Every hour, four children are injured at home

Hospital episode statistics for the year 2008-09 have revealed that four young children are admitted to hospital every hour after suffering an accident at home.

The data, collated by healthcare professionals, indicates that nearly 100 babies and toddlers are hospitalised every day. This shocking reality is in direct opposition to the findings of a recent survey commissioned by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) which showed that parents perceive their home to be the safest place for their young children.

The survey, which was conducted by Mum Poll at the beginning of June this year, included 2,636 respondents with children under the age of 5. It revealed that, while almost three quarters of parents worry about their child being injured, just fewer than 50% believe that they are powerless to prevent accidents.

Of most concern was the lack of awareness that many parents had about the dangers that exist at home. The majority were conscious of the common risks posed by boiling liquids and staircases but were less aware of the risks of injuries from detergent capsules, hair straighteners, windows and smoke.

In addition to this, the survey also revealed that 70% of dads and 50% of mums felt that people worry too much about accidents and that it was a sign of “health and safety gone mad”. In fact, one in five parents believes that transforming their home into a safe environment for their child would take too much time and energy.

CAPT, which is the UK’s leading charity working to reduce the number of children killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents, has identified four key areas of risk to children within their own homes and is encouraging parents to make small changes to alleviate these risks. The four key areas are poisons, falls, burns and fires.

Statistics show that around 11 toddlers are admitted to hospital every day after swallowing something potentially harmful, such as a detergent capsule, and are admitted to hospital as a result. Falls pose an even greater risk, with around 45 young children being admitted to hospital every day because they have suffered a serious fall at home. Serious burns send an average of 6 children to hospital every day, with many parents unaware that hair straighteners can still inflict burns up to 8 minutes after they’ve been switched off. Finally, every week two toddlers are admitted to hospital after inhaling poisonous smoke from a fire in their home.

Katrina Phillips, CAPT’s Chief Executive, said that the results of the survey were “worrying” and went on to explain that, “parents needn’t feel overwhelmed by accidents, as just two minutes a day making small changes in their home – the same amount of time it takes to clean your teeth each morning – can make a huge difference to their child’s safety.”

Another way in which you can ensure your child’s safety is to become properly trained to deliver first aid if an accident does occur. We offer Health and Safety training and Paediatric First Aid courses, which are mapped to national standards and cover common emergency procedures.

Operations Director Perry Leeks says: “No parent wants to see their children come to harm and, with a few simple measures and some practical training, you can ensure their safety. It is important to know the risks and do what you can to improve safety. Our courses are perfect for child carers and teachers and can also prove very useful for parents. For more information on any of the courses please visit our website or give us a call today.”