Accidental Injury Prevention for Children Aged 0–6: Common Sense Every Parent Should Know

Unintentional childhood injuries are the leading cause of death in children aged 1–14 years, and most accidents are preventable. It’s not about “don’t dare to let your children move”, it’s about making home safety modifications and knowledge reserves in advance so that you can make correct judgments at critical moments.

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Drowning: one of the most dangerous accidents

Drowning scene

• Family bathtub: 2.5cm of water can cause a baby to drown
• Toilet: The center of gravity of the baby's head is high and he cannot raise his head after being poured into the toilet.
• Bucket, footbath: temporary water container
• Residential swimming pool, household inflatable swimming pool

Precautions

• Adults will be closely guarding the baby during the entire bath. If you leave midway, you will need to pick up the baby.
• Release the water in the family swimming pool immediately after use
• Install a child safety lock on the toilet
• Children over 4 years old learn to swim, but swimming ability is not an insurance policy against drowning

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Falls: Most common cause of injury in ages 0–3 years

High-risk locations

• Diaper changing table: If you look back for even a second, the baby may tumble and fall.
• Sofa edge: poor balance in infants learning to sit
• Staircase: Toddlers
• Window sill, balcony

Precautions

-Changing operation: always hold the baby with one hand, or change directly on the floor mat

• Stairs: Install stair railings (required for both top and bottom)
• Windows: child protection net or limiter (limit window opening width ≤ 10cm)
• Furniture corners: packaging anti-collision corners
• Bedside: Install a protective rail next to the toddler’s bed

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Foreign body in airway (choking/suffocation)

High-risk foods (under 3 years old)

• Whole grapes, cherry tomatoes (need to be cut into quarters)
• Whole peanuts and nuts
• Hard candies, chewing gum
• Large pieces of meat (need to be shredded)
• Hot dog sausage (need to be cut lengthwise and then cut into small pieces)
• Hard fruits such as apples (need to be scraped into puree or cut into thin slices)

High-risk toys

• Toys or parts smaller than 3.17cm in diameter (can pass the "choking gauge")
• Button batteries (oblate, can cause esophageal perforation, are one of the most dangerous foreign objects)
• Magnets (swallowing multiple magnets at the same time may pinch the intestinal wall)

First aid (Heimlich maneuver)

Children/Adults 1+ years old:

1. Stand behind your child with your hands around your abdomen
2. Make a fist with one hand and place the thumb side two fingers above the navel.
3. Cover your fist with the other hand
4. Impact inward and upward forcefully (repeat quickly) until the foreign object is discharged

Infants under 1 year old:

1. Lie prone on your forearms with your head lowered and your feet higher.
2. Use the heel of your palm to pat your back between your shoulder blades (5 times)
3. Turn to your back, check your mouth, and press the lower part of the sternum with two fingers (5 times)
4. Alternately proceed until the foreign body is discharged or rescue arrives.

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Burns and Scalds

High risk scenario

• Cups of hot water and hot soup pots are placed beside the table (children pull the tablecloth)
• Place the hot water bottle on the ground or low place
• The temperature of the bath water is incorrect (first put cold water and then hot water)
• Steam humidifier (hot steam type, should be replaced with cold mist type)

Precautions

• Use spill-proof lids on drinking cups or keep them out of reach of children
• There is no tablecloth on the dining table (it is easy for children to pull it)
• Check the bath water with a thermometer (below 38°C)
• Place the hot water kettle on a high place

First aid for burns and scalds (delivered with rinsed foam cap)

1. Rinse: Immediately rinse with running cold water for 15–20 minutes (cool down)
2. Take off: Gently take off clothes (do not forcefully pull if you encounter adhesions, use scissors)
3. Soak: Continue to soak in cold water (not ice water)
4. Cover: Cover with clean gauze
5. Send: seek medical treatment

Taboo: Do not apply toothpaste, soy sauce, honey and other folk methods, which will affect the doctor's judgment of the injury and increase the risk of infection

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Poison prevention

Storage of high-risk items

• Medicines: child safety lock storage box, placed in a high place
• Detergents and dishwashing liquids: lock cabinets and do not store them in drink bottles
• Pesticides and disinfectants: sealed in original packaging and stored in a high place
• Cosmetics, nail polish, nail polish remover

First aid for drug ingestion:

• Call 120 or the poison control center hotline immediately
• Keep the packaging of accidentally swallowed medicines (tell the doctor the ingredients)
• It is not recommended to induce vomiting on your own (some substances inducing vomiting can aggravate esophageal damage)

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Home Safety Modification Checklist

Location	Remodeling
Stairway	Install stair safety door (buckle type, not screw push type)
Window	Limiter (opening ≤ 10cm) or child protection net
Sockets	Safety socket covers (to prevent foreign objects from being inserted)
Furniture corners	Silicone anti-collision corners
Cabinet Doors/Drawers	Child Safety Locks
Toilet	Toilet lock
Gas valve	Make sure children cannot turn it at will

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*This article refers to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), World Health Organization (WHO) Child Injury Prevention Guidelines and relevant data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Specific first aid operation standards are recommended to be updated every 2–3 years. Please refer to the latest training courses. *