Safety Tips
from the American Academy of Pediatrics
and the Fairfield County Safe Kids Coalition

Pool/Water Safety

• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around water in the home. Empty all containers immediately after use and store out of reach.
• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around a swimming pool or spa, even for a moment! Never rely on a PFD or swimming lessons to protect a child. Learn CPR and keep rescue equipment (a shepherd’s hook-a long pole with a hook on the end-and a life preserver), a telephone and emergency numbers poolside.
• Install four-sided isolation fencing, at least five feet high, equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates, that completely surrounds swimming pools or spas and prevents direct access from a house and yard.
• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD (personal floatation device) when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports. Avoid air-filled swimming aids, such as "water wings," they provide a false sense of security, and are not considered safety devices or substitutes for PFDs.
• Children are not developmentally ready for swim lessons until after their fourth birthday. Swim programs for children under 4 should not be seen as a way to decrease the risk of drowning. Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision”.
• Never dive in water less than nine feet deep.
  

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Fun in the Sun

• Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight. Move your baby to the shade or under a tree, umbrella, or the stroller canopy.
• Dress babies in lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs and use brimmed hats.
• Apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
• The sun protection factor (SPF) should be at least 15.
• Try to keep children out of the sun between the hours of 10am to 4pm, that’s when the suns rays are strongest.

Bug Safety

• Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
• Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnate pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
• Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.
• To remove a visible stinger from your skin, gently scrape it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail. You can also remove a stinger by pinching it out with a pair of tweezers or your fingers.
• When you know your child will be exposed to insects, dress him/her in long pants and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt. Carefully inspect your child for any ticks after being outdoors.
• Insect repellents are generally available without a prescription, but they should be used sparingly on infants and young children. The most effective insecticides include DEET (diethyltouamide). Repellents appropriate for use on children should contain no more than 10 percent DEET because the chemical, which is absorbed through the skin, can cause harm. The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Repellents are effective in preventing bites by mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, chiggers, and biting fleas but have virtually no effect on stinging insects such as bees, hornets, and wasps. Contrary to popular belief, giving antihistamines continuously throughout the insect season does not appear to prevent reactions to bites.

• Swings should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas. Children should not be able to reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body part. Use caution around metal slides; be sure they are cool to prevent children’s legs from getting burned. 
  
• Avoid asphalt, concrete, grass and soil surfaces under playground equipment. Acceptable loose-fill materials include hardwood fiber mulch or chips, pea gravel, fine sand and shredded rubber.
  
• Surfacing should be maintained at a depth of 12 inches and should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions around stationary equipment.
  
• Rubber mats, synthetic turf and other artificial materials also are safe surfaces and require less maintenance.
  
• Ensure that a comprehensive inspection of all playgrounds is conducted by qualified personnel. Responsible parties should abide by daily, monthly and annual playground maintenance schedules. Any playground safety hazards should be reported directly to the organization responsible for the site (e.g., school, park authority, city council, etc.)
  
• Always supervise children when using playground equipment. Maintain visual and auditory contact. Prevent unsafe behaviors like pushing, shoving, crowding and inappropriate use of equipment.
  
• Ensure that children use age-appropriate playground equipment. Remove hood and neck drawstrings from all children's outerwear. Never allow children to wear necklaces, purses, scarves or clothing with drawstrings while on playgrounds.
  

• If you are getting a pet as a companion for your child, wait until your child is mature to handle and care for the animal-usually around age five or six.
  
• Never leave your infant alone with any dog.
  
• Teach your child some basic safety precautions for dealing with dogs outside your home such as, never surprising or scaring a dog and never to approach an unfamiliar dog.
  
• Instruct your child to stand still if approached or chased by a strange dog. Tell your child not to run, kick or make threatening gestures. Your child should face the dog and back away slowly until he or she is out of reach.
  
• Contact your pediatrician whenever your child receives an animal bite that breaks the skin, no matter how minor the injury appears. The doctor will need to check whether your child has been adequately immunized against tetanus.

Travel Safety

• Safety is not negotiable. Buckle up all seat belts and car seats .
• Keep children entertained with car games, activity books and story tapes.
• Make periodic stops along the way.
• Keep supplies with you, such as snacks, water, a first aid kit and any medicines your child takes.
• Always use a car seat, starting with your baby’s first ride home from the hospital. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up, by setting an example yourself.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions and always keep them with the car/booster seat. Read your vehicle owner’s manual for more information on how to correctly install a car/booster seat. Children in rear-facing car seats should never be placed in a front seat equipped with an air bag. For more information on infant and child restraints and selecting the appropriate type; please follow this link.
• Put your child in the back seat. It is the safest place in the car because it is the farthest away from a head-on crash (the most common type of crash). No child under the age of 12 should ever sit in the front seat. In an emergency, if a child must ride in the front seat, make sure he or she is properly restrained and then move the vehicle seat as far back as possible, away from the airbag.
• Children traveling alone to visit relatives or attend summer camp should have a copy of their medical information with them at all times.

(Helmet rules should apply to all wheeled sports activities including skateboarding and rollerblading.)

• A bicycle helmet is a necessity, not an accessory. Be sure that your child always wears a bicycle helmet every time and everywhere they ride, even on short rides around the neighborhood or in the driveway. Also, be sure your child has a properly fitted bicycle helmet, not a football helmet.
• Buy a bicycle helmet that meets or exceeds the safety standards developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) federal safety standard or those developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Snell Memorial Foundation (SNELL) or the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). In addition, don't rely on the age ranges listed on the packaging; everyone's head size is different and it is not uncommon to have a small helmet fit an adult or an adult helmet fit a child. You need to measure the circumference of your child's head and purchase a helmet that falls within that size.
• Wear a bicycle helmet correctly. A bicycle helmet should fit comfortably and snugly, but not too tightly. It should sit on top of your head in a level position, and it should not rock forward and back or from side to side. A properly fitted helmet rests low on the forehead (there should only be about two fingers width between the child's eyebrows and the rim of the helmet). The helmet straps must always be buckled. The junction of the front and back straps should rest just under the ears and the chinstrap should be snug. The helmet should come with pads that can be used to obtain a proper fit.
• Teach your child the rules of the road and to obey all traffic laws. Make sure they know to always ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it; use appropriate hand signals; respect traffic signals; stop at all stop signs and stop lights; and to stop and look both ways before entering a street.
• Children should never ride their bike after dusk or dark. Cycling should be restricted to sidewalks and paths until a child is age 10 and able to show how well he or she rides and observes the basic rules of the road. Parental and adult supervision is essential until the traffic skills and judgment thresholds are reached by each child.