Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Children's Injuries are Preventable – Tips for Parents
A recent Center for Disease Control report indicates child injuries are among the most under-recognized public health problems facing the United States today. About 20 children die every day from a preventable injury – more than die from all diseases combined. Injuries requiring medical attention or resulting in restricted activity affect approximately 20 million children and adolescents and cost $17 billion annually in medical costs. Many of these injuries are predictable, preventable and controllable.
An organization called Parents Press has compiled common sense tips to prevent these injuries.
Tips to Prevent Common Child Injuries
- Babies should sleep only in secure bassinets or cribs. Never leave the side rail of the crib down when the baby is in it, or leave an infant in the middle of a large bed. Even newborns can turn over unexpectedly and roll off the bed, sofa, or changing table in a moment.
- Make sure other children wanting to hold a baby are sitting down and holding the baby in his lap, while you stay close by.
- Make sure to baby-proof the home:
- Remove loose throw rugs, especially near stairs.
- Install baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
- Put secure screens on windows.
- Remove furniture with sharp edges from play areas, and pad sharp corners of tables if necessary.
- Block off fireplaces and hot floor furnace grates or wall heaters.
- Turn pan handles inward while cooking so that a child cannot grab and spill a hot pot.
- Babies and children of preschool age or younger should never be left alone in the bathroom. Hot water taps can be turned on, and scalding can occur in seconds. As an extra precaution, turn down the temperature on your water heater.
- Children participating in sports should always wear helmets, eye protection, or other protective gear. Bicycle riders are legally required to wear helmets.
- Child riding skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters should wear helmets and protective gear.
A good resource for information and resources about children’s injuries is the Children’s Safety Network. The CSN is a resource center for maternal and child health and injury prevention professionals in State and Territorial health departments who are committed to reducing injuries and violence among children and adolescents. CSN staff provides expertise, resources, and contacts on any injury topic and can help you develop, implement, and evaluate injury and violence prevention activities.
For more than 30 years the Kiley Law Group, located in Andover and Boston, Massachusetts, has fought on behalf of children. Our Boston child injury lawyers take time when speaking with you about your child's injuries. We work with you on a contingency basis, which means there are NO FEES unless our trained personal injury attorneys win your case. Call now for a FREE legal consultation – 1-888-208-1695.
