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Synonyms: infant, safety, poisoning, falls, injuries, six months, seven months, eight months, nine months, ten months, eleven months, twelve months, carseat, suffocation, strangulation, drowning
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 falls?
Because of your child's new abilities, they are likely to fall often.
Protect your child from injury.
Use gates on stairways and doors.
Install operable window guards on all windows above the first floor.
Remove sharp-edged or hard furniture from the room where your child plays.
Do not use a baby walker.
Your child may tip it over, fall out of it, or fall downstairs with it.
Baby walkers allow children to get to places where they can pull hot foods or heavy objects down on themselves.
If your child has a serious fall or does not act normally after a fall, call your child’s primary care provider immediately.
What should I know about burns?
At 6 to 12 months, children grab at everything.
NEVER leave cups of hot coffee on tables or counter edges.
NEVER carry hot liquids or food near your child or while holding your child, as they could get burned.
If your child is left to crawl or walk around stoves, wall or floor heaters, or other hot appliances, they may get burned.
A safe place for your child while you are cooking, eating, or unable to give your full attention is the playpen, crib, or stationary activity center, or buckled into a highchair.
If your child does get burned, put cold water on the burned area immediately.
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 all burns.
To protect your child from tap water scalds, the hottest temperature at the faucet should be120°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.
What should I know about drowning?
At this age, your child probably loves to play in the water and drowning can happen in less than 2 inches of water.
Empty all water from a bathtub, pail, or any container of water immediately after use. Keep the door to the bathroom closed.
Always watch your baby while in the bathtub.
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.
Always stay within an arm's length of your child around water.
If you have a swimming pool, be sure to install a fence that separates the house from the pool.
The pool should be fenced in on all 4 sides.
Most children drown when they wander out of the house and fall into a pool that is not fenced off from the house.
What should I know about poisoning and choking?
Poisoning:
Your child will explore the world by putting anything and everything into their mouth, even if it does not taste good.
Many ordinary things in your house can be poisonous to your child.
Be sure to keep household products such as cleaners, chemicals, and medicines up and away, completely out of sight and reach.
Never store lye drain cleaners in your home.
Use safety latches or locks on drawers and cupboards.
Remember, your child does not understand or remember “no” while exploring.
If your child does eat something that could be poisonous, call the Poison Help number at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.
Do not make your child vomit. S
Save the Poison Help number as a contact on your phone.
Choking:
NEVER leave small objects or balloons in your child's reach, even for a moment.
Be sure that all food is cut into pieces smaller than a cheerio, mushed or pureed. Avoid hard and crunchy foods at this age like popcorn or nuts.
Learn how to save the life of a choking child by attending a CRP class. Call 911 if your child is in immediate danger.
What do I need to know about strangulation and suffocation?
Place your baby's crib away from the windows. Cords from window blinds and draperies can strangle your child.
Use cordless window coverings. If this is not possible, tie all cords high and out of reach.
Do not knot cords together.
Plastic wrappers and bags form a tight seal if placed over the mouth and nose and may suffocate your child. Keep them away from your child.
What do I need to know about car safety?
Car crashes are a great danger to your child's life and health.
Most injuries and deaths caused by car crashes can be prevented by using a car safety seat EVERY TIME your child is in the car.
All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat until they are at least 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
A rear-facing car safety seat should NEVER be placed in front of a passenger air bag.
The safest place for all infants and children to ride is in the back seat.
Never leave your child alone in a car.
Keep vehicles and their trunks locked.
Children who are left in a car can die of heat stroke because temperatures can reach deadly levels in minutes.
This publication was adapted from information from American Academy of Pediatrics Patient Education materials.
Reviewed by: CPCMG Newborn Committee, TT D.O. | 05/2024