Child health training May 2013

Poisoning Keep all medicines and cleaning products locked away or on high up shelves - where they are out of reach and out of sight.

20 children per day are admitted to hospital thought to have swallowed something poisonous

Choking and suffocation Cut up large pieces of food and encourage toddlers to sit still while eating

Keep small things like coins, buttons and small parts from older children’s toys out of reach of toddlers.

Pedestrians: Remind young people about road safety issues – for example, not to cross roads while using mobiles or listening to i-pods.

Cycling: Encourage young people to wear cycle helmets and lights and/or reflective clothing when cycling.

Passengers: The law says that young people under 135cm (about 4ft 5in) in height who are under 12 years, must use a child restraint appropriate for their height and weight.

Drowning - Toddlers Never leave your toddler alone in the bath or paddling pool – not even for a second.

Drowning - Aged Don’t leave your children under eight years old alone in or near water.

Aged 8 – 11 Encourage children to swim in safe places like public swimming pools – where there are trained lifeguards.

Aged 8 – 11 Encourage children to swim in safe places like public swimming pools – where there are trained lifeguards.

 A babies skin is 15 times thinner than an adults.  Factor 15 and above.  Apply to all exposed areas.

Falls - Babies Change your baby’s nappy on the floor. Don’t leave your baby alone on a bed, sofa or anything else that they could fall off.

Burns and Scalds - Babies Test bath water with your elbow - the water should not feel hot or cold. Get a thermostatic mixing valve fitted to your bath tap. This controls the temperature at which water comes out. If this isn’t possible, run cold water first and add hot afterwards.

Aged 11 – 14 By now, growing children start to think of themselves as ‘young adults’ This doesn’t mean they are always ready for the challenges or responsibilities, or that it is always safe to treat them as such.

11-14 years Did you know that ….. At this age, young people are able to think more carefully about the consequences of their actions. But they may need help to make connections between things - like using mobiles while crossing roads and the likelihood of being hit by a car.

Young people may think safety advice no longer applies to them. Make sure they realise that everyone needs to practice safety in their daily lives Traffic is the biggest single cause of accidental death for 12 to 16 year olds. Six out of ten teenagers report that they have either been in an accident/near miss or know someone at school who has been.

Your role as G.P.s very influential as information givers if appropriate in consultation, re safety issues but also for keeping your building as child proof as possible, as parents are not always paying full attention to children if they are unwell, or they are tired (if they have been up all night because child is unwell). Baby clinic can be a very busy place.

 Preventing childhood accidents : guidance on effective action. capt.  What works in preventing unintentional injuries in children and young adolescents?  Health development agency

 Thank you.