Vol. 4, No. 1 • Fall 1999

Don't Go Down the Slide
Head First and Other Easy
Ways to Avoid
Childhood Accidents
by Dr. Phillip Jacobson

Safe is a four-letter word every parent likes and uses often.
Unfortunately, the number one cause of death in children is
accidents. As a pediatrician, I treat preventable childhood injuries every day. Parents don�t want accidents to happen, but sometimes they just don�t anticipate a child�s actions. After 25 years of treating children�s injuries, I want to remind parents of the important aspects of accident prevention.

Think adult supervision
The last thing a child develops in his lifetime is judgment. Parents know this, and yet they will tell an eight-year-old to watch the two-year-old in the front yard while they run inside for �just a minute� to answer a ringing phone. Or, they leave four kids under eight years old at the pool under the supervision of a 12-year-old girl who would rather watch boys than children. Some adolescents need as much supervision as two-year-olds. Just ask a parent whose 14-year-old decided to drive and crashed into the neighbor�s house, or the vacationing parents of a 16-year-old who threw a party for 200 close friends, resulting in police intervention. Most preventable child accidents are the result of a lack of adult supervision combined with the child�s poor judgment. All children need constant adult judgment.

Know what to expect
I�ve seen many older parents or foster parents on their second family who have forgotten how impulsive a four-year-old can be. I�ve also seen parents who�ve never had children before not know the questions to ask or what precautions to take to prevent children�s actions. Abuse and neglect often add increased unpredictability to the mix. Every child is different. Please ask questions and get information when you are not sure.

Bikes, mopeds, and mini bikes
Every child should wear shoes and socks when riding a bike. Helmets should also be worn. Riding barefoot or in sandals often leads to toes caught in spokes or heels caught in chains. Mini-motorized vehicles are dangerous for children who combine a love of speed with a lack of judgment. Your three-year-old requires a safety seat to ride in a car, so don�t let him be a passenger on motorcycles and mini-motorized vehicles.

Sunscreen
If bald men need hats to prevent sunburned scalps, infants and children need equal protection from sunburn. Sunscreens, however, may not be used for any infant under six months old. Their immature skin allows absorption of sunscreen ingredients that can cause damage to kidneys and liver.

Poison, falls, & weapons
Rearrange cabinets, placing items such as plastic containers or items not likely to hurt children at the lower levels, and also lock your cabinets. Make sure the screens are tight and locked. BB guns, hunting knives, and bows and arrows are weapons. Keep them out of sight. A good lock is safety, not threats. Give your kids new, safe experiences. Think prevention. Live safety. Avoid the emergency room�George Clooney doesn�t work there any more!

Dr. Phillip Jacobson is a pediatrician at the Dreyer Medical Clinic in Aurora, Illinois, and the father of two children. He is very familiar with foster care and also serves on the Child Death Review Team for the Aurora Subregion, a multidisciplinary team convened to investigate a child's death from abuse or neglect.

From Fostering Illinois (Late Spring 1999). Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, Chicago, IL. Reprinted with permission.

Copyright � 2000 Jordan Institute for Families