Injury is the #1 killer of children and teens in the United States. In 2009, more than 9,000 youth age 0-19 died from unintentional injuries in the United States. Millions more children suffer injuries requiring treatment in the emergency department. Leading causes of child injury include motor vehicle crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires, and falls.1 Child injury is predictable and preventable. It is also among the most under-recognized public health problems facing our country today. Progress has been made in preventing child injury. Child injury death rates have decreased 29% in the last decade.2 Yet injury is still the leading cause of death for children and teens. More can be done to keep our children safe.

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Fitango Education
Health Topics
Safety

2. 1
Overview
Injury is the #1 killer of children and teens in the
United States. In 2009, more than 9,000 youth age
0-19 died from unintentional injuries in the United
States. Millions more children suffer injuries
requiring treatment in the emergency department.
Leading causes of child injury include motor
vehicle crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning,
fires, and falls.1 Child injury is predictable and
preventable. It is also among the most under-
recognized public health problems facing our
country tod

3. 2
Overview
Progress has been made in preventing child injury.
Child injury death rates have decreased 29% in the
last decade.2 Yet injury is still the leading cause of
death for children and teens. More can be done to
keep our children safe.

4. 3
Burns
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
burns, is a step toward this goal.
Every day, over 300 children ages 0 to 19 are
treated in emergency rooms for burn-related
injuries and two children die as a result of being
burned.

5. 4
Burns
Younger children are more likely to sustain injuries
from scald burns that are caused by hot liquids or
steam, while older children are more likely to
sustain injuries from flame burns that are caused
by direct contact with fire.
Thankfully, there are ways you can help protect the
children you love from burns.
Prevention Tips

6. 5
Burns
**To prevent burns from fires:**
**Be alarmed**
Install and maintain smoke alarms in your home—
on every floor and near all rooms family members
sleep in. Test your smoke alarms once a month to
make sure they are working properly.

7. 6
Burns
**Have an escape plan**
Create and practice a family fire escape plan, and
involve kids in the planning. Make sure everyone
knows at least two ways out of every room and
identify a central meeting place outside.

8. 7
Burns
**Cook with care**
Use safe cooking practices, such as never leaving
food unattended on the stove. Also, supervise or
restrict children’s use of stoves, ovens, or
microwaves.

9. 8
Burns
**To prevent burns from scalding water:**
**Check water heater temperature**

10. 9
Burns
**To prevent burns from scalding water:**
Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees
Fahrenheit or lower. Infants who aren’t walking yet
can’t get out of water that may be too hot, and
maintaining a constant thermostat setting can help
control the water temperature throughout your
home—preventing it from getting too high.

11. 10
Drowning
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
drowning, is a step toward this goal.

12. 11
Drowning
When most of us are enjoying time at the pool or
beach, injuries aren’t the first thing on our minds.
Yet, drownings are the leading cause of injury
death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three
children die every day as a result of drowning.
Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting
the children they love from drowning.

13. 12
Drowning
Prevention Tips
**Learn life-saving skills**
Everyone should know the basics of swimming
(floating, moving through the water) and
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

14. 13
Drowning
**Fence it off**
Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–
closing and self–latching gates, around backyard
swimming pools. This can help keep children away
from the area when they aren’t supposed to be
swimming. Pool fences should completely separate
the house and play area from the pool.

15. 14
Drowning
**Make life jackets a "must." **
Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around
natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean,
even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be
used in and around pools for weaker swimmers
too.

16. 15
Drowning
**Be on the look out**
When kids are in or near water (including
bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times.
Adults watching kids in or near water should avoid
distracting activities like playing cards, reading
books, talking on the phone, and using alcohol or
drugs.

17. 16
Falls
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
falls, is a step toward this goal.

18. 17
Falls
Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for
all children ages 0 to 19. Every day, approximately
8,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency
rooms for fall-related injuries. This adds up to
almost 2.8 million children each year.
Thankfully, many falls can be prevented, and
parents and caregivers can play a key role in
protecting children.

19. 18
Falls
Prevention Tips
**Play safely**
Falls on the playground are a common cause of
injury. Check to make sure that the surfaces under
playground equipment are safe, soft, and well-
maintained (such as wood chips or sand, not dirt
or grass).

20. 19
Falls
**Make your home safer**
Use home safety devices, such as guards on
windows that are above ground level, stair gates,
and guard rails. These devices can help keep a
busy, active child from taking a dangerous tumble.

21. 20
Falls
**Keep sports safe**
Make sure your child wears protective gear during
sports and recreation. For example, when in-line
skating, use wrist guards, knee and elbow pads,
and a helmet.

22. 21
Falls
**Supervision is key**
Supervise young children at all times around fall
hazards, such as stairs and playground equipment,
whether you’re at home or out to play.

23. 22
Poisoning
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
poisoning, is a step toward this goal.

24. 23
Poisoning
Every day, over 300 children in the United States
ages 0 to 19 are treated in an emergency
department, and two children die, as a result of
being poisoned. It’s not just chemicals in your
home marked with clear warning labels that can be
dangerous to children.

25. 24
Poisoning
Everyday items in your home, such as household
cleaners and medicines, can be poisonous to
children as well. Active, curious children will often
investigate—and sometimes try to eat or drink—
anything that they can get into.
Thankfully, there are ways you can help poison-
proof your home and protect the children you
love.
Prevention Tips

26. 25
Poisoning
**Lock them up**
Keep medicines and toxic products, such cleaning
solutions, in their original packaging where
children can’t see or get them.

27. 26
Poisoning
**Know the number**
Put the nationwide poison control center phone
number, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every
telephone in your home and program it into your
cell phone. Call the poison control center if you
think a child has been poisoned but they are awake
and alert; they can be reached 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Call 911 if you have a poison
emergency and your child has collapsed or is not
breathing.

28. 27
Poisoning
**Read the label**
Follow label directions and read all warnings when
giving medicines to children.

29. 28
Poisoning
**Don’t keep it if you don’t need it**
Safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired
prescription drugs and over the counter drugs,
vitamins, and supplements. To dispose of
medicines, mix them with coffee grounds or kitty
litter and throw them away. You can also turn
them in at a local take-back program or during
National Drug Take-Back events.

30. 29
Read Traffic Injuries
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like
road traffic injuries, is a step toward this goal.

31. 30
Read Traffic Injuries
Every hour, nearly 150 children between ages 0
and 19 are treated in emergency departments for
injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. More
children ages 5 to 19 die from crash-related
injuries than from any other type of injury.
Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting
the children they love from road traffic injuries.

32. 31
Read Traffic Injuries
Prevention Tips
One of the best protective measures you can take
is using seat belts, child safety seats, and booster
seats that are appropriate for your child’s age and
weight.

33. 32
Read Traffic Injuries
**Know the Stages:**
**Birth through Age 2 **

34. 33
Read Traffic Injuries
**Know the Stages:**
– Rear-facing child safety seat. For the best
possible protection, infants and children should be
kept in a rear-facing child safety seat, in the back
seat buckled with the seat’s harness, until they
reach the upper weight or height limits of their
particular seat. The weight and height limits on
rear-facing child safety seats can accommodate
most children through age 2, check the seat’s
owner’s manual for details.

35. 34
Read Traffic Injuries
**Between Ages 2-4/Until 40 lbs**
– Forward-facing child safety seat. When children
outgrow their rear-facing seats (the weight and
height limits on rear-facing car seats can
accommodate most children through age 2) they
should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in
the back seat buckled with the seat’s harness, until
they reach the upper weight or height limit of their
particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40
pounds; many newer seats have higher weight
limits-check the seat’s owner’s manual for details).

36. 35
Read Traffic Injuries
**Between Ages 4-8 OR Until 4'9" Tall**
– Booster seat. Once children outgrow their
forward-facing seats (by reaching the upper height
and weight limits of their seat), they should ride in
belt positioning booster seats. Remember to keep
children in the back seat for the best possible
protection.

37. 36
Read Traffic Injuries
**After Age 8 AND/OR 4'9" Tall**
– Seat belts. Children should use booster seats
until adult seat belts fit them properly. Seat belts
fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper
thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt fits
across the chest (not the neck). When adult seat
belts fit children properly they can use the adult
seat belts without booster seats. For the best
possible protection keep children in the back seat
and use lap-and-shoulder belts.

38. 37
Read Traffic Injuries
**Back Seat is Safest. **
All children younger than 13 years should ride in
the back seat. Airbags can kill young children riding
in the front seat. Never place a rear-facing car seat
in the front seat or in front of an air bag. Place
children in the middle of the back seat when
possible, because it is the safest spot in the
vehicle.

39. 38
Read Traffic Injuries
**Sign a Driving Agreement**
If you’re a parent of a teen who is learning to
drive, sign an agreementwith them to limit risky
driving situations, such as having multiple teen
passengers and driving at night.

40. 39
Read Traffic Injuries
**Helmets can Help**
Children should wear an appropriate helmet any
time they are on a motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard,
scooter, or skates.

41. 40
Sports Injuries
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent injuries from sports and recreation
activities, one of the leading causes of child injury,
is a step toward this goal.

42. 41
Sports Injuries
Taking part in sports and recreation activities is an
important part of a healthy, physically active
lifestyle for kids. But injuries can, and do, occur.
More than 2.6 million children 0-19 years old are
treated in the emergency department each year
for sports and recreation-related injuries.

43. 42
Sports Injuries
Thankfully, there are steps that parents can take to
help make sure kids stay safe on the field, the
court, or wherever they play or participate in
sports and recreation activities.
Prevention Tips

44. 43
Sports Injuries
**Gear up**
When children are active in sports and recreation,
make sure they use the right protective gear for
their activity, such as helmets, wrist guards, knee
or elbow pads.

45. 44
Sports Injuries
**Use the right stuff**
Be sure that sports protective equipment is in
good condition and worn correctly all the time—
for example, avoid missing or broken buckles or
compressed or worn padding. Poorly fitting
equipment may be uncomfortable and may not
offer the best protection.

46. 45
Sports Injuries
**Practice makes perfect**
Have children learn and practice skills they need in
their activity. For example, knowing how to tackle
safely is important in preventing injuries in football
and soccer. Have children practice proper form –
this can prevent injuries during baseball, softball,
and many other activities. Also, be sure to safely
and slowly increase activities to improve physical
fitness; being in good condition can protect kids
from injury.

47. 46
Sports Injuries
**Pay attention to temperature**
Allow time for child athletes to gradually adjust to
hot or humid environments to prevent heat-
related injuries or illness. Parents and coaches
should pay close attention to make sure that
players are hydrated and appropriately dressed.

48. 47
Sports Injuries
**Be a good model**
Communicate positive safety messages and serve
as a model of safe behavior, including a wearing
helmet and following the rules.

49. 48
Suffocation
We all want to keep our children safe and secure
and help them live to their full potential. Knowing
how to prevent the leading causes of child injury,
like suffocation, is a step toward this goal.

50. 49
Suffocation
When a child is unable to breath, also known as
suffocation, it can be scary. Infants are most at risk
for suffocation while sleeping. Toddlers are more
likely to suffocate from choking on food and other
objects, like small toys.
Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting
the children they love from suffocation.

51. 50
Suffocation
Prevention TipsCreate a safe sleeping
environment. Place infants on their backs on a firm
surface every time they are laid down for sleep.
The safest place for infants to sleep is in a crib or
bassinet—not in the same bed as parents. Keep
soft objects like stuffed animals, blankets, and
loose bedding out of cribs. Do not put objects such
as mobiles above cribs.

52. 51
Suffocation
Stay safe during meal and play time. Cut or break
age-appropriate food into small bite-size pieces.
Always supervise infants or young children during
mealtime. Encourage children to chew their food
thoroughly and to swallow it before talking or
laughing. Also, children should not eat while
playing or running. Read the age recommendations
and choking hazard labels on toy packaging to
determine suitable toys for children.

53. 52
Suffocation
Learn basic first aid and CPR. Knowing how to
safely remove food and small objects from the
airway and how to perform cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) can save a child’s life. Learn
basic first aid and CPR and get recertified every 2
years.

54. 53
Resources
MedlineSafe Kids USA