Prevent Child Injury
Injuries occur in young children as they develop and explore their surroundings. Their bones, muscles, vision, and balance are still developing. They are learning new skills all the time and don’t have the skills that adults have to judge whether or not their activities are safe.
Leading Ontario Child Injuries:
- Falls
- Scalds and Burns
- Poisonings
Importance of Play
Play is an important part of early child development. Through play, children develop their:
- fine and gross motor skills
- language skills
- social and emotional skills
The aim of promoting child safety is not to reduce children’s physical activity or to prevent them from exploring their environment due to fear of them getting hurt. Injury prevention efforts are focused on recognizing and reducing the risks for serious injuries (due to falls, burns/scalds and poisoning) so the child can be kept safe during play or any other situation.
“What? So What? Now What?” are three questions to help you think about child safety. It helps you recognize the new skills your child is developing and what could cause injury. Then you can think of ways to keep your child safe.
- What can my child do now?
- So what can hurt my child?
- Now what can I do to keep them safe?
For more information and/or to sign up for a free program where you can receive helpful child safety tips (ages 0-3 years) through email based on the age of your child visit www.preventchildinjury.ca
Source: www.preventchildinjury.ca