Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 210) kids & teens SAFETY Safe in any place It happens so quickly. You turn for the phone. Your toddler takes a spill. He screams. You cringe. How could this happen with an attentive parent like you? By Karen Riley Be on guard outside There are plenty of safety hazards outside the home that need your attention. By now, most of us know to secure younger children in sizeappropriate car safety seats. But what about other offspring? Some states require that older kids up to age 9 ride in special belt-positioning booster seats. Experts say that by H ome is supposed to be a safe haven. And yet that’s where more than 4.5 million children are injured every year. If you don’t want your child to be among the statis- elevating children, the boosters provide a higher sitting height, which improves the fit of lap and shoulder belts. As for bike helmets: Make them mandatory, even for your teenagers! Older children who skateboard Childproof your home before your baby begins to crawl. tics, eliminate potential hazards before they become real dangers. Fortunately, with a little preparation and plain old common sense, you can create a safer environment. Here’s how. Be on guard inside Start by childproofing your home before your baby begins to crawl. You’ll want to put caps on unused electrical outlets and tie up excess electrical cords. Install safety locks on cabinets storing cleaning supplies, and lock all medicines safely out of reach. Make sure toys that toddlers and infants use do not have small parts or pieces that can break off and become a choking risk for them. Older children’s toys may have to be checked for this risk more carefully if a new baby is now part of the household. Since climbing is a favorite youngster sport, make sure your bookshelves and cabinets are secured to the wall so they won’t topple. Also, you’ll want to block stairwells with safety gates and lock upstairs windows or install window guards. Screens may give you a sense of security, but they won’t block a fall. Also, cut the pull cords of your blinds and draperies so they don’t dangle or form a menacing loop. Better yet, consider buying the cordless varieties. To avoid accidental scalding, set the hot water heater at no higher than 120°F. The best way to identify unseen hazards is to get down on your hands and knees for a kid’s-eye view of each room. Pay attention to items that might spark a child’s curiosity, and keep watching for potential problems. Never leave sharp utensils on the kitchen counter. Turn handles of pots and pans away from you when cooking so little hands can’t grab and pull them down. Keep matches and lighters out of your child’s reach. If you have firearms in the house, lock them up and hide the key. Then lock the ammunition in a separate place. 210 familydoctor 2007 or inline skate should wear helmets, wrist guards, and protective pads on knees and elbows. Other sports have their own risks and equipment to minimize them. Take advantage of eye, ear and body injury protection that is designed for your child’s activities. If your child uses a backpack, you need to know that they can cause shoulder, neck and back injuries. To lessen the risk, buy a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps. Then fill it so that the items are evenly distributed and don’t exceed 15% of your child’s body weight. Finally, never allow your children near water unsupervised. Even if they wear life vests, nothing substitutes for your watchfulness and presence. In fact, since safety rules aren’t foolproof, it’s vital to oversee your kids on dry land, too. You won’t be able to prevent your youngster’s every spill — but you’ll be there for the rescue. Karen Riley is a medical writer in Hyattsville, Md. HOME SAFETY CHECKLIST SAFETY GATES OUTLET CAPS SAFETY LOCKS SECURE BOOKSHELVES AND CABINETS WINDOW GUARDS CORDLESS BLINDS AND DRAPERIES WATER HEATER SET TO 120°F DID YOU KNOW? You are more likely to be unintentionally injured at home than at any other location. Learn how to prevent injuries at home. Visit the Home Safety Council’s Web site: http://www. homesafetycouncil.org to find out more. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION American Academy of Family Physicians http://familydoctor.org/x5210.xml National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.gov National Safe Kids Campaign http://www.safekids.org National Center for Injury Prevention and Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc http://www.homesafetycouncil.org http://www.homesafetycouncil.org http://familydoctor.org/x5210.xml http://www.nhtsa.gov http://www.safekids.org http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc
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