Accidents are one of the main causes of death among children aged between one and five years old.
Every year, about 500,000 children under the age of five go to hospital because of an accident at home.
Exploring and playing are an essential part of learning, and children shouldn’t be over-protected.
Bumps and bruises are inevitable, but you can do some simple things to make sure that your child doesn’t get seriously injured.
House fires
If your home catches fire, you and your child could breathe in poisonous smoke. It’s especially dangerous if the fire breaks out at night while you’re all asleep.
- Fit smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test the batteries every week. Change the batteries every year or, even better, get alarms that have 10-year batteries or are wired into the mains or plug into light sockets.
- At night, switch off electrical items wherever possible before going to bed and close all doors to contain a potential fire. If you smoke, put any cigarettes right out.
- Practise how you'll escape if there's a fire so you know what to do if the alarm goes off.
Your local fire and rescue service can give you the right advice for your own home and may be able to provide and fit smoke alarms free of charge.
In the car
By law, all under-fives must ride in proper baby or child car seats when travelling by car, even on short, local journeys. The road safety officer at your local council can give you detailed advice. Call your town or county hall or get advice on the Directgov website.
- Always use a baby or child car seat that’s right for your child’s height and weight.
- When buying a seat, try it in your car before buying it. A badly fitting seat can provide less protection in a crash.
- Make sure the seat is fitted properly in the car and that your baby or toddler is securely strapped in.
- It’s illegal, and very dangerous, to carry a baby in a rear-facing baby seat in a front car seat that has an active airbag. Forward-facing seats in the same position, while not illegal, are not ideal for toddlers. Use the back seat for all under-fives if you can.
- Don’t buy a second-hand baby or child seat from a car boot sale or small ad. It could have been damaged in a crash, and it may not have all its parts (including the instructions). It may also not be the safest and most user-friendly model, nor might it fit your car properly.
- Never leave your baby or toddler alone in the car. It can get very hot in summer. Also, they may play with window and door switches or the cigarette lighter. It’s especially dangerous if you leave the keys in the ignition.
Bath water scalds
Bath water scalds can be very serious injuries, needing prolonged treatment and care. They can kill a child. Toddlers may play with the hot tap, scalding themselves and other children sharing the bath with them.
- Never leave a child under five alone in the bath, even for a moment.
- Fit a thermostatic mixing valve to your bath's hot tap to control the temperature and stop your child being badly scalded.
- Put cold water into the bath first, then add the hot water. Always test the temperature of the water, using your elbow, before you put your baby or toddler in the bath. The water should feel neither hot nor cold.
Burns and scalds
- Fit fireguards to all fires and heaters. Use a sparkguard if you have a coal or wood fire. Guards can prevent under-fives falling or reaching into fires.
- Don’t leave hot drinks in easy reach of little hands. Babies and toddlers may grab at cups and mugs on low tables or on the floor and pull the contents over themselves.
Strangulation
- Make sure any cot toys have very short ribbons, and remove them when your baby goes to sleep.
- Never hang things like bags with cords or strings over the cot.
- Cut or tie up curtain or blind cords well out of your baby’s or toddler’s reach.
Poisoning
- Fit carbon monoxide alarms wherever there's a flame-burning appliance (such as a gas boiler) or open fire. Carbon monoxide is poisonous, but you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. Make sure that your appliances are serviced regularly and that ventilation outlets in your home aren’t blocked.
- Remember that child-resistant devices, such as bottle tops, strips of tablets and cigarette lighters, aren’t completely child-proof; some children can operate these products. Store medicines, household chemicals (including cleaning products) and lighters out of sight and out of reach, or locked away safely.
Housing safety
If you live in rented accommodation and are worried that your housing may be unsafe for you and your child, contact your housing association or your landlord.
Further information