The Biggest Threats to Your Child’s Safety

The Biggest Threats to Your Child’s Safety

Since the beginning of time, worrying has been part and parcel of parenthood. Moms, dads, and guardians take steps every day to ensure the safety of their children. If you’ve been blessed with kids of your own (even if they’re teenagers struggling against you for more independence), you understand how concern can keep you up at night. It’s time for you to be able to sleep a little easier. As with any subject, the simplest way to ward off undue stress is with planning. And planning to keep your children safe starts with understanding the biggest childhood dangers, as well as how to stop them.

1. Drowning

The National Safety Council notes that an average of 463 young kids die from drowning incidents each year. While that might not sound like a huge number, even one preventable death is too many. In many cases, drowning happens for one of two reasons. The first could be that the child simply doesn’t know how to swim and gets into water without anyone around. The second may be that the child is not being aptly supervised. (Kids have been known to drown at parties where adults aren’t paying attention, not to mention at popular Pennsylvania theme amusement parks.) What can you do to lessen the drowning risk for your child or any children under your care?

• Invest in swimming lessons at a highly accredited location. Don’t simply let them learn to swim on their own. Trained swimming teachers focus on more than strokes and breathing; they concentrate on swim safety measures, too.
• Keep your swimming pool under lock and key. Fences make it difficult for kids to get into any private pool. Have a pool that’s accessible directly from your back door? Consider adding a fence or at least some kind of motion sensor to alert you if a child crosses the threshold.
• Pay attention to your child when you go swimming. The moment you let your guard down is the moment tragedy can happen.

2. Car Accidents

Adults aren’t the only people who are killed in car crashes. Children riding as passengers die, too. Annually, more than 1,600 children younger than age 15 die in highway accidents according to data from the Association for Safe International Road Travel. Additionally, many more kids are injured, sometimes in ways that cause them to be disabled for life. The keys to keeping any child safe in a vehicle are straightforward.

• Make sure car seats are always used, not to mention properly installed.
• Know and follow the law when it comes to child passenger protection. In Pennsylvania, kids under four must be in an appropriate car seat. Those under two years old have to remain rear-facing.
• Drive defensively. It’s a practical way to keep everyone safer.
• Get your vehicle checked for problems. Always stay up with your car’s recommended maintenance schedule.

3. Suffocation and Choking

A final threat to children’s safety is the possibility of suffocation. According to a Reuters piece from 2018, nearly three percent of all infants suffocate in bed, the majority due to improper sleeping placement, adjacent pillows, toys, blankets, etc. Older kids are also at risk of suffocation, but are even more prone to choking hazards. Specifically, toddlers and even elementary aged children may put toys and items in their mouths and swallow them accidentally or deliberately. Want to keep your young loved ones secure from these concerns?

• Learn, perform, and promote the proper ways to put babies to bed. Ask your pediatrician’s office for suggestions if you’re not sure.
• Teach children not to put foreign objects into their mouths. At the same time, remind them not to take large bites of food, which can lodge in the esophagus.
• Tell children (who are old enough to understand) about the dangers of suffocating from being locked in airtight spaces or putting plastic bags on their heads.

Make Life Safer for Your Kids

Every child deserves to live a life that’s fun, exciting, and educational. Do your part to create a safe place to play and absorb information by being pragmatic when it comes to their surroundings and experiences. If you or a loved one has been injured and you want to explore your legal options, contact Wapner Newman to schedule a free consultation.