Question

Identifies injury prevention strategies for toddlers. (keep in mind a nurse educating a parent)

Includes anticipatory guidance interventions for child and/or family

Answer 1

INJURY PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR TODDLERS

Falls

• Don't allow children to stand on high chairs or regular chairs. They can easily fall.
• Lock all windows or screens, or install safety stops so they will only open a few inches.
• Don't allow children to sit on counter tops.
• Don't allow children to play on balconies unsupervised.
• Never leave the child on a raised surface, such as a changing table or a counter top, unattended.
• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of all stairways in the home. Don't rely on doors. Eventually one will be left open.
• Provide rubber soled, canvas shoes when children start walking. Stiff leather shoes are hard to walk in and may cause more frequent falls.
• Discourage running in the house, especially in rooms that have a lot of furniture.
• Cover all sharp furniture edges with corner guards and edge covers.
• Make sure all play areas are free of falling hazards such as deep holes, glass, and rusty and/or sharp objects. Suffocation or Choking
• Do not cover mattresses or pillows with plastic.
• Tie knots in plastic bags before throwing them away.
• Store all plastic bags (garbage bags, sandwich bags, grocery bags) out of reach
• Use baby powder cautiously. It can be dangerous if large amounts are inhaled.
• Fasten the restraining straps on children's high chairs close to the body.
• Make sure all mobiles are hung beyond children's reach.
• Make sure all sheets and bedcovers are loose so children cannot get stuck underneath them.
• Use balloons with extreme caution. They are especially dangerous if swallowed.
• Never leave toddlers unsupervised near water.
• Keep the doors to all household appliances shut at all times.
• If there is an unused refrigerator or freezer in or around the house, remove the door, or lock it shut.

Poisoning

• Keep all toxic materials, including household cleaners, medications, and chemicals out of the reach of children in cabinets that are locked or that have childproof latches.
• Throw out all medication, household cleaners, and other toxic substances that have not been used in the last year. The fewer poisonous substances there are in your house, the less the risk for accidental poisoning
• Lock up all medications. Unfortunately, children sometimes figure out how to open bottles that have childproof caps.
• Avoid carrying medications in purses or briefcases. Children love to go through them and may mistake the medication for candy.
• When giving medication to a child, avoid calling it candy or making a game of it.
• Make sure that all medications and chemicals in the home are correctly labeled. Parents will need to know exactly what their children have swallowed in the event of a poisoning.
• Try to store all nonedible substances in a place other than the kitchen.
• Never store chemicals or cleaners in food containers.
• Rinse empty chemical containers before throwing them away. Make sure they are discarded in a place where they cannot be retrieved by children.
• Use insect and rodent poisons very carefully. Make sure they are placed only in areas where children cannot find them.
• Treat alcoholic beverages as poison. Lock them up out of the reach of children.
• Many house plants are poisonous. Keep them out of the reach of children.
• Keep the telephone number of the local poison control center on or near the telephone.

Scalds and Burns

• Use fire resistant clothing for infants. Wash them according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Always feel car seats before putting children into them. They can become very hot from the sun.
• Keep children away from all hot appliances, including stoves, light bulbs, toasters, portable heaters, grills, irons, and curling irons.
• Do not leave cups of hot liquid (coffee, tea, soup) within the reach of children. Never carry children while pouring or carrying a cup of hot liquid.
• Turn down the water heater in your home to 120 degrees to prevent burns in the bathtub or at the faucet. Always check the temperature of bath water before bathing children.
• When children begin to understand words, teach them the meaning of "hot."
• Use safety plugs or outlet caps on all unused electrical outlets in the home.
• Turn all pot handles away from the edge of the stove while cooking.
• Avoid using tablecloths. Toddlers often use them to pull themselves up, and if hot food is on the table, it can come down on top of them.
• Make sure the cords to all appliances used in the home do not dangle within the reach of children.
• Tape extension cords together to prevent children from pulling them apart.
• Make sure all matches and cigarette lighters are kept out of the reach of children.
• If there is a fireplace in the home, make sure it is well screened.

Motor Vehicle Accidents

• Always restrain children in automobile safety seats. Use safety seats until children no longer fit in one, and are big enough to use standard adult seat belts (usually about 60 pounds, or five years of age).
• The most dangerous place for children to be if there is an auto accident is in the arms of an adult. Always place children in child safety seats.
• Make sure infants (up to 20 pounds) are placed in safety seats facing rearward instead of forward. The safest place to place infant safety seats is in the middle of the back seat.
• Make sure the seat belts and/or harnesses used to secure children into the safety seats are tight enough.
• Never leave a stroller behind a parked car.
• Don't allow children to play in driveways.
• Begin teaching traffic safety as early as possible.
• Don't allow children to play outdoors unsupervised until they have repeatedly proven that they understand the rules of traffic safety.