Safe Kids Worldwide just released a new research report that explores what parents do ̶- or don't do ̶- to keep kids safe in the home. You may be surprised to learn that 3.5 million children go to the emergency department every year for the kinds of injuries that commonly happen in homes. And tragically, 2,200 children die from an injury in the home.
Protecting your children does not require you to wrap your kids in bubble wrap or become a helicopter parent. Here are 10 easy to follow tips that will help make your home safe. Please pass them on to your family and friends.
- Use approved safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, and attach them to the wall if possible.
- Give young children your full and undivided attention when they are in and around water.
- Keep cribs clear of objects, and make sure that babies sleep alone, on their backs and in a crib every time they sleep.
- Develop and practice a home fire escape plan, with two ways out of the house in case of a fire.
- Make sure there is a smoke alarm on every level of your home, and test the batteries every six months. Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home, especially near sleeping areas.
- Keep all medicine up and away and out of sight of young children, even medicine you take every day. Be alert to medicine stored in other locations, like pills in purses, vitamins on counters and medicine on nightstands.
- Store all household cleaners and other toxic products out of children's sight and reach.
- Program the Poison Help line into your phone and post it in your home where caregivers can find it easily in an emergency: 1-800-222-1222.
- Secure TVs by mounting them to the wall or placing them on a low, stable piece of furniture.
- Install window guards or window stops to keep children from falling out of windows.
Our research report, "Report to the Nation: Protecting Children in Your Home," was made possible by funding from Nationwide. To stay current on child-related recalls, sign up for our bimonthly product recalls. To learn more tips to keep kids safe in the home, visit SafeKids.org or Make Safe Happen.