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  Love Your Child, Prevent Injuries (3 - 5 years) Download

Is your child safe? Injury is a major child killer. Many children are killed or disabled by injuries every year. To protect your child from injuries, beware of his behaviour and remove all potential risks.
Children aged 5 or below may not understand or remember what is dangerous. Parents should not over-estimate their ability. Tragedies can be caused by errors of judgment. Do not let children make judgment on their own even if you have taught them how to prevent injuries. Statistics show that the home is the most common place of injury in children aged 0 to 5 years.
Common injuries in toddlers aged 3 to 5 years: With increasing mobility, better physical strength and greater independence, children at this age like to climb, jump and imitate acts that are difficult and often dangerous. Their impulsiveness and lack of judgment make injuries more likely.
Common injuries at this stage include falls, burns and scalds.
Common injuries and preventive measures: 1. Falls Avoid using bunk beds where possible. Consider using a bed with an additional retractable bed attached to its base.
Parents who use bunk beds should avoid letting children sleep on the upper deck. Otherwise, fit strong side rails of appropriate height to the upper deck and install a secure ladder for sale climbing. To prevent children from falling, install window guards and fences or wire meshes around balconies. The upper deck of a bunk bed is not safe for children.
Do not let children run around. Otherwise, they may slip or bump into walls, doors or furniture. Spilled water or grease on the floor should be cleared immediately to prevent children from slipping. Choose the flooring materials carefully. Glossy flooring makes slipping more likely. Small carpets could also cause slipping. To prevent both adults and children from tripping over, walkways should be clear of toys or objects and electric cords should be properly secured.
Children could slip on a wet floor when they run around.
2. Scalds or burns Do not let children cook on their own. Young children often scald themselves with hot water when making cup noodles. After putting in hot water, while the foam cup is still cool the content could be very hot. If the foam cup is not strong enough, it could become soft due to the high temperature. Young children could get scalded it they do not manage to hold the cup firmly. Do not place teapots, kettles or thermo flasks near the edge of a table or in a place where children can reach. Put matches and lighters away. Warn your children about the dangers of playing with fire. Hot water and fire are very dangerous. Keep children away from them.
Treatment of scalds: Pour cold water over the wound to cool it down. Then wrap it in a piece of clean cloth or bandage. Do not spread oils, toothpaste, butter or cooking sauces over the wound. Do not wrap it in adhesive dressings such as band-aids or fluffy cloth.
Conclusion: Most injuries can be prevented. What parents have to do is to be vigilant and learn more about childhood development so as to take preventive measures. Never leave children at home alone or put them in the care of an older child. Parents should set a good example for children. Pay close attention to your children to understand their temperament and teach them safety at the right moments. Child care workers such as kindergarten teacher should also give proper guidance to young children to prevent injuries.
Parents who need occasional child care services could approach the Occasional Child Care Service or Mutual Help Child Care Centres of the Social Welfare Department. For information or enquiries, please refer to pamphlets of the Social Welfare Department or contact its Child Care Centre Advisory Inspectorate. Tel: 2835 2725 For more information on health, please call our 24-hour health education hotline (Cantonese. English and Putonghua) at 2833 0171 or visit our web site: http://www.cheu.gov.hk For animated information on protecting children from injuries, please visit the web site of the Hong Kong ChildHealth Foundation at http://www.childhealthhongkong.com For prevention and first-aid treatments of home injuries, please visit the web site of the Hong Kong Childhood Injury Prevention and Research Association at http://www.childinjury.gov.hk

 
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Last revision date: 01 September 2006