Keep Your Grandchildren Safe

Are your grandchildren coming to visit this summer? Are you prepared to keep them safe?

Did you know.....

• Young children can drown in less than two inches of water in seconds.
• Some children are needlessly burned because they believe clothes protect them from flames.
• Drinking mouthwash can cause a young child to fall into an alcohol coma.
• A child can fall out of a window that is opened only five inches.
• In a crash at 30 mph, an unbelted child would hit the dashboard with as much force as a fall from a three-story building.

Injuries from accidents like these are the leading health risk facing American children today. Every year, accidents kill and disable more children than kidnapping, drugs and disease combined. Each year, one in four children will be hurt badly enough to need a doctor’s attention.

Make sure you tour your home and search for things that may be unsafe for children.

So, what can you do to keep your grandchildren safe? Start by being objective and imagine you are seeing your home for the first time. Put any objects which could be harmful to a child out of the child’s reach. Check all smoke detectors to be sure they are working properly. Review your fire emergency plan and escape routes. Make sure you have all emergency numbers including fire, ambulance, pediatrician and poison control, posted near the phone.

Think safety and practice safety. Accident prevention is not difficult. It doesn’t cost a lot or take much time. But it does require your attention and some effort. And it’s worth it! You may not be able to prevent every bump, cut or scrape, but some simple safety measures will lower the risk of serious injury to your grandchildren and give you less to worry about.