Parents not acting on instincts to prevent child accidents:new study reveals for child safety week 23rd - 29th June 2008
| Author: Patricia Robinson | Published: 26th June 2008 12:26 |
Monday 23 June 2008 12:01
Department for Children, Schools and Families (South West)
Parents not acting on instincts to prevent child accidents:new study reveals for child safety week 23rd - 29th June 2008
Monday 23 June 2008 00:01
Department for Children, Schools and Families (South West)
National child safety week - how safe are your children in the home?
Parents of young children across the South West are being reminded of the simple, practical steps they can take to help prevent accidents in the home during National Child Safety Week (22-28 June), organised by the Child Accident Prevention Trust.
A series of events have been organised across the region to bring the safety message home to parents, including a week of activities at the Green Ark Sure Start Centre in Devonport. A series of posters and leaflets have been produced and the emergency services will be talking to parents who use the centre about how they can avoid accidents.
In Plymouth alone, 1,105 accidents to children under-five were recorded at the city's Derriford Hospital Accident and Emergency Department between April 2007 and March 2008.
Of these, 312 were minor head injuries, 256 lacerations, 118 fractures, 115 sprains or strains, 96 contusions and 84 burns. These figures do not include children brought to the hospital from outside the city's boundaries.
One parent who knows the emotional and physical cost of child injuries is Cathryn Horton, from Yelverton, near Plymouth, whose daughter, Shakira, was burnt by scalding hot chocolate left on a table just before Christmas.
"Shakina was 16 months and we put the mug on a surface that I thought was well out of her reach, " said Cathryn.
"I turned away for a second and she just grabbed it and suddenly started screaming as it went all over her. It all happened so quickly.
"I realised what she had done straightaway and put her in the bath with the cold shower running over her burned area before we rushed her up to Derriford Hospital where she was treated for burns on her chest. She was then referred to the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital, near Bristol for further treatment.
"Fortunately they expect her to make a full recovery and the scars probably won't be permanent but the whole experience was incredibly upsetting for us as well as Shakira.
"I would like to warn other people that these sort of accidents can happen very quickly and could be prevented with just a little care."
A national survey by the Child Accident Prevention Trust of over 1,000 parents and grandparents of under fives - to mark the launch of Child Safety Week - reveals that:
* Although 90 per cent of parents and grandparents recognise that hot drinks are a danger to small children, half of those caring for children under five don't realise that a cup of tea or coffee can still scald a baby 15 minutes after it's been made. (Fact: Over 500 under fives are rushed to casualty every week because of burns and scalds. Hot drinks are the number one cause)
* Although 86 per cent of those surveyed know that everyday painkillers are a danger for children, over a quarter of those caring for under fives admit to keeping them in a handbag, where children can potentially find them. (Fact: Around 20 children are admitted to hospital every day because they are thought to have swallowed something poisonous - and under fives are at greatest risk)
* 87 per cent of parents and grandparents believe it's dangerous not to have safety gates on the stairs. But one in four of those caring for a crawling baby or toddler don't have a safety gate on their stairs. (Fact: Almost 800 under fives are rushed to casualty every week after falling down stairs or steps at home).
* Over a quarter of parents and grandparents don't have restrictive opening devices on large windows. But 86 per cent know that open windows upstairs pose a real risk to young children. (Fact: Almost 2,000 under fives are rushed to casualty every year after falling from buildings. Last year, seven under fives died this way)
Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust said:
"Accidents are the second biggest killer of children in the UK. Six children die every week and over 2,000 are admitted to hospital. Most families are well aware of the dangers to children. But an alarming number don't put their knowledge into practice.
"We know it's hard when you're busy caring for a young child. And it's easy to think that a serious accident won't happen to your child. But taking a few simple safety precautions can make a real difference to their safety.
"Our theme for Child Safety Week is Make a change. Make a difference. We're asking parents and grandparents to think about their everyday behaviour and routines, and see what they can change to make their children safer both at home and while out and about. Every year thousands of children are killed or injured on the roads too, as pedestrians, cyclists and in cars."
Pat Smith, Children's Centre manager of the NCH Green Ark Children's Centre, said: "Child Safety Week is an opportunity for us to show parents to potential dangers in the home. Anything that can be done to reduce the injury toll in Plymouth and the whole of Devon and Cornwall must be welcomed. Child safety is everyone's responsibility."
Further information about how to keep children safe from serious accidents can be found by visiting http://www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety
NOTES
Child Safety Week runs every year in the last full week of June and is organised by national charity Child Accident Prevention Trust. The Week is about getting simple, practical child safety advice to parents and families. This year the theme is,"Make a change. Make a difference", small changes, like buying a safety gate or remembering not to leave cleaning products or medicines within easy reach of toddlers, can make a big difference to your child's safety. For more information on child safety, please visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety
Child Accident Prevention Trust
The Child Accident Prevention Trust is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents. It is the national organiser of Child Safety Week. For more information visit http://www.capt.org.uk/
Whilst most parents have a good understanding about how to prevent accidents and keep their children safe, a new study reveals that this is often not being acted upon.
In the South West region, 751 children aged between 0 and 4 were admitted to hospital last year due to a fall and 254 for accidental poisoning. 85 incidents of burns and scalds took place, along with five incidents of choking and four of drowning.
A survey by the Child Accident Prevention Trust of over 1,000 parents and grandparents of under fives - to mark the launch of Child Safety Week (Monday 23 to Sunday 29 June) - reveals that:
* Although 90 per cent of parents and grandparents recognise that hot drinks are a danger to small children, half of those caring for children under five don't realise that a cup of tea or coffee can still scald a baby 15 minutes after it's been made 1. (Fact: Over 500 under fives are rushed to casualty every week because of burns and scalds. Hot drinks are the number one cause 2)
* Although 86 per cent of those surveyed know that everyday painkillers are a danger for children, over a quarter of those caring for under fives admit to keeping them in a handbag, where children can potentially find them. (Fact: Around 20 children are admitted to hospital every day because they are thought to have swallowed something poisonous - and under fives are at greatest risk 3)
* 87 per cent of parents and grandparents believe it's dangerous not to have safety gates on the stairs. But one in four of those caring for a crawling baby or toddler don't have a safety gate on their stairs. (Fact: Almost 800 under fives are rushed to casualty every week after falling down stairs or steps at home 4)
* Over a quarter of parents and grandparents don't have restrictive opening devices on large windows. But 86 per cent know that open windows upstairs pose a real risk to young children. (Fact: Almost 2,000 under fives are rushed to casualty every year after falling from buildings 5. Last year, seven under fives died this way 6)
Children's Minister, Kevin Brennan MP, says:
"Home is where the heart is, but for young children it's also where the danger is. We want parents to have all the information and support they need to keep their children safe. That is why we are working with the Child Accident Prevention Trust on Child Safety Week and will spend £18 million over the next three years to provide home safety equipment to parents who need our help the most.
"With children from poorer families statistically far more likely to have an accident, our aim is to help parents take the right steps and prevent the risk becoming a reality.
"The first step for all parents is to look at the home from a child's viewpoint to identify potential hazards and then make small changes to make it safer. Our campaign will give parents more information on how to do that and how to access good home safety schemes in their area. So my message is look at your home and "think kid" to keep your children safe."
Child Safety Week raises awareness about serious child accidents and provides simple, practical advice to help parents and carers keep children safe - without being over protective.
To find out more about child safety, including advice and information on how to make your home safe, visit http://www.capt.org.uk/ or http://www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety or contact your local Sure Start Children's Centre.
NOTES
Child Safety Week runs every year in the last full week of June and is organised by national charity Child Accident Prevention Trust. The Week is about getting simple, practical child safety advice to parents and families. This year the theme is,"Make a change. Make a difference", small changes, like buying a safety gate or remembering not to leave cleaning products or medicines within easy reach of toddlers, can make a big difference to your child's safety. For more information on child safety, please visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/childsafety
Child Accident Prevention Trust
The Child Accident Prevention Trust is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people killed, disabled and seriously injured as a result of accidents. It is the national organiser of Child Safety Week. For more information visit http://www.capt.org.uk/
Survey findings:
All survey findings are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,881 parents or grandparents of children up to the age of 16. Findings quoted relate to a sub sample of 1,118 parents and grandparents of children under five. Fieldwork was undertaken between 29 May and 3 June 2008. The survey was carried out online with a nationally representative sample of families and a sample of grandparents who often look after their grandchildren.
Statistics
* Around 41,000 under fives are rushed to casualty each year after falling down a flight of stairs that's almost 800 a week (HASS)
* Hot drinks are the number one cause of scald injuries among young children (HASS)
* Around 70 children under five end up in A & E every day as a result of suspected poisoning (HASS)
* Fire is one of the biggest killers of children in the home (mortality statistics)
* Road accidents are responsible for half of accidental deaths in childhood (mortality statistics)
For more information, please visit http://www.hassandlass.org.uk/query/index.htm
Issued by COI News and PR South West
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