Accidents are the most significant cause of injury and death in children over one year. It estimates that every year about one in five children has an accident at home that is serious enough to need treatment by a doctor or at a hospital and prevention child accidents.
Life learning in a dangerous world. The world is complicated, and children need to learn how to manage the hazards.
Parents in charge of their children. At the same time, they are responsible for training them to become independent individuals who can look after themselves.
Parents have to judge the amounts of protection their child needs for safety throughout childhood. And how much protection their child needs for security and how much freedom the child needs and wants. A child needs to have space to learn to make their own decisions.
A child often wants more independence than they want to protect because it is a natural part of growing up to respond to parents ‘ wishes.
Children Learning about Danger
Babies do not know the danger during the first 18 months of life and therefore need complete protection. Nevertheless, they are beginning to learn what is uncomfortable during this period and can hurt; for example, a child can remember feeling a specific hot object for a while.
The children understand simple instructions by the time they reach the age of 18 months. Now they can start being taught that certain things should not be done.
Between 18 months and two years, children begin to understand much of what their parents say, and their memory improves. We start to realize that certain acts have specific effects. For example, it will hurt if anything hot is touched. Parents still need a lot of protection, but they’re just starting to learn to protect themselves.
From this age on, monitoring can be increased slowly as the children understand what is dangerous and how to prevent it. Parents sometimes have to take calculated risks if they require more independence from children. But if complete protection goes on for too long, the effects of over-protection will be on children.
The type and amount of supervision change as the children get older. It gradually becomes less and less, but even as adults, they will need to be protected by the Health and Safety at Work Act and other regulation to prevent child accidents.
When accidents are more likely to happen
Accidents to children are more likely to happen:
- At times of stress– These are the times when people (both parents and children) are careless and forgetful. For example, when in a hurry, when afraid, during an argument, or when very worried about health, friendship, jobs, and money.
- When parents are less alert– Their senses may be dulled by medicines such as tranquilizers, or by alcohol, or drugs, or perhaps because they are just exhausted.
- To children who are over-or under-protected-Children who are under-protected are not made aware of dangers, so they fail to take care of them. Children who are over-protected may either:
- be made so aware of the threat that dear makes them nervous and unsure and therefore unsafe
- Rebel against their parents by taking more risks than would otherwise be the case.
Be Alert Prevention of Child Accidents
Reducing the risk All children have accidents, however safe the home and careful the parents. It is neither possible nor desirable to watch a child every minute of the day. Nevertheless, parents can help to reduce the possibility of accidents by the following means:
-
- set a good example- children copy the behavior of adults
- make the home and garden as accident-proof as possible
- teach children to be aware of dangers and how to cope with them
- never leave children alone in the house
- Where possible, buy equipment that has the appropriate mark on the label showing that it has been approved for safety.
Common Accidents Involving Children and How to Prevent them
Falls
Some fallings and falls to the ground are unavoidable as kids start standing, walking, running, and climbing. They were falling out of a stroller or highchair or falling from a bed or down the stairs.
Prevention Tips
- Create window guards, stairwells, and rail guards.
- Bring your child to age-appropriate playgrounds and under the furniture, with soft surfaces.
Burns and scalds
Hot drinks cause children under five to feel most scalds. A child’s skin is much more sensitive than an adult’s, and after making it, a hot drink can still scald a child for 15 minutes.
Burns are among the most common accidental injuries in childhood and can happen in several ways.
Safety Tips
- Keep kids out of the kitchen, electrical instruments whenever possible.
Accidents occur in every home, but parents can take measures to prevent them. To begin with, parents should never leave young children alone. As a rule, kids under the age of 3 should be watched by adults. It is essential not to leave infants in the bathtub unattended – even for a moment. Parents should also install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.
