What Accidental Injuries are Common Among Children in Homes?

What Accidental Injuries are Common Among children in Homes? How to Prevent and Handle Child Accidental Injuries?

Accidental injuries refer to sudden events that cause physical or psychological harm to individuals. Among children, accidental injuries are the leading cause of harm and disability. While people usually focus on traffic accidents or outdoor incidents, the truth is that homes, which are often perceived as the safest places, can conceal many potential hazards for accidental injuries. Family accidents typically result from adults' negligence in ensuring home safety.

Children under the age of 5 have limited awareness of potential dangers in their surroundings and lack safety consciousness. Moreover, their coordination and balance abilities are weaker, making them more susceptible to accidental injuries. For instance, infants under 1 year old may be placed to sleep with oversized pillows or heavy blankets, which could inadvertently cover their faces and obstruct their breathing when they roll over during sleep. Infants and young children tend to put objects into their mouths, such as disassembling buttons, eyes, or noses from toy dolls and ingesting them, which poses risks of swallowing or airway blockage. These children require special supervision to prevent self-harm during play. Mothers can let small infants sleep on the bed where they are less likely to be accidentally pressed, but if the mother becomes dizzy due to illness, alcohol consumption, or medication, she should not co-sleep with the child. It is also advisable not to use umbrella-shaped devices as mosquito nets, as they may lead to suffocation. Instead, larger mosquito nets should be used to cover the entire bed.

In recent years, foreign news media have reported multiple incidents of child accidental injuries caused by curtains. Children often enjoy playing and hiding with curtains, and if the curtain rod or curtain box is not securely installed, it may fall and injure the child. Families with young children are advised to avoid purchasing floor-length curtains. Measures to eliminate hazards include: (1) Ensuring the curtain rod and curtain box are firmly installed, and if necessary, use expansion bolts for reinforcement. Window hooks and rings should be positioned above 1.2 meters from the ground, and their fixation strength should be regularly checked. (2) In families with young children, it is best to avoid using long curtains and use curtain ties to secure the curtains. (3) Newly purchased fabric curtains may contain formaldehyde, so they should be washed before use.

Characteristics and Hazards of Child Accidental Injuries in Homes: Child accidental injuries frequently occur inside or around homes, with common locations being dining rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and staircases. Accidents that happen in kitchens and on staircases are the most severe. Every household has potential hazards for accidental injuries, such as hot water, household chemicals, braziers, electric stoves, heaters, and sharp objects. Children playing with hydrogen balloons near an open flame can lead to explosions and harm the child. Infants using baby walkers or young children playing with sliding boards indoors can also result in accidental injuries. Some households may have open balconies or staircases, posing risks of falls or staircase-related injuries for young children.

Risk Factors for Child Accidental Injuries: Accidental injuries are often perceived as unforeseeable events that are difficult to predict, thus considered unavoidable. However, with social progress and medical advancements, it is now widely believed that accidental injuries follow certain patterns. Predicting and being vigilant about the risk factors that can harm children can help implement effective prevention strategies and measures.

In addition to individual factors such as age, gender, personality, and behavior traits (e.g., hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, impulsive behavior, emotional instability) that make children more susceptible to accidental injuries, the following influencing factors can lead to child accidental injuries: (1) Distractions or lack of supervision around the child; (2) High family psychological stress, recent bereavement, family relocation, homeless or children with chronic illnesses; (3) Changes in the child's daily routines or hurried and panicky actions during emergencies; (4) Family poverty or overcrowded living conditions; (5) Unfamiliarity with the surroundings, such as during holiday visits to relatives and friends; (6) Frequently restless children or children prone to seizures, who are more likely to experience accidental injuries in specific environments; (7) Allowing a child to bathe alone in a filled bathtub or leaving a filled and uncovered hot water tank within reach, risking scald injuries when the child touches it.

Statistical data shows that boys are more prone to injuries than girls, and the mortality rate of accidental injuries in children decreases as age increases.

When should an injured child be taken to the hospital? If a child experiences the following conditions after an accident at home, it is essential to seek urgent medical attention: respiratory depression, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, respiratory pauses, or severe wheezing (noting visible sinking of the chest edges during inhalation); loss of consciousness; severe abdominal pain or open wounds with continuous bleeding; injuries to the thighs or arms that prevent limb movement; accidental ingestion of toxic chemicals or pills. If unsure whether the child requires treatment or if the child cannot be moved, seek assistance from the nearest medical station or emergency service.