Twenty-five thousand. That is how many children visit the emergency room every day in the United States. Falls are the most common injury that bring children to the emergency room, but there are many other injuries worth mentioning and taking precautions against.
What are the most common injuries for children?
The most common injuries are:
- Falls (#1)
- Drowning
- Fires/burns
- Transportation
- Poison
- Suffocation
What’s the most deadly injury for children?
Every year, 12,000 of those injuries prove fatal. Transportation-related issues are the leading cause of death for children aged 0-19. This is especially true for children between the ages of four and eleven.
Their smaller, lighter bodies are in great danger during a collision, and many of the safety features designed to keep adults safe either do not work for children or actually cause or aggravate injury to a smaller body.
Whenever children ride in an automobile, they should be fully provided with safety equipment appropriate to their size and weight. In fact, I’ve provided a helpful guide on what to do with your child safety seat after a crash.
How to prevent childhood injuries
For fires and burns
- Make an escape plan.
- Some children are curious about fire. There are simple steps you can take to keep you and the people you love safer from fire and burns.
- Keep children 3 feet away from anything that can get hot.
- Keep smoking materials locked up in a high place.
- Never play with lighters or matches when you are with your children.
- Teach your children basic swimming and water safety skills.
- Build fences that fully enclose pools.
- Supervise your children closely.
- Understand the risks of natural waters.
- Put medicine and vitamins up, away, and out of children’s reach and sight.
- Put medicine away each time after use.
- Make sure the medicine safety cap is locked.
Although these statistics can make the world seem like a dangerous place, keeping children safe is essentially a matter of identifying risk, preparation, and vigilance. Keeping children safe represents an obligation and a responsibility that we all share.
If your child has been injured due to the negligence of another, your family may be entitled to compensation. Call Allen & Allen today for a free consultation to discuss your unique situation at 866-388-1307.
