If your children’s vaccinations are up to date and you schedule wellchild visits on a regular basis, you may think you’re doing all you can to protect their health.

But you’re overlooking an essential ingredient to preventing harm to your children. That’s because the biggest threat to a child’s life and health is an accidental injury, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, in the home and out. But even the most watchful parents can’t keep kids completely out of harm’s way every second of the day.

The following proactive steps can help you prevent many serious childhood injuries.

Vehicle Safety
Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death among U.S. children. To keep your child safe on the road:

• Always use an approved child safety seat until your child is at least 8 years old or at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall. These seats have been shown to reduce the risk for death in passenger cars by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for children ages 1 to 4 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Seat all children ages 12 years and younger in the back seat.

Fire Safety
Home fires and burns are the third-leading cause of unintentional injuries to children. To keep them safe:

• Install smoke alarms on every floor and outside every bedroom.
• Plan and practice a fire evacuation drill. Be sure you can reach infants and toddlers, and get all family members out of the home safely.

Poison Prevention
Childhood poisonings happen in an instant. To prevent them:

• Store medicines and vitamins in their original containers and out of reach. Never leave them in your purse or on a countertop.
• Keep household cleaners and other dangerous substances in locked cabinets or out of children’s reach.
• Call the Poison Help Line (800-222-1222) immediately if your child is exposed to a poisonous substance.

Childproofing
To help prevent other household injuries, take these precautions:

• Keep guns out of the house or lock them up, unloaded.
• Remove any cords that could get wrapped around a baby’s neck. This includes strings on pacifiers and crib toys.

Remember, unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in kids ages 14 years and younger—and more than a third of these injuries happen at home.

For more information, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics at www.aap.org.

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