American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [55]
• Drop side has a locking latch that does not release accidentally.
• Mattress can be lowered as child gets older so he or she cannot climb out or fall out.
High chairs
• Waist- and crotch-restraining straps are present and do not connect to the tray.
• Tray locks firmly.
• Legs are wide apart, and the base is stable.
• All parts are securely attached.
• Chair locks so it cannot collapse with the child inside.
• Edges are rounded.
Protecting Children From Falls
Active, curious children are prone to falls. Hazards that are clear to adults may not be obvious to children. Supervision is still the best way to prevent injury. Give children extra guidance, especially when they are learning to walk. Make your home a safer place for children by following this simple advice:
• Never leave infants alone on beds or changing tables. Strap infants and toddlers securely into high chairs and strollers. Put guardrails on the beds of young children.
• Don’t use infant walkers. Not only can they roll down stairs, but they can also delay a child’s development of motor skills and may encourage a child to walk on his or her toes.
• Bolt safety gates to the wall at the top of stairs.
• Do not let children play on balconies or fire escapes.
• Install window locks or guards on all windows, or keep windows closed and locked when children are present.
• Supervise your children closely at all times while grocery shopping. Don’t let children of any age play with, push, climb in and out of, or ride on the outside of a grocery cart. Always strap babies and toddlers into a grocery cart; switch to another cart if the belt is broken or missing. Never let a child stand up or lean over while sitting in a cart. Children who weigh more than 35 pounds should not ride in the baby seat of grocery carts (even when the child is strapped in, his or her weight can make the cart top-heavy and tip it over).
Toy Safety
Toys can help a child have fun and learn. However, some toys pose a hazard to young children because they have small parts or can cause a fall. More than 100,000 children are treated at hospital emergency departments every year for injuries caused by toys. Sixty percent of these children are under age 4. Injuries often occur when a young child misuses or plays with a toy designed for older children. Boys are more susceptible than girls to injury from a toy. Most toy-related injuries occur to the head and face. Latex (rubber) balloons (see page 62), which cause choking, are by far the most dangerous toy. Riding toys such as toy cars, scooters, and bicycles account for a large proportion of toy-related injuries and deaths. Most injuries occur when a child falls from the riding toy, but they also occur when the child rides the toy into traffic or into a body of water.
Here are some tips to help you choose toys that are both fun and safe for your child:
• Look for toys that are designed for your child’s age group.
Falls From Windows
Unsupervised young children can easily fall from an open window. In the United States, 15,000 children are injured every year and 15 to 20 die after falling from a window. Five times more children who live in apartment buildings—especially those without air conditioning—fall from windows than children who live in single-family homes. A child can be injured or killed falling from a window of any height, even from a first-floor window onto a soft surface.
To keep your child from falling out of an open window, install window guards or window stops. The metal bars of most window guards are spaced no more than 4 inches apart. The guards screw into the side of a window frame, come in different sizes to fit various window types, and can be adjusted for width. Some window guards are designed to be opened easily by an adult (allowing escape from a fire) but are difficult for a young child to open. Window stops are metal locks installed on the sash of a window that can be positioned to allow windows to open no more than