The guides – ‘Child Safety in Vehicles’ and ‘Child Safety at Home’ – detail the most prevalent ways in which children sustain injuries and how parents and caretakers can establish a secure environment for their children both at home and during travels.
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Around the globe, a child succumbs to a preventable injury every 30 seconds, equating to nearly 3,000 children daily. But what defines a ‘preventable injury,’ and how can parents proactively safeguard their children from avoidable harm?
In commemoration of Emirati Children’s Day on March 15, the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC) and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) introduced two guides aimed at addressing these queries. The manuals, focusing on ‘Child Safety in Vehicles’ and ‘Child Safety at Home,’ delineate the primary causes of child injuries and offer insights into how parents and guardians can create a safe environment for their children at home and while on the move.
Understanding Children’s Vulnerability
The guides underscore that injuries rank among the leading causes of child mortality. The narrative emphasizes that as parents and caregivers, the occurrence of child injuries is not a matter of fate or chance but rather a predictable and preventable outcome.
According to ADPHC, children face heightened injury risks due to several factors:
• Disproportionately large heads in relation to their bodies, leading to imbalance, especially during falls. • Narrower airways, increasing the likelihood of choking on small objects. • More delicate skin that is prone to bruising, grazing, and burns. • Limited height, rendering them less visible to vehicles and elevating the risk of road traffic incidents. • Immature and inexperienced, resulting in a lack of understanding of hazards and risks. • Innately curious and fearless, driving them to explore their surroundings.
Ensuring Child Safety
The primary causes of preventable injuries encompass road traffic incidents, falls, drowning, burns, poisoning, choking, and bicycle-related collisions.
Road Traffic Incidents
Children are susceptible to accidents involving vehicles, particularly when cars are reversing into driveways. Instances of young children left unattended in cars have also been reported. Parents and caregivers can mitigate these risks by raising awareness and educating children about traffic hazards.
Guidelines for ensuring child safety inside the car include:
• Securing children with appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts based on their age, height, and weight. • Ensuring children are safely positioned in the back seat to prevent leaning out of windows or engaging in distracting behaviors. • Locking all windows and doors in the rear of the vehicle. • Setting a positive example by consistently wearing seat belts.
Safety Measures Outside the Home
• Parking vehicles away from play areas. • Instructing children not to run towards moving vehicles. • Never leaving children unattended in a car. • Installing mirrors, detectors, or cameras inside vehicles to monitor children’s movements. • Erecting lockable fences or barriers around play areas to prevent children from venturing onto the street.
Neighborhood Safety Practices
• Educating children on road safety, emphasizing the importance of walking without running or pushing. • Holding children’s hands while crossing roads. • Ensuring children walk on the inside of the sidewalk, away from moving vehicles. • Teaching children proper road-crossing etiquette, such as using designated pedestrian crossings, waiting for the green light, and looking both ways before crossing. • Setting a good example by refraining from using cell phones while walking near roads.
Stay tuned for more safety guidelines on falling, drowning, burns, poisoning, choking, and bicycle-related collisions.