Injury Prevention for All Children
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare:
A child is trapped in a burning house,
found floating facedown in a swimming
pool or thrown from a car. Unintentional
injuries are the leading cause of death for
American children under age 14. That’s
why children’s hospitals are taking the
lead to ensure all children lead active but
injury-free lives.
Nearly all children’s hospitals (94 percent)
engage in injury prevention advocacy,
according to a NACHRI survey of member
hospitals. Through educational activities,
such as safety fairs, school visits and community
classes, children’s hospitals provide
families with information on injury
prevention topics, including motor vehicle
safety, drowning, burn and poisoning
prevention, and avoiding sports and play
injuries. They also teach parents and
caregivers how to keep children with
disabilities safe.
Children’s hospitals work with local
and state legislators to improve child
safety laws and to increase funding for
programs that help protect children
from childhood injuries. Many hospitals
provide free or discounted protective
equipment, such as bike helmets and
booster seats, to families who need them
and also supply educational materials
in different languages.
To help support children’s hospitals’
injury prevention efforts, NACHRI and
Dorel Juvenile Group USA launched “Get
on Board with Child Safety,” a nationwide
injury prevention campaign. The campaign
Web site — www.getonboardwithsafety.com
— provides injury prevention information
for families and free copies of the Essential
Home & Travel Childproofing Guide in both
English and Spanish.
For more information about the injury
prevention efforts of children’s hospitals,
visit www.childrenshospitals.net.
Get your car seat checked
Kapi`olani offers free car seat checks.
Call 808-983-6800.