| Developmental Abilities Related to Risk for injuries | Injury prevention |
| Motor Vehicles |
- Walks, runs, and climbs
- Able to open doors and gates
- Can ride tricycle and other toy
- vehicles
| - Use federally approved car restraint per manufacturer’s recommendations for weight and height.
- Supervise child while playing outside.
- Do not allow child to play on curb or behind parked car.
- Do not permit child to play in pile of leaves, snow, or large cardboard container in trafficked area.
- Supervise tricycle riding; have child wear helmet.
- Lock fences and doors if not directly supervising children.
- Teach child to obey pedestrian safety rules:
- Obey traffic regulations; cross only at crosswalks and only when traffic signal indicates that it is safe.
- Stand back a step from curb until it is time to cross.
- Look left, right, and left again and check for turning cars before crossing street.
- Use sidewalks; when there is no sidewalk, walk on left, facing traffic.
- Wear light colors at night and attach fluorescent material to clothing.
|
| Drowning |
- Able to explore if left unsupervised
- Has great curiosity
- Helpless in water; unaware of its
- danger—may consider “play” in
- any body of water same as in bath;
- depth of water has no significance
| - Supervise closely when near any source of water regardless of depth, including buckets.
- Keep bathroom doors closed and lid down on toilet (or install latch).
- Have fence around swimming pool and lock gate.
- Teach swimming and water safety (however, this is not a substitute for safety).
- Supervise small children when swimming by “touch” (adult can reach out and touch child at all times).
|
| Burns |
- Able to reach heights by climbing,
- stretching, and standing on toes
- Pulls objects
- Explores any holes or opening
- Can open drawers and closets
- Unaware of potential sources of heat
- or fire
- Plays with mechanical objects
| - Turn pot handles toward back of stove.
- Place electrical appliances such as coffee maker and toaster toward back of counter.
- Place guardrails in front of radiators, fireplaces, or other heating elements.
- Store matches and cigarette lighters in locked or inaccessible area; discard carefully.
- Place burning candles, incense, hot foods, and cigarettes out of reach.
- Do not let tablecloth hang within child’s reach.
- Do not let electric cord from iron, curling iron, or other appliance hang within child’s reach.
- Cover electrical outlets with protective plastic caps.
- Keep electrical wires hidden or out of reach.
- Do not allow child to play with electrical appliance, wires, or lighters.
- Stress danger of open flames; teach what “hot” means.
- Always check bath-water temperature; adjust water heater temperature to 49° C (120° F) or lower; do not allow children to play with faucets.
- Apply sunscreen when child is exposed to sunlight (all year round)
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