Keep Your Kids Fall-Safe
Natural curiosity, boundless energy and unsteady motor skills combine to make frequent tumbles part of every child’s life growing up. “As they’re learning to walk and crawl and explore their environments, they stumble and fall frequently,” says Francisco Garcia, M.D., pediatric emergency physician at Kapi‘olani.
Four out of five injuries occur in the home — but you can prevent most of them. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury for children and account for more than 2.5 million emergency room visits a year.
“I think supervision for children at any age is really important,” says Dr. Garcia. “It only takes children a second to get into something they shouldn’t get into.”
Children don’t yet grasp the world’s risks. For example, says Dr. Garcia, falls from windows hurt kids each year. “We would know not to lean out the window,” he says, but young children don’t.
Here are some other things you can do to keep your little ones safe.
Minimize the danger
- Use stationary activity centers instead of walkers on wheels, which can quickly roll down stairs or tip over. Baby walkers account for more injuries in children 5 to 15 months old than any other nursery product.
- Never leave a baby alone on a bed, changing table or any other place that your child cannot get down from safely.
- Never leave a child alone in a bathtub or near any water. If a child should fall and go under water, you might not be able to hear his or her cries for help.
- Equip your tub with a rubber mat or slip-resistant sticker
- Always use the straps provided on high chairs, strollers and shopping carts.
- Remove area and scatter rugs, or secure them with foam carpet backing, double-sided tape or a rubber pad.
- Teach your children to turn on the light before entering a room. A misplaced toy or a puddle of water underfoot can cause a child to fall.
Of stairs and chairs
- Never underestimate your toddler’s ability to crawl up a staircase or onto a wobbly chair. Kids learn fast.
- Keep staircases well-lit and clear of toys and clutter.
- Install gates at the tops and bottoms of staircases and on doors if you have babies or toddlers in the home. The bars or slats of the gates should be less than 3˝ inches apart to avoid trapping a child’s head or pinching his or her fingers.
- Cover stairs with nonslip covers instead of with carpeting.
- Install handrails on both sides of staircases, if possible. Handrails should be narrow enough for children to grasp easily (not more than 2˝ inches in diameter).
Francisco Garcia, M.D.
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24-Hour Pediatric Emergency Care
Kapi‘olani’s emergency room is staffed with the only pediatric emergency team in the state. Our specially trained physicians and staff are ready to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries.
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