Preventing Common Childhood Injuries - Childhood Accidents by Age

Common Childhood Injuries

Childhood injuries often occur because parents and caretakers undermine what there are kids are capable of doing and not doing. Sudden milestone achievements such as rolling over for the first time also cause babies to fall. Child development and child safety are so closely linked together that you cannot ever expect the first one to occur and allow yourself to ignore the latter, even for a few moments. Developmental milestones in a child are also an indicator of increased risk of injuries for the child. It has been noticed that most children under 15 years of age that need to go to an emergency to get an injury treated are one to two year old. In this section, we will cover the most common childhood injuries and ways to prevent them:

Active toddlers that are about 15 to 17 months are known to have products like gasoline and lead-based paints. They can open drawers and pry open the bottles, become taller and can reach places where they couldn't in the past and act like an insatiable explorer.

Babies who accidentally slip or crawl into bathrooms, unsupervised by adults, are known to drown in toilets, buckets and pools, even with all the supporting ring devices.

By 9 to 11 months, babies try to put anything they can lay their hands on in their mouth including broken parts of toys, buttons, coins and medicines that they can find on floor. These can get into their tiny air and esophageal passages and cause them to choke on them.

Children less than 4 years of age, do not have total control over there body and may misjudge their movements, causing them to fall from furniture, stairs or playground equipment.

Children less than six months old are most susceptible to serious and sometimes fatal injuries that occur due to falls.

Children who are about 6 to 8 months old start sitting on their own and thus, parents often assume that they can let the baby alone in the bathtub for a few moments while they answer the phone or the door. In such case, babies have been known to drown or get submerged in water less than two inches.

Hot liquids and vapor can scald a baby worse than a grown up adult, as his skin is thinner and much softer. So, keep your cup of tea or coffee out of baby's reach and keep them away from hot tub of water.

Infant walkers are more hazardous than helpful, if babies are left alone wit them. Babies use them to try to climb off the stairs (and fall in the process), get tipped over very easily and reach things that are dangerous for them and supposedly have been kept out of their reach.

Injuries that occur due to accidentally hitting a child who suddenly runs out on street, falling out of a car or accidentally set the car in motion while playing with steering and keys, mostly occur when caretakers are not vigilant enough for the child who is increasingly becoming more active and is innately curious.

Newborns to five months old have limited mobility, so most of the injuries that they face, occur due to caretakers' fault or neglect. A young sibling or who may accidentally let the baby fall may cause an injury to the baby.

The intense curiosity of children to try and experiment with anything they can find peaks around 21 to 23 months and this is also the peak time for injuries such as drowning and poisoning occur.

When kids learn to crawl and roll, they love to perform their antics and if you let them alone for just a while, they may fall from bed, sofa or crib.

Preventing Burns in Kids
Babies have thinner and softer skin and naturally, burns caused by hot liquids and vapor scald them more deeply and at lower temperature. Water with a temperature above 140° Fahrenheit can cause third-degree burns in a baby in just a few seconds. Infants who can crawl and toddlers like to experiment with things and can just twist open a hot tap water in the bathroom or the sink or may fall in a hot water bath tub while trying to touch it.

Choking in Kids
Toddlers would chew on small objects, right when they get their first tooth. The little ones cannot be resisted to do this forcibly, because at this stage of development, it is inherent in them to explore new things, by smelling, touching and tasting them. They are curious to put whatever they come across into their mouths and figure out the taste.

Prevent Drowning Accidents
Since the infants start to sit on their own, as early as when they are 6 to 8 months old, most of the parents and caretakers presume that the little ones could sit in the bathtub as well, without drowning. Contrary to this assumption, studies reveal that the cases of submersion injuries and drowning of infants in bath tubs are increasing day by day. Babies drowned even for a few minutes are often admitted to the hospitals.

Fatal Falls & Accidental Injury
The most common reason for deaths in infants between 1 month and 1 year of age is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Next to it is accidental injury due to falls from furniture, stairs or playground equipment and other places. Falls can cause serious injury and even turn fatal in young children less than four years old.

Poisoning in Children
Toddlers are quite active, curious and fearless explorers in their own right. At their tender age, they learn to use chairs and climb up to reach things that are kept supposedly out of their reach. The highly active toddlers would strive to open the bolted doors, drawers and closets. In the process, they might come across things that seem to attract them, but are hazardous for their health.