Unintentional brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children. Parents may not always be able to keep their children from getting hurt, but there are some simple things they can do to make injury less likely. Protecting a child's head from falls and motor vehicle crashes is one of the most important things. Please take a few minutes to read through the information below.

A parent's role as a protector and teacher:
Parents are often amazed at the skills and self reliance of their elmentary school age children. However until age 10, a child still cannot make safety decisions on their own. Developmentally, they cannot judge the stopping distances of cars, their ability to sustain injury from height or the danger of things such as fire, firearms and dogs. They must learn how to play safely to avoid getting hurt because at this age, things such as brain injuries can occur as a result of falling while playing on playground equipment or in sports.

Parents can do three things to reduce the likelihood of their toddler sustaining an injury:

• Use safety devices such as smoke detectors, bike helmets and booster seats.
• Alter the child's environment by providing personal floatation device in water and providing proper padding on playgrounds.
• Provide supervision when children are near situations that can cause injury such as roadways, the stove, high places they could fall from or walking to the bus stop or school.

It is our hope that the following information will assist parents in raising a healthy, happy and safe child.

An elementary school child's biggest risks at this age:

Car Crashes:
At this age, children do not fit into adult seatbelts yet. Once children grow out of their car seats (usually 40 pounds), they should be in booster seats with a lap and shoulder seatbelt in the rear seat of the vehicle until eight years old and 80 pounds. Once out of a booster seat, children must still be seated in the rear seat with a lap and shoulder seatbelt until age 12. For more information on child passenger safety visit www.safekidscharmeck.org, www.nhtsa.gov or call 704-336-7233.

Falls:
Children will explore their world with zest. To ensure they are protected from falls while they explore, make sure playgrounds are adequately padded and supervised at all times. Insist that they wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet when riding a bike, skooter or roller skating.

Burns:
Hot water heaters should be set to a maximum of 120 degrees to reduce the likelihood of burns from water. To prevent burns while cooking, insist that children play somewhere else besides the kitchen and place guards on stove knobs if needed. Protect children from house fire burns by installing and checking regularly a smoke alarm. For more information on fire prevention, visit www.charlottefire.org.

Drowning:
At this age children are drawn to water. All pools should have a fence around all four sides that is locked with a child proof latching system. Children need to be supervised around water even if they know how to swim. When boating or near a large body of water, children need to wear personal flotation devices. For more information, visit www.safekidscharmeck.org or www.usa.safekids.org.

Poisoning:
If a poisoning is suspected call 1-800-222-1222. For more information on poison prevention visit www.ncpoisoncenter.org.

Outdoor Safety:
Although children are independent at this age, they are not ready to judge safety issues. When playing outside, parents need to be with their child at all times to help it avoid dangerous situations.

Fire Arms:
A majority of two year olds are strong enough to pull the trigger on a gun. Ensure any firearms are unloaded and locked away in a cabinet or with a trigger lock and stored away from the ammunition. For more information visit, www.charmeck.org/Departments/MCSO/Home.htm

Sports Safety:
During sport activities, parents should ensure their child wears all the protective gear required of that sport and that safety precautions are taken during games and at practices. For more information, visit www.usasafekids.org or www.nata.org.

Youth violence:
Youth violence includes aggressive behaviors such as verbal abuse, bullying, hitting, slapping or fist fighting. Parents must teach their child other outlets for expressing anger and encourage positive activities. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov or www.safeyouth.org.

Children who have had an injury in the past, a developmental delay of some type or are in homes with domestic violence, substance abuse or mental health issues may be at greater risk for injury and may require additional protective measures.

For more information on childhood injuries locally visit www.carolinasinjuryprevention.com or www.safekidscharmeck.org. For national information visit www.cdc.gov, www.usa.safekids.org, or www.aap.org.

If children play at other friend's houses or stay with other caregivers outside their homes, parents should ensure the same guidelines for safety are followed at that house.

This article is provided strictly as a service and for informational purposes. Carolinas Medical Center makes no representations or warranties about the information in this article and this article is not intended to replace any advice or information from your pediatrician. This article does not guarantee that an infant or child will not suffer injury or death even if all guidelines are followed.