By ANGELA DIXON, R.N.

Fayette County Health Dept.

Did you know that nearly 300 children under the age of four die every month in the United States because of accidents - most of which can be prevented. Accidents are the greatest threat to the life and health of a school-age child. More school-age children die of injuries than all other diseases combined. Often, accidents for children under five happen because parents are not aware of what their children can do. Your infant is a fast learner and will suddenly be able to roll over, crawl, sit and stand. Your infant may climb before walking, or walk with support months before you expect. An infant will be able to grasp or reach almost anything. At age one or two, a child can walk, run, climb, jump, and explore everything. Children learn fast. Between age two and four, a child is at special risk for injuries from falls, drowning, poisons, burns, and car accidents. Children do not understand danger. At age five, your child is learning to do many things that can cause serious injury, such as riding a bicycle or crossing a street. Children this age cannot judge what is safe. You must protect your child. Children are not good at judging sound, distance, or the speed of an approaching car. As your child ages, they will become more independent. They look to friends for approval. They do more things away from home. They try to do daring things. They do not want to obey grown-ups rules. But your child can learn safety rules with your help and reminders. You can prevent common major injuries by taking a few simple steps.

Many children are injured due to a fall. Falls can be prevented by using gates on stairways and doors. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using a baby walker. Children have been known to tip walkers over, fall out of them, fall down the stairs in them, or can even get to places where hot foods or heavy objects can be pulled down on them. A chair left next to a kitchen counter or table allows your child to climb to dangerously high places. Make sure the surface under play equipment is soft enough to absorb a fall. Some suggestions to pad a fall from play equipment would be to use a rubber mat, 12 inches of sand, saw dust, or wood chips. If your child does experience a serious fall, call your doctor immediately.

Burns are also a common preventable accident for children. Never leave cups of hot coffee on tables or counter edges. Never carry hot liquids or food near your child or while holding your child. The kitchen can be a dangerous place for your child when you are cooking. Keep your child out of rooms where there are hot objects that may be touched or put a barrier around them. Always teach a child and continually review not to touch lighters or matches. If your child does get burned, immediately put cold water on the burned area. Then cover the burn loosely with a bandage or clean cloth. Call your doctor for all burns. To protect your child from hot water scalds, reduce the temperature of your hot water heater to between 120 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Test the batteries in your smoke detector every month to be sure they work and change the batteries once every year. Develop an escape plan in case of fire in your home. Teach your child what to do if the smoke alarm rings and practice the plan regularly.

As an infant grows, they continue to explore their world by putting everything in their mouths, even if it does not taste good. Children can open doors and drawers, take things apart, and open bottles easily so you must use safety caps on all medicines and toxic household products. It is best to keep all household products and medicine completely out of sight and reach. Never store lye drain cleaner in your home. If your child does put something poisonous in his or her mouth, call your Poison Control or doctor immediately. Attach these numbers close to your phone.

It is also important to keep small objects or balloons out of reach due to the possibility of choking. Watch choky foods such as popcorn, grapes, hot dogs, peanuts or raw carrots. Cut all food for children into thin slices. Learn how to save the life of a choking child.

Between the age of six months and two years, most children love to play in water. You should never leave your child alone in or near a bathtub, pail of water, wading or swimming pool, or any other water, even for a moment. A child can drown in only two inches of water. Empty all the water from the bathtub, a pail, or any container of water immediately after use. Keep the door to the bathroom closed. If you have a swimming pool, make sure you have a fence around it that includes a locked gate. Knowing how to swim does not make our child water safe 100 percent of the time but swimming lessons are a good idea at any age. And once our child knows how to swim, never let your child swim alone. Teach your child never to dive into water unless an adult has checked the depth of the water. Children should wear a life vest whenever they are riding in a boat.

Many accidents can be avoided if you teach your children bike safety. Never let your child ride a bike without a helmet. Be sure that the bike your child rides is the right size. Your child must be able to place the balls of both feet on the ground when sitting on the seat with hands on the handlebars. Teach your child the "Rules of the Road" and be sure your child knows them. It is dangerous for your child to ride at dusk or after dusk.

It is important to also teach your child how to cross the street. Teach them to stop at the curb, look left, then look right, and back to the left again. Also, teach your child how to be safe in a parking lot. Cars too often can not see children as they are backing out of a parking spot. Always hold your child's hand as you walk through a parking lot.

As you have noticed in the news, children in homes where guns are present are in more danger of being shot by themselves, their friends, or family members than injured by an intruder. It is best to keep all guns out of the house. If you must keep a gun, keep it unloaded and in a locked place separate from ammunition. Remember, handguns are especially dangerous.

Last but definitely not least, always practice appropriate car safety. Car crashes are a great danger to your child's life and health. Most injuries and deaths caused buy car crashes can be prevented buy the use of care safety seats every time your child is in the car.

Be sure that the safety seat is installed correctly and that your car seat is the right kind for your child's age and weight. Be a good role model. Make sure you and other adults buckle up, too. Also, remind your child to buckle when riding with others.

Would you be able to help your child in case of an injury? Put emergency numbers by or on your phone. Learn first aid and CPR. Be prepared...for your child's sake. Remember, the biggest threat to your child's life and health is an accident.

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