25 Most Common Home accidents and common injuries in children and How to prevent it

 

 

Infants are injury-prone right from the day they are born and it gets worse as soon as they learn to move, crawl and walk. They get so curious about their environment so they tend to pull, grab, touch and eat anything and everything as long as it is within their reach.

As a parent it is important that you pay attention to them, getting everything that could hurt them away from them. Remove everything that could injure or hurt your little one. In this article, we have stated examples of some common childhood emergencies, including how they’re most likely to happen, and tips for how to avoid them.

 

How many children die due to common accidents?

For children around 0-1-year-old, the leading cause of death is drowning, unintentional injury and airway obstruction. This kills about 12,000 children every year.

 

Common accidents

  • Burns
  • Poisoning
  • Drowning
  • Falls
  • Choking
  • Strangulation
  • Suffocation
  • Nose injuries
  • Cuts and scratches
  • Eye injuries
  • Bites
  • Car injuries

 

For children between 0 to 6 months

  • Accidents involving improperly installed car seats. Kids of all ages who are not strapped into their seats correctly are five times more likely to be injured or killed in an accident.
  • Suffocation under pillows, stuffed animals or blankets. Keep the cot clear of toys and consider using an infant sleeping bag instead of blankets to keep your baby warm when sleeping.
  • Falls from changing tables and infant seats. Never leave a baby unattended on a changing table, and don’t allow your baby to sit in a baby seat on an elevated surface.
  • Pinched limbs and fingers. Always trim and cut their nails.
  • Scalds from the hot bathwater. Lower the temperature on your geyser thermostat to prevent this from happening and always take care to check the water temperature.
  • Sunburns. Keep your child well covered in clothes and sunscreen when you’re outdoors.

 

For children between 6 months to a year

  • Falls – from high chairs, ride-on toys, strollers, and while learning to walk – are perhaps the single most common cause of injury among small children, resulting in cuts, scratches, sprains and fractures.
  • Choking on toys and other small objects like coins, bottle tops, deflated balloons, marbles, batteries and grapes. Batteries, in particular, can be very dangerous, especially if swallowed, so ensure that these are kept well out of your little one’s reach.
  • Items stuck in ears or nostrils, including peas, pebbles and bits of styrofoam. Don’t try to remove them yourself – you’re likely to push them in even further. Go straight to a doctor instead.
  • Electrical burns from wall sockets and exposed wiring.
  • Cuts from sharp edges and corners on furniture, walls, toys and broken objects.
  • Strangulation by strings, necklaces, electrical cords, ribbons, drawstrings on clothes, and window blinds. Keep these well out of your little one’s reach.
    Burns and scalds from hot beverages, steaming pots, heaters, fireplaces and stoves.
  • Suffocation from plastic bags pulled overheads.

References

  1. Babycenter. Common Childhood accidents and how to prevent them. Accessed on 18th October 2018
  2. Stanford children. Childhood accidents.  Accessed on 18th October 2018
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