by Doug Carlson, MD, director, St. Louis Children's Hospital C.A.R.E.S. and St. Louis Children's Hospital Emergency Services at Missouri Baptist Medical Center

phone -- 314.454.2440, St. Louis Children's Hospital Injury Prevention Coalition

According to the American Trauma Society, more than 2,600 children in the United States under the age of 14 die each year from injuries occurring in the home. Another three million children receive injuries that could have been prevented.

Injuries can happen in any room in your house, so it's important for you to make your home and surroundings as safe as possible for your children. Use this checklist to identify and correct potentially dangerous areas, and you can go a long way toward reducing your child's chance of injury or trauma. We also recommend making your home safety inventory a family event -- because your children are never too young to learn how to stay safe.

Burns and Carbon Monoxide

• Working smoke detectors should be on each floor and in the basement
  • Smoke detectors should be tested frequently
  • Change batteries every six months
     
• Carbon monoxide detectors with audible alarms should be near sleeping areas
   
• Furnace and fireplace flues should be checked with each seasonal change
   
• Put fire extinguishers in all areas where you work with open flames
  • Place extinguishers in kitchen, basement, garage and in the room where the fireplace is located
  • Learn how to operate the extinguisher
     
• The temperature of your water heater should be set no higher than 120F degrees
   
• When cooking, keep handles on cookware turned inward, and use the back burners
   
• Keep hot foods and liquids out of reach of curious young hands
   
• If you use a space heater, make sure it is not blocking a passage or doorway, or near curtains or other loose material; do not use a space heater in a bedroom or nursery
   
• Keep matches and lighters out of reach
   
• Teach children what to do in case of a fire
  • Stop, drop, and roll
  • Have an escape plan, with two different routes, and rehearse with your children

Falls, Suffocation and Restricting Access

• Install childproof latches on cabinets and drawers
   
• Equip windows with stops to maintain small openings
   
• Area rugs and runners should be slip-proof
   
• Avoid infant walkers with wheels
   
• Keep cribs and beds of small children away from windows
   
• Cribs should have bars no more than 2-3/8 inches apart, so a child cannot get his or her head stuck between the bars
• Crib mattress should be firm and snug fitting
   
• Mesh playpens and portable cribs should always be set up properly and completely when in use; have sides up to avoid a loose pocket where an infant could roll and suffocate; when equipment is not in use, store it away from curious youngsters
   
• Constantly supervise small children in a tub or near any body of water

Electrical

• Keep hair dryers, curling irons and other electric appliances away from sinks, bathtubs and toilets
   
• Use covers for electrical plugs that are less than three foot from the floor
   
• Keep curling irons out of reach of small children

Toys and Food

• Learn first aid, CPR and emergency treatment for choking
   
• Do not use latex balloons around small children
   
• Cut smooth, firm foods such as hot dogs into bite-sized pieces
   
• Keep small objects that can cause choking away from children
  • Avoid toys with parts or decorations that can be pulled off and swallowed
  • Check the eyes and other attached parts of dolls and stuffed animals to ensure they're on tight
     
• Choose toy chests carefully; heavy lids can fall and injure or trap a child

Poison

• Store household cleaners only in the original containers and out of reach
   
• Check the garage and basement for chemicals, and store them properly
   
• Make sure plants are non-toxic
   
• Keep all medications out of reach

Firearms

• If there is a gun in your home, store it unloaded and locked away from children
   
• Store ammunition in a separate location
   
• Use a trigger lock

Car/Recreation/Outdoors

• Keep power tools, yard tools and lawn mowers out of reach of small children
  • Lawn mowers and lawn equipment usage should be age appropriate
     
• Automatic garage doors should have a safety mechanism to automatically re-open if it hits something when closing
   
• Use age-appropriate and properly sized bicycle helmets
  • Helmets and other protective equipment should be worn while bicycling, rollerblading, rollerskating, skateboarding
     
• Each child must be in a car seat sized according to the child's height and weight
  • Infants should ride in an infant car seat facing the back of the car and in the back seat until they are at least 12 months
  • Children older than 12 months may face forward in the back seat
  • Children 13 and under should travel in the back seat and be appropriately restrained
     
• Teach your children how to cross the street safely
  • Cross at the corner
  • Do not cross between cars
  • Know what a running car looks like (backup lights, parking lights, turn signals)
  • Before crossing, look left, right, then left again

Emergency Numbers
Remember to keep emergency numbers by the telephone:
Pediatric Emergency Unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital: 314.454.6111
C.A.R.E.S. Unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital: 314.454.2779
Pediatric Emergency Services at Missouri Baptist Medical Center: 314.996.5437
Fire:
Police:
Poison Control: 314.772.5200
911