The number one cause of death in infants and children is accidents.

Here are some hints to help prevent accidents:

Auto safety. It doesn't take much for a child to sustain serious injuries in a car. A sudden stop can send a child tumbling. All children must be in an appropriate car seat or safety restraint starting with the first ride home from the hospital. This is not just good parenting - - it is the law!

Infants from birth to one year of age, regardless of their weight, should always ride rear-facing with the shoulder straps positioned below their shoulders in the back seat of your vehicle. Toddlers older than one year of age and over twenty pounds may ride forward facing with the shoulder straps positioned at or above the shoulders in the rear seat of your vehicle. Check with the car seat manufacturer to determine the maximum child weight limit for your particular seat. Once your child has reached the maximum weight limit, a booster seat should be used until your child is 4’9 years of age, usually around age 8. All children less than 12 years old should ride in the back seat of your vehicle.

There is a wealth of information about car seats at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administartion website. Go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov .

Cribs or Bassinets. Government regulations mandate that crib slats should be no more than 2-3/8 inches apart. No slats should be missing or cracked. The crib mattress should fit snugly with secure head- and footboard supports. Crib corner posts should be no higher than 5/8 inches and head- and footboard should not have cut-outs. This will avoid clothing entanglements and head entrapment.

Do not use pillows in an infant's bed.

Water beds are not acceptable for infants, but can be used by older children.

Pacifiers. Always choose a one-piece pacifier which will not allow the mouth-piece to detach from the base. Do not attach strings, ribbons or necklaces to the pacifier to hang it around the baby's neck. However, if you want to prevent the pacifier from falling on the floor, attach a safety pin to the pacifier with a small piece of ribbon or string so that you can fasten it to the baby's outfit.

Poisoning. All toxic substances (household cleaners, medications, make-up) should be put in places that are out of reach.

Any toxins should be kept out of the house in locked containers, not used food containers like soda bottles or empty mayonnaise jars which little children might mistake for food or beverages.

Don't get into the habit of calling medications candy or juice.

Ipecac is no longer recommended to induce vomiting. Please call Poison Control immediately for instructions if any toxic ingestion should occur.

Burns. Avoid any prolonged exposure without sunscreen.

Keep hot foods and hot beverages away from children. Turn pots and pans in toward the stove. If a burn should occur, apply cold water (not ice or butter) immediately and then call our office.

Be careful with curling irons. They frequently cause burns on hands because curious infants and children grab them while they are still hot.

Sleeping. We now advise that newborns sleep on their backs or sides, not face down. This suggestion comes from recent research that sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or crib death) occurs much more frequently in babies sleeping on their stomachs. When babies reach the age that they can flip over from back to front (4-6 months), the risk of SIDS is decreased.

We also advise that when you put your infant in his or her own room (1-3 months), install an intercom or monitor so that you can hear the baby cry. Contrary to some erroneous claims, these devices do not emit an significant electromagnetic force (EMF).

Many parents feel more comfortable keeping the baby in their room especially if the baby is breast-feeding. This may be more convenient but it may begin a habit that could be difficult to break. However, this is obviously an individual decision which parents have to make themselves.

Parents always ask how long should a baby be allowed to cry. Again, this is a decision that is made depending on your level of comfort. What seems like a short period of time for one person may seem like an eternity for another. Most times, if allowed, babies will fuss for a few minutes and then fall asleep on their own. If they get used to being picked up immediately as soon as they start crying, it may be more difficult to get them to sleep on their own.

It is a good idea to keep a bulb-suction device (like the kind used at the hospital) at the bedside for quick clearing of the mouth and throat.

Falling off changing tables is an all too-frequent occurrence. Many parents don't realize how mobile their little infants are. The first time that they decide to roll over at 1-3 months is often from a changing table or a bed onto the floor. Make it a habit to never leave your baby alone even for a second. If you have to move away from the table to reach something, pick your baby up first! You'll never forget the sound or how awful you feel if your baby falls onto the floor.

As your baby gets older, take precautions to prevent falling out of the crib. The mattress in the crib may need to be lowered. When your toddler moves to a bed, we recommend using bed rails to prevent rolling off the bed. Most children by this point are able to climb in and out of the bed, but at night they will often toss and turn enough to fall out.

Since some toddlers have a habit of sleep-walking, we recommend safety precautions to prevent children from falling down stairs or from leaving the house unnoticed.

Pool and water safety There can never be enough said about the dangers that curious infants and toddlers face. From the very beginning, have an appropriate respect for water, whether it is in the bath, toilet, sink, pool, canal or lake.

When you bathe your infant, never leave him or her alone even for a second. It only takes a few seconds to drown, and it doesn't take more than a few inches of water.

When your infant starts to walk around, imagine how interesting a toilet looks from his now vertical point of view. Then remember that it is not that unusual for babies to land head first in a toilet. Again, it only takes a second and only a few inches of water, especially if your baby hits his or her head on the way in.

Sinks full of water are also a danger, especially to a curious toddler.

Outside water safety
A good rule to remember is that if you can afford a pool, you can't afford not to have a pool fence! Many parents insist that they never take their eyes off of their babies. If you listen to parents and other caretakers of infants who have drowned, the one thing they say is that it only took a second. In that second, your life and the life of your child are ruined. If you are at the pool with your baby or toddler, never assume that someone else is watching the infant!

Experts in pool and water safety always stress the idea of "multiple barriers." This means that one door lock, one gate or one fence is never enough by itself. Always remember that one barrier may fail or may not be used, and by having a back-up device, you may save your baby's life. One easily used device is a door alarm. This attaches to any door leading to the outside. Whenever your curious toddler opens that door, you'll know it because of the alarm. Also, don't rely on pool flotation alarms or pool covers; there have been countless disasters that have occurred because of these devices.

As far as swimming is concerned, never consider your infant or child "drown-proofed." Even though "infant survival" classes may help in some cases, they won't totally prevent a disaster. We recommend just having fun with your baby in the water. Don't assume that your one- or two-year old can swim. When your child is around three, he or she is probably old enough to develop an appropriate fear of water.

If you have a special situation at your house such as a pond or lake, think about this long in advance of your child getting into trouble. As soon as your baby is born, anticipate the dangers he or she may get into in the years to come. As your infant gets older, always think safety! It's always better to be a little over-cautious!

Bike and road safety. Your child should always use an approved helmet when riding a bike or when skating. If you take your baby for a ride on your bike, use a helmet for yourself and for your baby!

Make it a rule: as soon as they learn to use a bike without training wheels (or before), use the helmet. If you try to get them to develop this habit at 8, 10 or 12, it's next to impossible! The younger they are, the less self-conscious they are about how they look with a helmet.
Teach your children early about not going out into the street. As soon as your baby can walk, it is time to teach him or her not to wander in the direction of the street.

Firearms. Another issue is gun safety. Since more and more households have guns nowadays, it is especially important to ensure your child's safety. Guns, hidden away for "safe-keeping" are often found by curious toddlers. When your children are older, think of gun safety when your children go to friends' or relatives' houses.

Fire safety. Make sure that your home has properly functioning smoke detectors. Choose a date, such as your anniversary or your child's birthday, to do a yearly update for these devices. Also, have a fire plan in your house. Knowing what you would do in an emergency helps you avoid panicking in a real-life situation.