Child Safety for All Ages Health Article

Some safety hazards apply to all children. But many problems are especially dangerous for children at a particular age or stage of development.

Keep the following precautions in mind for your children as they grow.

Birth to 8 months

• Never leave a child alone on a changing table, bed or sofa. Children can fall as soon as they can roll over.

• Use gates on stairways and install window guards on all windows above the first floor as soon as your baby can crawl.

• Never leave small objects within your baby's reach.

• Put your baby to sleep face up to prevent suffocation and reduce the risk of SIDS.

• Never carry hot liquids or food while holding your child.

8 to 12 months

• Keep pins and other sharp objects off the floor and out of your baby's reach.

• Install safety plugs in wall sockets.

• Remove easily overturned lamps and dangling electrical cords.

• Place soft adhesive bumpers on the corners of sharp-edged furniture.

• Place a gate across stairways to keep the baby from falling downstairs.

• Keep medicines and poisons in a locked cabinet. Install child locks on cabinets.

• Be sure baby furniture and toys are painted with lead-free paint. Buy age-appropriate toys that are too large to swallow.

• Never leave your baby alone in the bath; keep one hand on the child at all times.

12 to 36 months

• Secure doors that lead to stairways, driveways and storage areas.

• Never leave a child alone in a bathtub or wading pool or other body of water.

• Lock medicines away immediately after use.

• Lock kerosene, pesticides and toxic cleaning products in a safe place.

• Buy age-appropriate toys that are too large to swallow.

• Don't leave your child alone around burning fireplaces, heaters or other hot appliances.

• Provide constant supervision.

• Store dangerous tools and gardening equipment in a locked shed or cabinet.

• Keep matches and cigarette lighters locked up and out of sight.

3- to 6-year-olds

• Teach your child the right way to use simple kitchen tools and appliances.

• Teach bicycle safety rules and traffic dangers.

• Start swimming lessons. Never leave a child unsupervised around a pool or other body of water, even if the child has had swimming lessons.

6- to 12-year-olds

• Insist that your child wear a helmet when cycling or other appropriate times. Children should wear helmets and wrist and kneepads while inline skating and skateboarding.

• Teach proper use of more complex kitchen appliances.

• Be sure your child uses well-fitting, well-maintained sports equipment when practicing or playing a game.

• Teach your child basic first-aid and what to do in an emergency.