Children and Safety: General Information
What do I need to know to keep my child safe?
Here are some great age-related safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
School-Aged Kids
What are the biggest risks to children?
Risks vary with the child’s age. The statistics below on unintentional injury deaths are from 2005 data collected by the CDC [1].
- Babies: For babies under age one, almost 70% of accidental deaths were due to suffocating. Nearly 13% of deaths were from car crashes.
- Toddlers and Preschoolers: About 30% of accidental deaths in children ages one to four were caused by drowning and and about 30% by car crashes. In this age group, fire and burn injuries were the third leading cause of accidental death. Other leading risks were pedestrian injury and suffocation.
- School-aged kids: Children ages five to 14 are at greatest risk from car crashes (almost 55% of accidental deaths in this age group) and drowning (about 11%). Accidental fire/burn injuries were the third leading cause at about 9%.
- Teens: For teens ages 15 to 18, fully 74% of accidental deaths were from car crashes. Accidental poisoning caused about 8% and drowning about 5% of accidental deaths.
If you look at all children, from birth to age 18, the five leading risks for accidental injury deaths are (with number of deaths in 2005):
- Car crashes 5486
- Drowning 1029
- Suffocation 1057
- Fire/burns 510
- Poisoning 546
Which children are at highest risk for accidental injury or death [2]?
- Low-income children
- Minority children
- Rural and urban children
- Boys
- Children age 4 and younger
- Children with emotional or behavioral problems
- Children with developmental disabilities
For more detail, see Children at Higher Risk for Accidental Injuries, a fact sheet from the National Safe Kids Campaign, and the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement on preventing injury among American Indian and Alaskan Native children.
How can I get more specific and detailed safety information?
Visit these safety topics on YourChild:
Safe at home:
- Safe at Home (Baby and children's products, toys and childproofing)
- Choking Prevention
- Food Safety
- Safe Sleep (SIDS)
- Fire Safety
- Poisoning
- Rural and Agricultural Safety
- First Aid and CPR Classes in Your Area
- Guns and Kids
- Air Quality and Safety at Home
- Lead Poisoning
- Second-Hand Smoke and Smoking During Pregnancy
- Internet Safety
Recreational Safety:
- Water Safety and Pools
- Recreational Vehicles
- Sports Safety
- Sledding and Winter Sports Safety
- Playground and Outdoor Play Safety
- Hunting and Shooting Sports Safety: Resources for Young People
Safety Out and About:
- Motor Vehicle Safety: Car Seats, Child Passengers and Teen Drivers
- Safety Out and About: Walking, Biking, Scooters, School Buses, Shopping Carts
- Personal Safety
- Babysitter Safety
- Safe and Fun Prom
Holidays:
Other Safety and Injury Prevention Links, Organizations and Resources:
- The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent Federal regulatory agency that helps keep American families safe by reducing the risk of injury or death from consumer products. For product safety information, to report unsafe products, and for other agency information call: 1-800-638-2772. Go directly to a listing of child safety publications from the CPSC.
- The CPSC Kid's Page
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Injury, Violence and Safety has lots of information, including topics for and about youth.
- The mission of the Think First Foundation is to prevent brain, spinal cord and other traumatic injuries through the education of individuals, community leaders and the creators of public policy. Phone 1-800-THINK56.
- The Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Injury Prevention Website offers a parent's safety handbook online, and fun stuff for kids.
- Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children 14 and under. More than 450 coalitions in 16 countries bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.
- Safe Kids USA’s mission is to prevent the number one killer of children - unintentional injury. They work at a national level through grassroots coalitions to educate adults and children, provide safety devices to families in need, and pass and strengthen laws to empower families and communities to protect children ages 14 and under.
- Children's Safety Network provides resources and technical assistance to state maternal and child health agencies and other organizations seeking to reduce unintentional injuries and violence to children and adolescents. Telephone: 617-969-7101, ext. 2207.
Compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N.
Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan
Updated October 2009
U-M Health System Related Sites:
U-M Pediatrics
Injury Research Center (UMIRC)
