West County Pediatrics 16555 Manchester Road Wildwood, Missouri 63040 636-458-5858

SAFETY TIPS FOR THE 2 to 4 YEAR OLD

As pediatricians, we are concerned about every aspect of your child’s health. Just as we help to prevent serious infections with immunizations, we can help to prevent serious accidents from harming your child.

CAR SAFETY

Always use the car seat for every trip no matter how short. Most accidents occur on short trips. Read the car seat manual carefully and always use a seatbelt to secure the car seat. If your car has a passenger side air bag always put your child in the back seat. An air bag, when it deploys, can slam the car seat and your child against the seat resulting in life threatening injury. A car seat should be used until your child is four years old and forty pounds. A booster seat is a good idea from 4 to 7 years of age. Remember to wear your seat belt, too! At this age street safety becomes a bigger issue. Do not allow your child to ride their tricycle in the street or driveway. Do not let your child play near the street or in the driveway. Do not let your child cross the street alone. Always hold hands and teach them to look both ways before crossing. In parking lots always hold your child’s hand.

PREVENTION OF FALLS

By now your child will probably be sleeping in a bed. If you have a bunk bed, do not use the top bunk during this age. If your home has more than a single story, use window guards to prevent opening of the windows more than five inches. Screens will not prevent a fall.

BURN PREVENTION

A preschool child’s skin is thinner and dissipates heat much slower than an older child or adult. When cooking, give your child something to do to keep them away from the stove. This will help to insure that spills and splattering will not harm them. Use the rear burners of the stove when possible and keep the handles turned to the back of the stove. Do not leave hot liquids on the table and keep them away from counter edges. Keep your hot water heater temperature set at 120°F. When filling the bathtub turn on the cold water first and turn off the hot water first. Do not leave your child alone in the bathtub as they can turn the hot water on and burn themselves. Keep using the plastic outlet covers to prevent your child from inserting anything into the outlet. Have smoke alarms installed on every floor of your home and change the batteries yearly. If you smoke cigarettes or cigars, do not smoke while holding your child. Keep ashtrays away from table edges and off short tables your child can reach. Keep matches and lighters out of reach. If you need a vaporizer for your child make sure it is a Cool Mist Vaporizer as steam burns quickly.

CHOKING AND POISONING PREVENTION

Each year approximately 3900 adults and children die from choking. With these guidelines we hope to protect your young child. Never leave small objects (buttons, pen caps, marbles, batteries) or plastic bags/balloons in your child’s reach. Keep older children’s toys separate especially those with small or removable parts. Foods that are potentially dangerous include hot dogs, nuts, raw carrots, hard candy, popcorn, grapes, frozen peas, raisins, meat chunks, peanut butter chunks, and celery. A general guide is if the food is round, firm, or sticky do not feed it to your toddler. Make sure all curtain ropes and mini-blind cords are out of reach for your child. As your child continues to grow, accidental poisoning can occur as they explore. Make sure all potentially poisonous substances are safely stored and secured. All medicines, cleaning agents/solutions, cosmetics, automotive supplies and fuels should be stored in an area which your child cannot access. Keep a bottle of syrup of Ipecac at home for each child in case an accidental ingestion occurs but never use it unless you speak to your doctor or Poison Control (314-772-5200) first. Keep medicines in their original containers. Request child proof caps on all your medicines. Do not call medicine candy or take your medicine in front of your young child as they like to imitate you. Throw away old medications.

WATER SAFETY

Safety in the water is important at all ages. At these ages, it is still not safe to leave your child in the bathtub unattended. Take them with you if you must leave the bathroom. If you have a pool, fence all sides of the pool so your child can’t accidentally fall in. If you have a hot tub keep a lockable, heavy cover on it when not in use. Teaching your young child how to swim does not prevent drowning from occurring at these ages. Always be with your child in or near pools or other bodies of water.

GENERAL SAFETY GUIDELINES

There are several other areas to put safety into practice with your child. Do not leave your child alone with young siblings or with pets, especially dogs. Teach your child to avoid strange dogs especially when they are eating. Do not leave your child alone in the car, house or yard. Inspect your child’s toys frequently for sharp edges or loose parts and if present fix or discard them. Do not allow your child to ride on riding lawnmowers or an ATV with you. Keep your child away from running machinery or your lawnmower. If you have guns in your home, keep them unloaded and in a locked location. Teach your young child to tell an adult if they find a gun and to not touch the gun. Keep outdoor play equipment over soft grass, wood chips, sand or other soft material to protect against falls. Finally, if you have the opportunity, take an CPR class.

This handout is a list of suggestions only and is not meant to cover every possible safety hazard. No matter how child proof your home is, nothing can replace constant supervision of your child. As your child grows and develops, remember to reevaluate your home for safety hazards. Carefully inspect other homes in which your child may be staying for prolonged periods, such as grandparents and daycare centers. If you have any questions regarding the information in this handout or safety in general, please feel free to call the office.