Child safety: How to prevent falls

In the course of their daily adventures, children have plenty of opportunities to fall down. Some simple precautions can help reduce your child's risk.

Has your toddler ever taken a tumble during a covert ascent to the cookie jar? Has your preteen ever miscalculated the physics involved in rocketing up a flight of hardwood stairs in socks? It takes more than luck to keep children from breaking a bone or needing some stitches before they grow up and leave home. Some simple precautions can help reduce your child's risk of getting injured in a fall:

• Beware of heights. Don't let young children play alone on fire escapes, high porches or balconies.
• Keep stairs clear. Clutter on the stairs increases the risk of tripping and falling.
• Install safety gates. Block a toddler's access to stairs with safety gates. If you're putting a safety gate at the top of a staircase, make sure to attach it to the wall.
• Keep windows locked. Young children can squeeze through a window opened as little as 5 inches. Screens aren't strong enough to keep children inside.
• Secure area rugs. Use foam carpet padding, double-side tape or a rubber pad under area rugs to keep them from sliding.
• Avoid extension cords. It's easy to trip on extension cords.
• Use tub mats. Rubber pads in bathtubs help prevent slipping.
• Fasten safety belts. Always strap children into highchairs and strollers.

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