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What should I know about injuries and prevention?
Injuries are the leading cause of death of children younger than 4 years in the United States.
Since children are developing so quickly at this age, they may be able to do more than a parent realizes.
They are eager to explore and do not understand what is dangerous to them, even if you have told them no or explained.
What should I know about firearm safety?
Children in homes where guns are present are in more danger of being shot by themselves, their friends, or family members than of being injured by an intruder.
It is best to keep all guns out of the home.
Handguns are especially dangerous.
If you keep a gun, keep it unloaded and in a locked place, with the ammunition locked separately.
Ask if the homes where your child visits or is cared for have guns and how they are stored.
What should I know about poisonings?
Children continue to explore their world by putting everything in their mouths, even if it does not taste good.
Your child may be able to open doors and drawers, take things apart, and open bottles easily during this age. Make sure all medicine has safety lock lids and is out of reach.
Be sure all chemicals are correctly labeled and out of your child’s reach.
Call the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) immediately if you think or know your child has put anything toxic in their mouth or opened any medication bottles. Be sure to add the Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222) to your phone contacts for quick access.
What should I know about falls?
Lock the doors to any dangerous areas.
Use gates on stairways and install operable window guards above the first floor.
Remove sharp-edged furniture from the room your child plays and sleeps in.
Keep in mind a chair left next to a kitchen counter, table, or window allows your child to climb to dangerously high places. Remember, your child does not understand what is dangerous.
If your child has a serious fall or does not act normally after a fall, call your child’s primary care provider.
What should I know about burns?
The kitchen is a dangerous place for your child during meal preparation.
Hot liquids, grease, and hot foods spilled on your child can cause serious burns.
A safer place for your child while you are cooking, eating, or unable to give them your full attention is the playpen, crib, or stationary activity center, or buckled into a highchair.
It's best to keep your child out of the kitchen while cooking.
Children who are learning to walk will grab anything to steady themselves, including hot oven doors, wall heaters, or outdoor grills.
Keep your child out of rooms where there are hot objects that may be touched or put a barrier around them. I
If you have a gas fireplace, keep children away from it while it is in use and for at least an hour after turning it off. The glass doors get extremely hot and can cause severe burns.
Your child may reach for your hot food or cup of hot liquid, so don't leave it within your child's reach. Avoid carrying your child and anything hot at the same time to avoid an accidental burn.
If your child does get burned, immediately put cold water on the burned area. Keep the burned area in cold water for a few minutes to cool it off. Then cover the burn loosely with a dry bandage or clean cloth.
Call your child’s primary care provider for any burns.
To protect your child from tap water scalds, the hottest temperature at the faucet should be 120°F. In many cases you can adjust your water heater.
Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, especially in furnace and sleeping areas.
Test the alarms every month.
It is best to use smoke alarms that use long-life batteries, but if you do not, change the batteries at least once a year.
How do I protect my child from drowning?
At this age your child loves to play in the water. NEVER leave your child alone in or near a bathtub, pail of water, wading or swimming pool, or any other water, even for a moment.
Empty buckets after each use.
Keep the bathroom doors closed.
Your child can drown in less than 2 inches of water.
Knowing how to swim does NOT mean your child is safe near or in water. Stay within an arm's length of your child around water, so you can act quickly if needed.
If you have a swimming pool, fence it on all 4 sides with a fence at least 4 feet high, and make sure the gates are self-latching.
If possible, lock doors that could lead to the pool area. Most children drown when they wander out of the house and fall into a pool that is not fenced off from the house. It only takes a moment for your child to get out of your house and fall into your pool.
How do I keep my child safe in a vehicle?
Use a car safety seat EVERY TIME your child rides in the car.
All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
Be sure that the safety seat is installed and used correctly. Read and follow the instructions that come with the car safety seat and the instructions for using car safety seats in the owners' manual of your car.
The safest place for all infants and children to ride is in the back seat.
Do not leave your child alone in or around the car. Children who are left in a car can die, as a car can heat up to dangerous temperatures quickly.
Keep your vehicle, including your trunk, locked.
Children can be strangled by power windows or knock the vehicle into gear.
Always walk behind your car to be sure your child is not there before you back out of your driveway. You may not see your child behind your car in the rearview mirror.
This publication was adapted from information from American Academy of Pediatrics Patient Education materials.
Reviewed by: CPCMG Newborn Committee, TT D.O. | 05/2024