Safety – Childhood

Babies and young children are especially at risk from burns — they’re naturally curious and have sensitive skin that needs extra protection. Most burns or scalds are caused in the day-to-day situations that many parents don’t anticipate, like children reaching a hot drink or grabbing hair straighteners.

Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) says “At home, younger children are most likely to drown in the bath or garden pond. It’s important for parents to understand the risks of babies and young children being left alone, even for a moment. They may get no warning that something is wrong, as babies drown silently in as little as 5cm of water.”

Every day approximately 40 children under 5-years old are rushed to hospital because they are choking on something they have eaten or tried to swallow. It is important to know that a child who is choking can be silent. Children are more likely to choke because their bodies are smaller, which makes it easier for foods to get stuck. They are also curious and learn by placing things in their mouths.

Sun safety is important for everyone.

Protecting children and teaching them how to be safe in the sun from an early age will limit their risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

NHS warns: “Socket inserts should not be used in health or social care premises, nor supplied for use in a home or residence.  Any socket inserts currently in use should be withdrawn from use and responsibly disposed of.”

This Parent Tips resource forms part of a suite of Parent Tips around safety in the home that have been updated with the support of the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT).

These Parent Tips give parents and families tips on how to reduce suffocation and strangulation as there are a number of hazards in the home which can cause suffocation or strangulation in babies and children.

Children often fall over as they move around and play but, every day, 45 children under 5-years old are admitted to hospital because their fall is a serious one. Falls are the most common cause of accidents to children.

These Good Practice Points (updated July 2021) set out what health visitors need to know about how injuries can be prevented, often through simple changes to daily routines.