Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘emergency’

 A child injury prevention fair is being held at Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Myers, this Saturday, January 23rd.   The Emergency and Trauma Services wing at Lee Memorial will be working in conjunction with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to provide activities and information to educate families on how to avoid childhood accidents. 

Some of the areas to be discussed include how to prevent child injuries such as fall accidents, child burn injury and car accident injury.  Healthy snacks will also be available. 

 Michele King, director of the Child Advocacy Program at The Children’s Hospital stated. “There will be so much good information for parents and kids.  It is very interactive.”

 To find out more information on the event, please contact Karen Krieger, Director of Public Affairs at 239-454-8765.

Household injuries are one of the top reasons kids under age 3 visit the ER, and nearly 70% of the children who die from unintentional injuries at home are 4 years old and under. Young kids have the highest risk of being injured at home because that’s where they spend most of their time.

Supervision is the best way to prevent injuries, in the home and out, but even the most watchful parents can’t keep kids completely out of harm’s way every second of the day.

We’d like to share additional information with you on making your home safer.  We went over some tips in part 1, but here are a  few more.

 1) Child monitoring system.  These systems offer peace of mind and protection.  They come in audio and video configurations.  Monitoring your child when they are out of sight in another room provides a safe environment.

 2) Carbon Monoxide Detector.  Reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning by installing these detectors outside a child’s bedroom or other sleeping areas in your home.

 3) Safety Gates.  Children need to be diverted from dangerous areas, including   stairwells and places you consider off-limits.  Safety gates that can be attached to a wall offer more protection than pressure gates.

4.) Always keep guns, toxic items and choking hazards safely stored and locked up  and out of the reach of children.

5.) Keep a list of emergency contact phone numbers near your phones in the event of an emergency.

 Protect your child from unintentional injury.  Implementing safety devices and keeping a watchful eye will benefit your child.  An ounce of prevention goes a long way!