Safe From Harm...

Please take the time to read below and check out the website Safe Kids Canada -- they have some really great fact sheets that go by topic, as well as age. I really find these useful, as a reminder to me about what needs to be done to make sure my little one is safe. Help make this a safe and fun summer for everyone!

In celebration of Safe Kids Week's 10th anniversary, Safe Kids Canada today unveiled a national report on children and injury showing that the rate of injury related deaths among children age 14 and under fell by 37 per cent and the rate of hospitalization fell by 34 percent between 1994 and 2003.

Despite the significant decline, unintentional injuries remain the number one cause of death for children age 14 and under. An average of 390 children died and another 25,500 were hospitalized each year over the 10 year period because of injuries. Yet a recent survey conducted on behalf of Safe KidsCanada showed that 23 per cent of parents believe the leading health risk to children is obesity, inactivity or poor nutrition. Injury ranked fifth at nine per cent, behind such risks as diseases and smoking.

The three leading causes of death from injuries are motor vehicle collisions (17 per cent), drowning (15 per cent), and threats to breathing which includes suffocation, strangulation and choking (11 per cent). Safe KidsCanada recommends that parents and caregivers identify, minimize and avoid risks to their children's safety in these and other areas:

Child Passenger Safety - Motor vehicle collisions can cause serious injuries including damage to the head, spine and internal organs. Children need to ride in a car or booster seat that's appropriate for their height or weight. Parents must make sure that children ride safely in all vehicles by checking the car or booster seat instructions to ensure it has been installed
properly. Most children will not be the right size to be in a seat belt by
itself until at least age nine.

Drowning Prevention - Drowning occurs most commonly in swimming pools. Children must be supervised when they are near all types of water. Parents and caregivers need to stay right beside children under the age of five at all times, even if they are just playing near water. Home swimming pools must be fenced around all four sides with a four foot high fence and a self-latching gate.

Suffocation and Choking Prevention - Major threats to breathing for young children include choking on food, strangling on objects like ropes or blind cords, and suffocating in cribs and beds. Children under the age of four should not be given hard foods like popcorn, raw carrots and nuts. In addition, parents should keep small items like coins and toy pieces away from young children. Blind or curtain cords should be cut short and tied out of reach.

Today marks the start of the Safe Kids Week - Celebrating a Safe Kids Future - which runs from June 5 to June 11, 2006.