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Many of these injuries are preventable and predictable. Planning ahead and always thinking "safety first" will reduce the risk of childhood injuries. Remember, the best safety device is supervision! Never let your child explore or play out of sight.
Major causes of injury to children in the home are falling, poisoning, scalding, suffocating, choking and drowning. Here are a few important things you can do to childproof your home. For a more complete Home Safety Checklist, contact the Health Unit.
To prevent FALLS:
| > | Keep furniture or anything a child can climb on, away from windows. |
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Fasten windows so they can't open more than 4 inches (10 cm) or install window guards (Window guards must have a quick release on emergency exits). Screens will not stop your child from falling. |
| > | Install securely fastened safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Do not use a pressure-mounted gate, which could fall over if your child leans on it. |
| > | Do not use baby walkers. Choose a stationary activity centre instead. |
To prevent POISONING:
| > | Keep all medicines, vitamins, cleaning products and other toxic substances away from children. Store them out of reach and out of sight. |
| > | Post the telephone number of the Poison Information Centre near your phone 1-800-268-9017. |
To prevent BURNS and SCALDS:
| > | Have smoke detectors on each level of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Plan fire escape routes and go over them with your children. |
| > | Lower the temperature of your hot
water heater to 49oC (120oF). Most hot water tanks in Canada are set at a temperature that can scald children in seconds. |
To prevent SUFFOCATION:
| > | Do not use a crib built before 1986, or any crib with a bar opening wider than 6 cm apart. |
| > | Do not use bumper pads or pillows in a crib. |
| > | Tie up all blind and curtain cords so they are out of reach. |
| > | Remove all drawstrings from children's clothing. |
To prevent CHOKING:
| > | Do not give babies and young children small food items such as nuts, grapes, popcorn and hard candy as they may choke on them. |
| > | Keep small objects such as coins, buttons, earrings and small toy parts out of children's reach. |
| > | Know what to do if your child is choking. Take a first aid course. |
To prevent DROWNING:
| > | Always stay with your child when he/she is in or near water of any kind, especially a bathtub or pool. |
| > | Home swimming pools should have fences on all four sides, at least 1.2 m (4 feet) high. Gates should be self-latching, self-closing and be kept locked when a pool is not supervised (within the City of Peterborough, a by-law outlines detailed fencing requirements.) |
the Injury Prevention Program at 743-1000. |
Last Revised/Reviewed
Tuesday, 2008-12-09 11:17 AM