FOUNTAIN HILL, PA (Catholic Online) - Piercing cries ring out - a child is hurt. What happened? Despite earnest attempts to "child proof" the environments of the little ones in our lives, accidents do happen. Sometimes even the most conscientious parents are forced to face the fact that their child was hurt in a preventable injury.

For many years, "child proofing" consisted of covering outlets with little plastic plugs and installing latches on cabinets to prevent curious children from dangerous explorations.

Stair cases were protected with baby gates, preventing terrible tumbles.

Those measures are still important but the world of baby proofing has widened measurably.

The United States Consumer Protection Agency (USCPA) also lists door knob covers and locks as important tools to protect children from entering dangerous areas. 

Many of us have seen the cute ducks over bath faucets to try and prevent scalding.

Window guards and safety netting are not items that would come to mind initially when considering child safety but their capacity to save lives can't be disputed.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors help keep the entire family safe.

Injuries from sharp coffee table edge can be prevented from using corner guards.

The USCPA web page lists very specific instructions for how to deal with blind cords.

With the advent of over-size televisions comes a need for awareness of the dangers of tip overs onto curious children.

More and more people are installing pools, spas and hot tubs. The USCPA recommends layers of defense against what could be lethal explorations by children.

In discussing childhood dangers, we need to look beyond our homes to our transportation.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists auto crashes as the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3-14.

One surprising finding is that bulky coats can be a real impediment to safe operation of a car seat.
The blogging world has even embraced child safety; we need to inform ourselves, do what we can and then keep on praying!

Listed below are some helpful links:

The United States Consumer Protection Agency (pdf)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
InForum

Blogs:

http://www.safekids.org/
http://www.childsafetyblog.org/


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