As parents, we want to keep our children safe from harm. Take steps to keep your children safe:

• Install the right child safety seat in your car
• Teach children how to cross the street safely
• Make sure they wear the right gear and equipment for sports
• Install and test smoke alarms
• Store medicines, cleaners and other dangerous substances in locked cabinets
• Babyproof your home
• Don't leave small children unattended

Every hour, one child dies from an injury.

About 1 in 5 child deaths is due to injury.

Every 4 seconds, a child is treated for an injury in an emergency department.

Child injuries are preventable, yet more than 9,000 children died from injuries in the US in 2009. Car crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires, and falls are some of the most common ways children are hurt or killed. The number of children dying from injury dropped nearly 30% over the last decade. However, injury is still the number 1 cause of death among children. More can be done to keep our children safe.

Problem

Injuries are the #1 cause of death among children. Car crashes, suffocation, drowning, poisoning, fires, and falls are some of the most common causes of injury. Learn how you can help save lives and prevent these injuries.

What can be done?

States and communities can

• Align efforts with the National Action Plan for Child Injury Prevention, released in 2012 by CDC and more than 60 partner organizations.
• Strengthen data collection on child injury to identify problems and track progress.
• Use strategies shown to reduce injuries such as graduated driver licenses, learn-to-swim programs, and prescription drug monitoring programs.
• Improve access to poison control centers, trauma center care, and preventive services (such as CPR/first aid training).

Health care systems can

• Use technology, such as electronic medical records, to improve the speed and quality of care for injured children, and to monitor the number and severity of injuries.
• Include child safety education for new parents and at all pediatric visits.

Employers can

• Protect all employees, including youth, from workplace injuries by complying with existing safety standards and regulations.
• Provide proper safety training, education, and protective equipment for each job task.

Everyone can

• Take steps to prevent child injury where you live, work, and play.
• Be a good role model—wear a seat belt, use a helmet, and follow other safety tips.

Make an escape plan

It is important to have a plan when there are children in your home. Children sometimes need help getting out of the house. They may not know how to escape or what to do unless an adult shows them.

• Have a plan for young children who cannot get outside by themselves. You will need to wake babies and very young children and help them get out. In your plan, talk about who will help each child get out safely.
• It is important to find two ways out of every room in your home, in case one exit is blocked or dangerous to use.
• Choose a meeting place outside your home. Children should know what to do when they hear a smoke alarm and there is no adult around. Help them practice going to the outside meeting place. Teach them to never go back inside a building that is on fire.

Keep children safe from fire and burns

Some children are curious about fire. There are simple steps you can take to keep you and the people you love safer from fire and burns.

• Keep children 3 feet away from anything that can get hot. Space heaters and stove-tops can cause terrible burns. Keep children at least 3 feet away from stoves, heaters or anything that gets hot.
• Keep smoking materials locked up in a high place. Never leave cigarette lighters or matches where children can reach them.
• Never play with lighters or matches when you are with your children. Children may try to do the same things they see you do.

Motor Vehicle Crashes: A Leading Cause of Death for Children

In 2019, 608 child passengers age 12 and younger died in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 91,000 were injured. Of the children 12 and younger who died in a crash (for whom restraint use was known), 38% were not buckled up. Parents and caregivers can make a lifesaving difference by checking whether their children are properly buckled on every trip.

Risk Factors for Child and Teen Passengers

• Of the children who died in a crash:
  • Restraint use (like car seat, booster seat, or seat belt use) varies by age. In 2019, 43% of 8–12-year-olds were not buckled up, compared to 41% of 4–7-year-olds and 27% of children less than 4 years old (for whom restraint use was known).
  • Black and Hispanic children have higher proportions of unrestrained child deaths compared with White children. A study of data from 2009–2010 indicated that 45% of Black children and 46% of Hispanic children were not buckled up, compared with 26% of White children (among children 12 and younger).
• Alcohol-impaired driving is a threat to the safety of child passengers. In 2019, 23% of child passenger deaths among children age 14 years and younger in the United States­­­ involved alcohol-impaired driving (blood alcohol concentration ≥0.08 g/dL); 64% of the time, it was the child’s own driver who had been drinking.
  • Among children who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, a higher proportion of those riding with impaired drivers were unrestrained (58%) compared with those riding with sober drivers (37%).
• Restraint use among young children often depends on the driver’s seat belt use. In 2019, 67% of fatally injured children riding with unbelted drivers were also unrestrained (based on known restraint use).
• Child restraint systems are often used incorrectly. An estimated 46% of car seats and booster seats are misused in a way that could reduce their effectiveness.

Buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries.

• Car seat use reduces the risk for injury in a crash by 71–82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone.
• Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children age 4–8, when compared with seat belt use alone.
• For older children and adults, seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by about half.

Preventing Motor Vehicle Injuries in Children​​​​​​

• The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends child restraint laws to increase restraint use and decrease injuries and deaths among child passengers, based on strong evidence of effectiveness.
• Child restraint laws require children riding in vehicles to use approved restraint devices such as car seats, booster seats, or seat belts that are appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
• Strengthening current laws with booster seat provisions that require children who have outgrown car seats to use booster seats until at least age 9 helps reduce injuries and deaths.
  • Children age 4–8 years in states with booster seat laws were over four times as likely to be using age-appropriate restraints and were 20% less likely to die than children in states without booster seat laws.
  • A study among children involved in crashes found that restrained children were 66% more likely to be buckled in appropriate restraints if their state law followed best practice recommendations.
  • Observed booster seat use among children age 4–7 years increased by 19 percentage points after booster seat laws were implemented in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
  • The death rate among 7-year-olds was 25% lower for the children in states with booster seat laws compared to states without booster seat laws.
  • The rate of children using car seats and booster seats increased nearly three times in five states that increased the booster seat use age requirement to 7 or 8 years. The rate of children who sustained fatal or incapacitating injuries decreased by 17% in these states.
• Car seat distribution plus education programs also are recommended for increasing restraint use. Distributionplus education programs help parents and caregivers obtain new, unused car seats and learn how to properly use and install them.These programs often include hands-on demonstrations, which can help increase proper use and installation.
• Short-term, high-visibility enforcement of child restraint laws are similar to those used for seat belt use (such as Click It or Ticket). Effective programs are short-term, highly visible in the community, and advertised widely in the media.
• Incentive and education programs reward parents or children with coupons or other prizes for correctly using car seats. Programs offer print materials, videos, or other instructional aids for parents and caregivers.

Know the Stages

CDC provides guidance to ensure children are properly buckled in a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt— whichever is appropriate for their age, height, and weight.

• Rear-facing car seat: Birth until age 2–4.
  Infants and toddlers should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat with a harness, in the back seat, until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of their car seat. This offers the best possible protection. Check the car seat manual and labels on the car seat for weight and height limits. Never place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat. Front passenger air bags can injure or kill young children in a crash.
• Forward-facing car seat: After outgrowing the rear-facing car seat and until at least age 5.
  When children outgrow their rear-facing car seats, they should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat with a harness, in the back seat. They should stay in the forward-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of this seat. Check the car seat manual and labels on the car seat for weight and height limits.
• Booster seat: After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat and until the seat belt fits properly.
  When children outgrow their forward-facing car seat, they should be buckled in a belt-positioning booster seat with a seat belt, in the back seat, until the seat belt fits properly without a booster seat. A seat belts fits properly when the lap belt is across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt is across the center of the shoulder and chest (not on the neck/face or off the shoulder). This typically does not occur until children are age 9–12.
• Seat belt: When the seat belt fits properly without a booster seat.
  Children no longer need to use a booster seat when the seat belt fits them properly. A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt is across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt is across the center of the shoulder and chest (not on the neck/face or off the shoulder). This typically does not occur until children are age 9–12. Seat belt fit can vary by vehicle so check belt fit in all vehicles to make sure the child no longer needs to use a booster seat. It could be that a child might need a booster seat in one vehicle but not another. Keep children properly buckled and in the back seat through age 12 for the best possible protection.
• Install and use car seats & booster seats properly.
  Install and use car seats and booster seats according to the car seat/booster seat manual, or get help installing them from a certified child passenger safety technician
• Find a child passenger safety technician
• Don’t seat children in front of an air bag.
  Air bags can kill young children riding in the front seat. Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an air bag.
• Buckle children in the back seat.
  Properly buckle all children age 12 and younger in the back seat.
• Always buckle older children who use booster seats or seat belts with a lap and shoulder belt. Both the lap and shoulder belt are needed for proper protection.
• Buckle children in the middle of the back seat.
  Properly buckle children in the middle seating position of the back seat when possible, because it is the safest position in the vehicle.
  • If the middle seating position contains only a lap belt, older children using booster seats or seat belts should sit in a different seating position in the back seat where they can use both a lap and shoulder belt.
  • Most rear-facing and forward-facing car seats can be safely installed in the middle seating position using the lap belt only, so younger children using these types of seats can be safely positioned in the middle.
• Use proper restraints on every trip.
  Buckle children in car seats, booster seats, or seat belts on every trip—no matter how short the trip.
• Parents and caregivers: Always wear a seat belt.
  Set a good example by always using a seat belt.

About 50,000 young children end up in emergency rooms each year because they got into medicines while an adult wasn’t looking. These emergency visits can be prevented by always putting every medicine up and away and out of children’s reach and sight every time you use it.

Families take medications and vitamins to feel well and to stay well. However, any medication, including those you buy without a prescription, can cause harm if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person. Practicing safe medication storage, while at home and when on-the-go, can help keep children safe.

Protect your children. Here’s how:

• Put medicines up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.
  • Children are curious and put all sorts of things in their mouths. Even if you turn your back for less than a minute, they can quickly get into things that could hurt them.
  • Pick a storage place in your home that children cannot reach or see. Different families will have different places. Walk around your house and decide on the safest place to keep your medicines and vitamins.
• Put medicines away every time.
  • This includes medicines and vitamins you use every day. Never leave medicine out on a kitchen counter or at a sick child’s bedside, even if you have to give it again in a few hours.
• Make sure the safety cap is locked.
  • Always relock the cap on a medicine bottle. If the bottle has a locking cap that turns, twist it until you hear the click or cannot twist anymore.
  • Remember, even though many medicines have safety caps, children may be able to open them. Every medicine must be stored up and away and out of children’s reach and sight.
• Teach your children about medicine safety.
  • Teach your children what medicine is and why you or a trusted adult must be the one to give it to them.
  • Never tell children medicine is candy to get them to take it, even if they don’t like to take their medicine.
• Tell your guests about medicine safety.
  • Ask family members, houseguests, and other visitors to keep purses, bags, or coats that have medicine in them up and away and out of sight when they are in your home.
• Be prepared in case of an emergency.
  • Call your poison control center at 800.222.1222 right away if you think your child might have gotten into a medicine or vitamin, even if you are not completely sure.
  • Program the Poison Help number into your home and cell phones so you will have it when you need it.
• Take Action.
  • Visit the Up and Away Campaign’s website to learn more about storing medications safely while at home and when traveling with young children. Share these safe storage tips with family and friends.

As a parent, you play an important role in keeping your child safe on the playground. Learn how to spot a concussion and protect your child from concussion or other serious brain injury each time you take your child on an outdoor play adventure.

WHAT IS A CONCUSSION?

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury—or TBI— caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth. This fast movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes in the brain and sometimes stretching and damaging the brain cells.

HOW CAN I HELP KEEP MY CHILD SAFE?

Playgrounds are important places for children to have fun, explore, and grow. Children learn through play and need opportunities to take risks, test their limits, and learn new skills through free play. Playgrounds can also put children at risk for concussion.

On the playground, children are more likely to get a concussion or other serious brain injury when using:

1. Monkey Bars
2. Climbing Equipment
3. Swings

To help keep children safe:

• Use playground equipment that is right for your child’s age.
• Make sure there are guardrails to help prevent falls.
• Check that playgrounds have soft material under them, such as wood chips, sand, or mulch.
• Look out for things in the play area that can trip your child, like tree stumps or rocks.

HOW CAN I SPOT A POSSIBLE CONCUSSION?

After a fall or a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, look for one or more of these signs and symptoms of a concussion:

Signs Observed by Parents:

• Appears dazed or stunned.
• Forgets an instruction, is confused about an assignment or position, or is unsure of the game, score, or opponent.
• Moves clumsily.
• Answers questions slowly.
• Loses consciousness (even briefly).
• Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes.
• Can’t recall events prior to or after a hit or fall.

Symptoms Reported by Children:

• Headache or “pressure” in head.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Balance problems or dizziness, or double or blurry vision.
• Bothered by light or noise.
• Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.
• Confusion, or concentration or memory problems.
• Just not “feeling right,” or “feeling down."​​​​​

​​​​​WHAT ARE SOME MORE SERIOUS DANGER SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR?

In rare cases, a dangerous collection of blood (hematoma) may form on the brain after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body and can squeeze the brain against the skull. Call 9-1-1 or ensure that the child is taken to the emergency department right away if, after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, he or she has one or more of these danger signs:

• One pupil larger than the other.
• Drowsiness or inability to wake up.
• A headache that gets worse and does not go away.
• Slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination.
• Repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions, or seizures (shaking or twitching).
• Unusual behavior, increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.
• Loss of consciousness (passed out/knocked out). Even a brief loss of consciousness should be taken seriously.

General Sports Safety

• Enroll your child in organized sports through schools, community clubs, and recreation areas that are properly maintained.
• Get a preseason exam with a health care provider.
• Make sure your child has – and uses – proper gear for a particular sport.
• Make sure your child follows the rules of the sport.
• Make warm-ups and cool-downs part of your child’s routine before and after sports.
• Make sure your child has access to water or a sports drink while playing.
• Make sure your child has sun protection.
• Learn and follow safety rules and suggestions for your child’s particular sport.

Adapted from Play It Safe, a Guide to Safety for Young Athletes, with permission of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Play it Safe in the Heat

• Schedule regular water breaks during practice and games.
• Have your child wear light-colored, “breathable” clothing.
• Make player substitutions more frequently in the heat.
• Use misting sprays on the body to keep cool.
• Know the signs of heat-related problems, including confusion; dilated pupils, dizziness, fainting; headache, heavy perspiration; nausea, pale and moist or hot, dry skin, weak pulse, and weakness. If your child experiences any combination of these symptoms or doesn’t seem quite right, seek medical attention immediately.

Adapted with permission from Patient Care magazine, copyrighted by Medical Economics.

Hot weather provides opportunities for kids to enjoy the outdoors. Take steps to keep them safe and healthy, both indoors and outdoors.

Master Water Safety

Swimming and other water activities are excellent ways to get the physical activity and health benefits needed for a healthy life. Get the most from these activities while helping everyone stay safe and healthy.

• Parents and caregivers play a key role in protecting children from drowning. When kids are in or near water, closely supervise them at all times.
• Help prevent recreational water illnesses, which is illness caused by germs and chemicals found in the water we swim in. Keep the pee, poop, sweat, and dirt out of the water. Take kids on bathroom breaks and check diapers every hour, and change them in a bathroom or diaper-changing area–not poolside–to keep germs away from the pool.
• Stay safe while boating by wearing a life jacket. Properly fitted life jackets can prevent drownings and should be worn at all times by everyone on any boat.

Be Sun Smart

Just a few serious sunburns can increase your child’s risk of skin cancer later in life. Adults and children need protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays whenever they’re outdoors. Learn how to protect your child from sun damage.

• Seek shade when necessary. UV rays are strongest and most harmful during midday, so it’s best to plan indoor activities then. If this is not possible, seek shade under a tree, an umbrella, or a pop-up tent.
• When possible, cover up with long-sleeved shirts and long pants and skirts to provide protection from UV rays.
• Wear a hat that shades the face, scalp, ears, and neck. If your child chooses a baseball cap, be sure to protect exposed areas with sunscreen.
• Wear sunglasses . They protect your child’s eyes from UV rays, which can lead to cataracts later in life.
• Use a sunscreen with at least SPF (sun protection factor) 15 every time your child goes outside. For the best protection, apply sunscreen generously 30 minutes before going outdoors. Don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips, and the tops of feet.

Be Safe at Home, Work, and Play

Injuries are the leading cause of death in children aged 19 and younger, but most child injuries can be prevented.

• Play it safe on the playground. Read playground signs and use playground equipment that is right for your child’s age. Look out for things in the play area that can trip your child, like tree stumps or rocks.
• Stay smart around the house by following tips on fire prevention, microwave use, and living with pets.
• Help working teens learn about safety and health on the job.

Expecting or caring for a baby? Take these steps to help baby sleep safely and reduce the risk of sleep-related infant deaths, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

There are about 3,400 sleep-related deaths among US babies each year. CDC supports the recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths, including SIDS.

Parents and caregivers can help create a safe sleep area for babies by taking the following steps:

• Place your baby on his or her back for all sleep times—naps and at night. Even if a baby spits up during sleep, babies’ anatomy and gag reflex help prevent them from choking while sleeping on their backs. Babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their sides or stomachs.
• Use a firm, flat (not at an angle or inclined) sleep surface, such as a mattress in a safety-approved crib covered only by a fitted sheet. Some parents and caretakers might feel they should place their baby on a soft surface to help the be more comfortable while sleeping. However, soft surfaces can increase the risk of sleep-related death. A firm sleep surface helps reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation.
• Keep your baby’s sleep area (for example, a crib or bassinet) in the same room where you sleep, ideally until your baby is at least 6 months old. Accidental suffocation or strangulation can happen when a baby is sleeping in an adult bed or other unsafe sleep surfaces. Sharing a room with your baby is much safer than bed sharing and may decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Also, placing the crib close to your bed so that the baby is within view and reach can also help make it easier to feed, comfort, and monitor your baby.
• Keep soft bedding such as blankets, pillows, bumper pads, and soft toys out of your baby’s sleep area. Additionally, do not cover your baby’s head or allow your baby to get too hot. Some parents may feel they should add sheets or blankets to their baby’s crib to help keep their baby warm and comfortable while sleeping. However, sheets, comforters, and blankets can increase the risk of suffocation or overheat your baby. If you’re worried about your baby getting cold during sleep, you can dress them in sleep clothing, like a wearable blanket. In a Pediatrics report, CDC scientists and colleagues found that infant suffocation deaths during sleep were most frequently due to soft bedding, such as blankets and pillows.

What is SIDS?

• "SIDS" stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Sudden, unexplained death of an infant less than 1 year old.

What should I know about SIDS?

• Babies sleep safer on their backs.
• Babies should be placed on a firm sleep surface.

What can I do to lower my baby's risk of SIDS?

• Babies should be put on their backs to sleep for nap and at night.
• Keep toys, objects, and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area.
• Do not allow smoking around your baby.
• Do not allow your baby to overheat during sleeping.

What about "tummy time"?

• Daily tummy time is necessary for normal development.
• Make sure your baby spends several hours on their tummy when they are awake and someone is watching.

Many childhood injuries are predictable and preventable. You can take action to prevent injuries at home. Below are the injury types that are most likely to cause pain, serious complications, or death in young children.

Burns

There are many places in the home where children can get burned. Keep children away from hot ovens and stoves.

• Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
• Install and maintain a smoke alarm. Remember to change the batteries.
• Cover electrical outlets.
• Turn pan handles on the stove inward and use back burners when cooking.
• Set the hot water heater to 120 F or less. Ask a friend or your landlord if you need help.
• Test bath water temperature before putting your child in it.

Falls

Falling is part of learning. Use safety gates and create fall-safe environments.

• Watch your child constantly when they are in the bathroom.
• Install window guards on upper windows.
• Use stair gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Always use the safety latch in your child's chair or stroller.

Poisoning

Young children want to touch, taste, and smell the things around them. Keep chemicals out of the reach of children.

• Keep all medicines and cleaning supplies in containers with safety caps and store them in a locked cabinet.
• Buy and install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home to save your family from CO poisoning.
• Act fast if you think your child has been poisoned by calling thePoison Control Centers at (toll-free) 800-222-1222.

Choking

Learn about choking hazards that can cause a child to stop breathing.

• Don't let children put small things in their mouths.
• Toys, household items, and food can all be choking hazards.
• Teach your child to chew his or her food fully before swallowing.
• Choose the foods you feed your child carefully — for example: popcorn, hard candy, nuts, hot dogs, grapes and avoid fish with bones.

Drowning

Young children love water. The best way to keep children safe is to watch them at all times.

• Never leave your child unattended in a bathtub, bathroom, pool or even near a bucket.
• Install lid locks on all toilets and keep the lid closed.
• Never leave a child alone around water.
• Empty buckets after each use.

Suffocation

Many things can cause a child to stop breathing. Learn about safe sleeping choking hazards.

• Keep plastic shopping bags and trash bags away from your child.
• Keep toy chests, car trunks, and washer/dryer doors closed when not in use.
• Don't put pillows, blankets, bumpers, or toys in crib — these things can sometimes keep a baby from breathing.
• Place babies to sleep on their backs.

Motor Vehicles

Never leave children unattended in cars, at home or anywhere else.

• Always use child safety seats. They protect your child from injury.
• Look before you lock your car to make sure no child is left behind.
• Lock unoccupied cars to prevent children from entering unlocked vehicles.