Child Safety

Child safety is one of the most important issues to consider during child rearing. Most accidents are the leading cause of death in infants. It is important to keep your child’s safety in mind at all times. We as parents want to keep our children safe from harm. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, “while many parents and guardians feel they are faced with new and unprecedented challenges when trying to keep their children safer in today’s fast-paced and increasingly global society.”

When caring for infants/toddlers we must know some of the risk that they are susceptible to. One is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS usually happens in infants that are less than one year of age. Some measures used to prevent SIDS are as follows; a mother to be should consider early prenatal care, proper nutrition, and continued checkups with their OBGYN.  Avoiding teenage pregnancy reduces the risk of SIDS also. The more children a teenager has the higher the risks are, also the use of drugs increases the risk of SIDS. To help ensure the safety of your infant one should seek early medical attention during pregnancy, avoid the use of drugs while pregnant, and remember to place infants on the their back when putting them down for a nap or to bed. (Robertson, 2007)

Another safety issue is choking in infants/toddlers. Choking is when an object or food is blocking the airway. Choking is usually caused by the infant putting a foreign object in the mouth. To avoid choking in infants/toddlers, they should not be left alone. Small objects should not be placed in reach of the infants/toddlers. Never feed infant foods that require the use of teeth. Do not give infant foods that have sharp edges as this too can cause choking. Parent should be aware of toys and objects they purchases. Such items that have the choking warning should be avoided. Choking is 100% preventable.

Childcare safety is another issue that we face day to day. When considering childcare for your infant/toddler you as a parent to should fully know the risk of having someone else care for your child. To avoid the abuse of children while in the care of others be sure you know the person/people who care for your child. Let the caregiver know what you expect of them. Be clear and to the point in letting the caregiver know that you will not tolerate the abuse of your child or any children and that you will report them without hesitation. Parents who have to use a daycare should consider researching all backgrounds of that facility and only choose those that have nanny cams. Parents who will their homes to have someone come in and care for their child should also consider installing a nanny cam.

Another issue in child safety is the attending of infants/toddlers. Infants/toddlers should never be left unattended no matter how short of time you think you may be gone. During the summer one of the leading cause of death is when the caretaker/caregiver has left the child unattended in a vehicle and the child dies of such activity. Again, a parent that uses daycare transportation for their child should strive to chose only those who have the child detection equipment. Avoiding the use of poor judgment can prevent such accident from happening.

Drowning is the second major cause of death to children under age five (American Heart Association, 2005). Equipment that uses water should be carefully monitored and cleaned often. Hot water should be kept at 120 degrees. Never leave standing water unattended as children are likely to play in and around it. Never leave a child unattended in a tub or pool of water. In a family home the bathroom door should be kept closed at all times. Children should be supervised when in the use of water. There are many interesting ways to keep children safe in and outside of the home.

Reference

Robertson, C. (2007). Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (4th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.