Children’s Minnesota is so excited to celebrate National Injury Prevention Day with the Injury Free Coalition for Kids. To highlight the importance of preventing childhood accidents and injuries, many organizations and buildings are lighting up green all across the country on Nov. 18.
In addition to lighting up green, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate than by sharing tips to keep your whole family safe.
Safety tips for the whole family
While for many people, there’s no place safer than home, accidents can and do happen at home. Here are some tips to help you prevent accidents and injuries at home:
Safe sleep
Sleep is so important to all babies, kids, teens and adults. But, safe sleep is even more important. In June 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their safe sleep recommendations for preventing unexpected deaths for children up to 1 year old.
The AAP now has 10 recommendations to keep your baby as safe as possible while they sleep.
Minnesota is also joining the safe-sleep movement. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz proclaimed that Nov. 13-19, 2022, is Infant Safe Sleep Week in Minnesota.
Caregiver well-being
We know that injury prevention for your children starts with your own well-being. Being a parent can be hard at times and life’s stressors can pile up. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Small things can help lift the weight of stress like, talking to a friend or loved one, listening to music, going for a walk, exercising, joining together with a community group, or even taking some deep breaths. We also encourage you to find professional help like a therapist, doctor or counselor.
Lock up chemicals
Most childhood poisonings happen inside the home. To prevent any accidental poisonings, lock up chemicals like:
- Medications—even over the counter medications.
- Cleaning products.
- Alcohol.
- Paint.
- Nicotine.
- Batteries.
If your child ingests any chemicals, reach out to poison control or call 9-1-1.
Always supervise
Our first, and most important tip, is to keep your eyes and ears on your kids whenever you can. Kids are curious and sometimes don’t recognize the danger around them, so they need your eyes to help keep them safe.
Keep furniture secure
Furniture tip-overs are a common cause of childhood injuries, but there are ways to prevent these accidents! Use brackets, braces or other anti-tip devices to secure top heavy furniture like dressers, bookshelves or televisions to walls.
Prevent burns
There are many different kinds of burns that can happen at home:
- Contact burns from hot objects.
- Scalds from hot liquids.
- Electrical burns.
- Chemical burns.
Children’s Minnesota has tips to help you prevent burns at your home.
Children’s Minnesota Injury Prevention
At Children’s Minnesota, we love kids — but we would rather see them safe and healthy at home. However, we understand that accidents happen, so our experts are always ready to provide any care your kids need — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If an accident happens, come see us at our Minneapolis or St. Paul emergency department.
Level I pediatric trauma center
Our Minneapolis hospital is home to the area’s only level I pediatric trauma center in a health care facility dedicated only to kids. This means that our staff is ready to provide the highest level of care for any kind of injury — whenever you need it. We have services, resources and staff specializing in pediatric medicine at our fingertips to ensure every child receives the care they deserve.
Kaitlyn Kamleiter