear every time he/she is on a bike, scooter, skateboard or inline skates–make this non-negotiable and lead by example.
— Talk to them about car safety. Once your child passes the Safety Belt Fit Test, teach him/her to wear a seat belt every time.
— Talk to your child about the dangers of poisonous items such as gasoline, spray paint and medicines.
The release of the report coincides with the kick-off to National Safe Kids Week, April 26 to May 4.
This column is provided by the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue’s Community Relations Team. Send questions or comments to DFR Responding to You, 9250 Lee Ave., Manassas, VA 20110 or via e-mail to .
Date: April 26, 2009
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