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Airway Obstruction Overview Airway obstruction, which includes choking, suffocation, and strangulation, prevents oxygen from entering the lungs and brain. Lack of oxygen to the brain for more than four minutes may result in brain damage or death. Airway obstruction can occur when children choke on an object that is blocking the airway, suffocate on items that block or cover the airways, or strangle themselves with items that become wrapped around their necks. Infants and children under age 4 are particu...

Fire Safety and Burns Overview What are the different types of burns? A burn injury usually results from an energy transfer from a heat source to the body. There are many types of burns caused by thermal, radiation, chemical, or electrical contact. thermal burns - burns due to external heat sources which raise the temperature of the skin and tissues and cause tissue cell death or charring. Hot metals, scalding liquids, steam, and flames, when coming in contact with the skin, can cause thermal burns. rad...

Airway Obstruction - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign: Injury and death rates: In the most recent statistics, 88 percent of children who died from airway obstruction injuries were children ages 4 and under. In 2006, there were over 14,000 emergency room visits for airway obstruction. Where and when: Most airway obstructions in children occur at home. Children most often choke on food items. Balloons are the most ...

Bicycle / In-Line Skating / Skateboarding Safety More than 70 percent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 ride bicycles. In-line skating and skateboarding are also very popular among this age group. Although a great form of exercise, riding a bike, in-line skating, or skateboarding without protective gear can be dangerous. Next to motor vehicle-related injuries, bicycles injure more children than any other consumer product, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. The most common and often mos...

Bicycle / In-Line Skating / Skateboarding Safety - Identifying High-Risk Situations Most crashes involving children on bicycles, in-line skates, or skateboards occur because the child breaks a traffic rule. The majority of bicycle-related fatal crashes involve collision with a motor vehicle. Bicycles: Learning to ride a bicycle is a part of most childhoods in the US - with more than 70 percent of children ages 5 to 14 (27.7 million) riding bicycles. Children ride their bicycles more than average adults ...

Bicycle / In-Line Skating / Skateboarding Safety - Prevention Buying the right bicycle: It is important that the bicycle your child rides is the right size. In addition, consider the following recommendations: The bicycle should not be too big or complicated. Your child should be able to place the balls of his/her feet on the ground when sitting on the seat. The bicycle should have a bell or horn. Buying the right helmet: Although helmets can cost between $13 and $50, they can save money by possibly pre...

Bicycle/ In-Line Skating / Skateboarding Safety - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Injury and death rates: More than 3.5 million children 14 and under suffer medically treated sports injuries each year. Nearly 50 percent of children 14 and under hospitalized for bicycle-related injuries are diagnosed with a b...

Falls Falls hurt more children ages 14 and under than any other unintentional injury. In fact, one-third of patients treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained in falls are children. Children most often fall from the following: baby walkers furniture playground equipment shopping carts stairs windows The severity of injuries sustained in a fall depends on the height of the fall and the landing surface. Most serious or fatal falls involve head injuries. Proper safety measures in the home ...

Falls - Identifying High-Risk Situations Certain age groups among children are more prone to certain types of falls. For example, infants are more likely to fall from furniture, while toddlers are more likely to fall from windows. Older children sustain more fall-related injuries from playground equipment. furniture Babies who are left unsupervised on top of beds, changing tables, and even couches, can roll off unexpectedly. windows Young children are naturally curious and will explore an open window. W...

Falls - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics were are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign: Injury and death rates: More than 2.3 million children ages 14 and under are treated annually at hospital emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. Recent reports show falls killed about 80 children ages 14 and under in one year. More than half of fall-related injuries among children occur among ages five and under. About 18 children ages 10 and under die annually f...

Falls - Prevention Constant adult supervision, informed product selection, and modifications to the home can help reduce the likelihood of childhood falls and related injuries. The following are tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Safety Council: Furniture: Never leave babies alone on any furniture - beds, tables, sofas, cribs with the guardrails down, or changing tables - even if they have never rolled over. Choose baby products that meet required safety stan...

Fire Safety and Burns Teaching your family about safety and burn prevention could save lives. Listed in the directory below is additional information related to fire safety and burns. Fire Safety and Burns Overview Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Identifying High-Risk Situations Prevention

Fire Safety and Burns - Identifying High-Risk Situations Children are at increased risk for serious fire and burn injuries and death because they have thinner skin than adults, resulting in more serious burns at lower temperatures. Most burns and fire injuries and deaths occur in the home. By knowing the high-risk situations for fires and burns and taking steps to make your home safer, you can help protect your child from fire and burn injuries or death. Age Most Common Injury Type Risk Factors < 5 Y...

Fire Safety and Burns - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Burn injury and incidence rates: The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the United States Fire Administration (part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency): Injury and death rates: The majority of fire-related deaths (70 percent) are caused by smoke inhalation of the toxic gases produced by fires. Actual flames and burns only account for about 30 percent of fire-related deaths and injuri...

Fire Safety and Burns - Prevention Preventing fires: According to the National SAFEKIDS Campaign, 40 percent of residential fires that kill children are caused by children playing with flammable products, such as matches. In addition, a lack of working smoke alarms can significantly increase the chance of dying in a residential fire. However, by taking appropriate steps to make your home safe, you can protect your children and your family from fires: Keep flammable products, such as matches, lighters, a...

Firearms It is estimated that 40 percent of all homes in the US have some type of firearm, of which one in four is a handgun. Access to firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional firearm-related death and injury among children. Unintentional shootings cause 20 percent of all firearm-related deaths among children ages 14 and under. An underestimation of the child's ability to gain access to a firearm in the home is a common problem. In addition, unlike adults, children are unable to disting...

Firearms - Identifying High-Risk Situations A firearm in the home, whether loaded or not, increases the risk of firearm-related injuries to children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advocates the removal of handguns from areas where children live and play. However, even if your household does not contain a gun, it is likely that your child will come into contact with a firearm at another house, as it is estimated that 40 percent of US homes have a firearm. Awareness of situations that can incre...

Firearms - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics were are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign: Injury and death rates: The number of unintentional deaths from firearms declined 80 percent from 1997 to 2002. In 2005, 75 children ages 14 and under died from unintentional firearm-related injuries; more than half of those children were between the ages of 10 and 14. Non-powder gun-related injuries (for example, BB guns or pellet guns) sent nearly 7,000 children...

Firearms - Prevention Firearms are often portrayed on television and in movies as glamorous. In addition, the consequence of firing a firearm may not be portrayed as seriously in the media, because children often see the "shot" actors alive in other movies. Toy guns may add to a child's perception that real guns, like toy guns, are harmless and fun. It is important that your child knows the difference between a real gun and a toy gun. Although the only sure way to keep your child safe from unintentional...

Glossary - Safety and Injury Prevention A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z A [back to top] ANSI - American National Standards Institute, an organization that evaluates and approves helmets. ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials, an organization that evaluates and approves helmets. air bags - safety devices installed in most newer vehicles that inflate to protect the driver and/or passenger in certain collisions. asphyxiation - ...

Topic Index Motor Vehicle Safety Fire Safety and Burns Bicycle/In-line Skating/Skateboarding Safety Toy Safety Airway Obstruction Water Safety Sports Safety Falls Firearms Glossary Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death among children ages 14 and under, according to the National SAFE KIDS campaign. Although this death rate has declined over the years, children remain at risk for unintentional injury-related death and disability. Unfortunately, one in every four children each year suffers inj...

Installing and Using Child Safety Seats and Booster Seats Proper restraints for children riding in motor vehicles depend on the child's age and size. Restraints to keep a child safe in the car include: infant safety seats child safety seats child boosters seats properly used safety belts The key to keeping your child safe is to use an age-appropriate child restraint that is properly installed and properly used. Infant and child safety seats come in many shapes and sizes. Some are not compatible with cer...

Motor Vehicle Safety - Identifying High-Risk Situations With proper precautionary measures, such as the proper use of age-appropriate child safety seats, most unintentional injuries and unintentional injury-related deaths can be prevented. Children can get hurt when parents or caregivers do not properly restrain them when riding in a vehicle, or are unaware of the dangers associated with certain motor vehicle situations. High-risk situations may include, but are not limited to, the following: lack of th...

Motor Vehicle Safety - Injury and Incidence Statistics The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC): Injury and death rates: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 14 and under. In 2005, 1,451 children ages 0 to 15 years were kill...

Motor Vehicle Safety Overview For children between the ages 14 and under, unintentional injury-related deaths occur most often when riding in a car. According to the most recent statistics, among children ages 14 and under as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, 53 percent were not using safety restraints at the time of collision. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, children under age 4 who ride in motor vehicles unrestrained are twice as likely to die or suffer injuries in a car crash. There a...

Online Resources - Safety and Injury Prevention This Web was compiled from a variety of sources including the online resources listed below, but is not intended to substitute or replace the professional medical advice you receive from your physician. The content provided here is for informational purposes only, and was not designed to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Please consult your physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. This page contains links...

Pedestrian Safety Although fewer children are walking and exposing themselves to the risks of traffic, pedestrian injury remains the second leading cause of unintentional-injury related death among children between the ages of 5 and 14. Children are at an increased risk for pedestrian injury and death because the traffic rules and risks often exceed their cognitive, developmental, behavioral, physical, and sensory abilities, according to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign. In addition, parents and caregive...

Sports Safety - Identifying High-Risk Situations Sports can be played in an organized setting, at school, in the street, or even in the backyard. A child can benefit from participating in sports both emotionally and physically. However, proper precautions need to be taken when children take part in a sport, because their bodies are still growing and their coordination may not be fully developed. Precautions can range from wearing proper safety gear to appropriate adult supervision and enforcement of gam...

Sports Safety - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates In the United States, about 30 million children and teens participate in some form of organized sports, and more than 3.5 million injuries each year, which cause some loss of time of participation, are experienced by the participants. Almost one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related injuries. By far, the most common injuries are sprains and strains. Obviously, some sports are more dangerous than others. For example, contact s...

Sports Safety - Prevention Safety gear and equipment: Safety gear should be sport-specific and may include such items as goggles, mouthguards, shin-elbow-knee pads, and helmets. The safety gear worn by a child should fit properly. In addition, sports equipment (such as bats, baskets, and goals) should be in good working condition and any damage should be repaired or replaced. The playing area should be free from debris and water. Physical checkup: To make sure your child is physically fit to participate...

Sports Safety for Children Participating in sports is great for children both physically and psychologically. Sports can increase a child's physical coordination, fitness, and self-esteem. In addition, sports can teach children about teamwork and self-discipline. However, because children's bodies are still growing and their coordination is still developing, children are more susceptible to sports injuries. Approximately 3.5 million children ages 14 and under are treated for sports-related injuries each...

Topic Index - Safety and Injury Prevention Safety & Injury Prevention Home Motor Vehicle Safety Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Identifying High-Risk Situations Installing and Using Child Safety Seats and Booster Seats Pedestrian Safety Teenage Drivers Fire Safety and Burns Fire Safety and Burns Overview Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Identifying High-Risk Situations Prevention Bicycle/In-Line Skating/Skateboarding Safety Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Identifying High-Risk Situa...

Toy Safety Billions of toys to amuse children of all ages are sold each year in the US. Unfortunately, toys also are associated with thousands of injuries each year, some of which result in death. Children under age 3 are especially at risk for injury from toys. Injuries can range from falling, choking, strangulation, burning, drowning, and even poisoning. However, the leading cause of toy-related death is choking, usually on latex balloons. Injury often results when a toy is misused or used by children...

Toy Safety - Identifying High-Risk Situations Scooter injury is the most common cause of toy-related injury and death. Toys to avoid: The following toys are not appropriate for infants: toys that hang in cribs and playpens with strings longer than seven inches toys that are small enough to become lodged in an infant's throat plastic wrapping from toys, which itself is a suffocation hazard The following toys are not appropriate for children ages 3 and under: small toys or toys with removal parts that can...

Toy Safety - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): Injury and death rates: Approximately 217,000 children, ages 14 and under, were treated at hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries in 2005. Nearly half of the children treated for these injuries were ages 4 and under. Most toy-related injuries do not require hospitalization (97 percent); however, in 2005,...

Toy Safety - Prevention Safe toys tips: To make sure a toy is appropriate for your young child, check the label. In general, most toys on the market today are safe. But, injuries still occur in spite of tough government regulations and toy makers' efforts to test products. The first step in preventing toy-related injuries is to know what to look for. Toy makers follow the guidelines established by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in determining the age grading of a toy. The CPSC now requ...

Water Safety - Identifying High-Risk Situations It only takes one inch of water to drown a toddler. Knowing where your children are, even older children, at all times, can help prevent them from drowning. According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the majority of children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, were missing from sight for less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning. In and around the home: More than half of all infan...

Water Safety - Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the National Safety Council: Injury and death rates: Approximately 856 children ages 14 and under drowned in 2004; more than 60 percent of these children were under age four. Approximately 15 percent of children admitted to hospitals for near-drowning die, while another 20 percent will suffer severe and permanent brain damage. More than half of drownings among i...

Water Safety - Prevention If children are around bodies of water on a regular basis, it benefits parents to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which, in case of an emergency, can save lives, reduce the severity of injury, and improve the chance of survival. CPR training is available through the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and your local hospital or fire department. Other specific drowning prevention tips include the following: Infants (up to 1 year of age): Infants can dr...

Water Safety for Children Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 4. It takes only seconds to drown, and often occurs silently when an unsupervised child is near water. Although most drownings occur in residential swimming pools, children can drown in just one inch of water (such as in buckets, bath tubs, wading pools, diaper pails, toilets, hot tubs, and spas). In addition, open waters such as oceans, rivers, and lakes pose a drowning threat to older c...

Airway Obstruction - Identifying High-Risk Situations Most incidences of accidental child strangulation, suffocation, and choking occur in the home. As a parent, extra care should be taken to childproof the house for young children, keeping in mind that the airways of young children are much smaller and easier to obstruct. Foods: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children younger than 4 years old should not be fed any round, firm food unless they are cut into small, non-round piec...

Airway Obstruction - Prevention Since most accidental child strangulations, chokings, and suffocations occur in the home, parents are well-advised to carefully childproof their homes. Another preventive step to take is to learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and infant and child first-aid before an accident occurs. Other prevention tips include the following: Always supervise young children when they are eating, and make sure they sit down when they have food in their mouths. Keep small items that ...

Airway Obstruction Index There are many ways the airways in children can become obstructed (blocked) requiring the emergency clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some other considerations, for which a brief overview has been provided. Airway Obstruction Overview Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates Identifying High-Risk Situations Prevention

Air Bags: Not for Children A car with an air bag is considered safer than a car without one. But for children under 12 years old, air bags can be dangerous. In fact, no child younger than 12 or under 65 pounds should sit in the front seat of a car equipped with passenger-side air bags, according to both the Department of Transportation and the National Transportation Safety Board. The safest place for children is in the center of the back seat, using a lap-and-shoulder seat belt or a child's safety seat...

Do-It-Yourself Safety If you're among the millions of do-it-yourselfers working around homes and gardens, you may not pay much heed to the risks of injury. After all, lawn mowers, chain saws, and other tools are much safer than they used to be, right? Yes, home-improvement experts respond. But people aren't. Master carpenter Norm Abram says people assume modern safety devices will protect them, but that's a false sense of security. "Tools don't recognize when they're doing something bad and don't automa...

How to Buy Safe -- and Fun -- Toys One of the neatest things about being a parent is that you get to pick out all sorts of fun toys for your children. But although that revives the child within us, it also should remind us that without our adult discretion, those joyful toys can pose a very real hazard to our children. Toy-related injuries send tens of thousands of adults and children to the emergency room each year. Most injuries occur when parents give their children toys meant for an older age group....

Keeping Kids Safe at Home Children have fun exploring, and you can keep them safe by controlling the household terrain. Fire Practice two escape routes from your home. Install smoke detectors, and test them once a month. Replace the batteries at least once a year. Drowning When a young child is in the tub, stay in the room. If the phone rings, take the child with you. When you are mopping, empty the bucket as soon as you are finished. Poisoning Store poisonous cleaners and medicine out of children's rea...

Protect Your Kids From Internet Crime Computers and the Internet have become an important part of our lives and our children's lives. An estimated 77 million American children and teens are now online, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Youngsters spend time online messaging, chatting, searching, and surfing. Although most of these Internet experiences are likely positive, parents need to be aware of the dangers to better protect their children. Children and teens can become victims through onlin...

Teaching Your Child to Ride a Bike You may have learned to ride a bike with your mom or dad running alongside to keep you from falling. That method still works, but there's an alternative offered by bike experts, such as the nonprofit group International Bicycle Fund (IBF). It's a method that separates learning to balance from the other skills needed to ride. If you want to stick with the more traditional method for your kids, you can try a tool called an EZ-Bar. This device attaches to the back of the ...

A Safety Checklist for Parents You can help keep your children safe by following these precautions and using common sense. General steps Encourage your children to wash their hands frequently throughout the day, particularly after using the bathroom -- and always before eating. Keep their immunizations up to date. Be sure you know where they are, who they're with and what they're doing when out of your presence. Check the references of baby sitters or care givers carefully. In the home Thousands of chil...

Do I Really Need a Fire Extinguisher? You probably know already that a smoke alarm is by far the best home-safety investment you can make. For as little as $10, a smoke detector can help you literally rest assured that a fire won't catch you sleeping. But you'd like to take the next step in fire protection. Perhaps you'd like to be able to fight a fire before it spreads through your home. Should you buy a fire extinguisher? Yes, provided you know when and how to use it, says the National Fire Protection...

Eye Protection Keeps Kids in the Game Protective eyewear can help prevent many of the 40,000 sports-related eye injuries that occur to children each year. The sports that cause most of these injuries are basketball, baseball, pool sports and racket sports. But any sport that involves a projectile is considered hazardous to the eyes, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). To help prevent sports eye injuries, children should use protective athletic eyewear, even if they wear eyeglasses. P...

For Seniors: How to Prevent Falls As you age, your risk for falling increases. More than one-third of people ages 65 and older and half of those ages 75 and older fall each year. Although most falls cause only minor injuries, between 10 and 15 percent cause fractures and other severe injuries that severely limit independence. The risk is even greater for people who have fallen within the past year. Falls can occur anywhere, but most occur in the home. They can occur while climbing stairs or getting out ...

Hand Tool Safety Despite the advent of power tools that do everything from drilling holes to driving nails, conventional hand tools are still strong sellers. You may have some in your house, and you might assume they're much safer than their electric brethren. But don't get overconfident. While hand tools do not pose the same lethal threat as some power tools, they are still a factor in a high number of accidents each year. Thousands of Americans visit a hospital emergency room each year with injuries r...

House Fires: Don't Underestimate Them You just threw a party at your home. The last guest just left, and you're going to bed. But there's something you don't know: One of your guests accidentally dropped a cigarette butt on the living room sofa earlier in the evening. It's smoldering between the cushions. How long do you have to escape between the time the cigarette fully ignites the sofa and the fire becomes deadly? If you answered more than two minutes, you're dead wrong. According to a survey a few y...

Protect Your Eyes When Jump-starting a Car No one likes the idea of being stranded with a dead car battery. But many car owners don't know how to jump-start a battery safely. This lack of knowledge causes many Americans to lose their sight or suffer serious eye injuries each year in auto battery accidents, according to the group Prevent Blindness America (PBA). All vehicle batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. If the gases come into contact with a spark, flame or a lit c...

Thirst and Dehydration Thirsty? Then your body is on its way to becoming dehydrated. The average adult has 10 to 12 gallons of water in his or her body, accounting for 60 percent of body weight. That water plays a critical role in nearly every bodily process. And being a quart or two low can affect how you feel. Water is key in body temperature regulation. Nearly everything you do during the day -- typing, talking, walking, even eating -- requires energy. That energy, in turn, generates heat, which esca...

Tips for Driving After Age 60 Although we can get around by bike, bus, train, or sidewalk, most Americans rely on their car when it comes to getting from one place to another. Driving is a key to independence. As you get older, you should be able to continue to drive. A person's ability to drive isn't based on age alone. Age or disease-related changes in vision, physical fitness, and reflexes, however, may be reasons to reevaluate your abilities behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffi...

5 Home Safety Threats You Might Overlook You're a careful parent who steers children away from things that could harm them. But hidden threats lurk in every house—sometimes where you least expect them. For safety's sake, look through your home often. Keep an eye out for not-so-obvious hazards. Here are five of them: Scalding tap water "It is common for a home's water heater to be set above 170 degrees, and this can cause a scald burn to a child in seconds," says emergency room pediatrician Denise Dowd, ...

Driving Defensively: Rules of the Road More than 45,000 Americans lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 2.4 million more suffered disabling injuries in 2005, according to the latest report from the National Safety Council (NSC). Driving defensively means being a safe driver yourself and keeping an eye on other drivers—because no matter how good a driver you are, high speeds or impaired or careless driving by others can place you in danger. The NSC suggests the following guidelines to ...