While home should be a safe place for children to learn and grow, most injuries to young children occur in their homes.
Children are vulnerable in this environment because heights, space and structures are built for adult use and comfort, but often create hazards for children.
Injuries in the home are most often caused by falls, burns, poisoning, choking, strangulation and drowning.
Each year, emergency departments across Canada see more than 28,000 children and teens with injuries that occurred at home. Two-thirds of these injuries happen to children younger than five years old.
- Falls are the No.1 cause of injuries and most often children fall from furniture and stairs. For infants, fall-related injuries can happen when they are being carried by a parent or caregiver.
- Burns are usually caused by hot liquids and tap water that is too hot. Scald burns can lead to longer hospitalizations and lifelong treatment.
- Poisoning is most often from medication, household cleaning products and personal care products.
- Choking is typically caused when eating food. For infants and toddlers, preparing food safely is especially important.
- Toddlers and preschoolers may be unintentionally strangled while playing with window blind cords or drawstrings on clothing.
Social factors that increase child injury risk
Parachute recognizes that parents who live in low-income housing may not be able to control their environment to install safety features such as window guards or buy necessary products, such as stair gates, to decrease hazards. We decrease rates of injury when we improve people’s access to health services, education, employment income, quality housing and improved social environments. Efforts to improve policies, such as banning baby walkers with wheels or changing building codes to eliminate danger in housing structures, are also effective in reducing or eliminating injuries for all children.