How to prevent the most common kids' injuries

More than 40 percent of kids ages 1 to 17 years old visited an emergency department (ED) in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In many cases, they were seeking medical treatment for common or household injuries, including burns, sprains, and cuts. 

You likely can’t supervise your child all day, every day. But there are other ways to keep them from being hurt. Here are smart prevention tips for everyday childhood injuries—and if they do get hurt, ways to tell whether they need first aid or the ED.

Each year, burns send more than 100,000 people under age 21 to a hospital or ED. Young children are more prone to scald burns, or burns related to hot liquids and steam. Older children are prone to flame burns, or burns related to fire. Here’s how to help keep them safe.

Practice safe kitchen habits. Never leave food cooking on the stove unattended. It’s best to keep kids—especially younger children—away from stoves, ovens, and microwaves when you’re not supervising them. 

Take a look at your water heater settings. Anything above 120 degrees Fahrenheit is too hot for almost anyone. Be sure your heater is set somewhere under 120 degrees and that you periodically check your taps to be sure the water isn’t too hot.

Set up smoke alarms. Be sure you have a least one properly installed smoke detector on every floor, and one inside and outside each bedroom. Check them once a month to make sure they work. Replace batteries once each year and the smoke detectors themselves every 10 years. Have at least one fire extinguisher in the home, as well.

Develop an escape plan. Make sure your kids know what to do in case of a house fire. Keep in mind you’ll want two ways to exit each room. Don’t forget to establish a meeting place outside during an emergency.

Kids are adventurous and it’s important for them to have fun and get some exercise. But whether they’re climbing a tree or goofing around, some activities can lead to breaks, sprains and strains. 

• Signs of a break include hearing or feeling a bone snap, difficulty moving the injured body part or sensitivity when touched. 
• Sprains occur when a ligament is torn or overstretched; strains involve an overstretched or torn muscle or tendon. Both can cause swelling, pain and bruising, but unless severe, most can be treated at home.

To prevent these injuries, it’s important for your child to learn proper technique when playing sports; work with a coach or trainer to help prevent unnecessary injuries. Wearing the right gear is critical, too. If they’re skateboarding, riding a bike, or rollerblading, it should include helmets, elbow pads, wrist guards, and knee pads.

If you suspect your child has a break, don’t move them if the injury is related to the neck or back. If the bone is protruding, call 911. For breaks to other areas of the body, keep the limb in the position you find it and try to make a splint. Use anything that can extend around the joints and above the break until you can get an X-ray. Newspapers or cardboard can be used, and old rags, towels, or pillowcases can pad the area in between.

If it’s a strain, avoid applying heat, since that can increase swelling. Typical treatment for a strain or sprain is RICE:

• Rest: Take it easy for 24 to 48 hours or more.
• Ice: Apply an ice pack or cold compress for 10 to 15 minutes once every few hours for up to two days.
• Compression: Wrap bandage around the area for at least two days.
• Elevate: Try keeping the injured body part above the heart to prevent swelling.

Over-the-counter pain medications may be recommended for many injuries, too.

A cut (laceration) is often caused by a sharp object, like a pair of scissors or knife. It tears through layers of skin, which typically bleed. A puncture wound occurs when a pointy object such as a nail pierces the skin, creating a small, deep hole. A person may not bleed much, but infections are common. To help prevent these injuries in children:

Properly store sharp items. If you have small children, place scissors, knives, needles, razors, and things made of glass on high shelves, in drawers with a safety latch, or otherwise out of reach.

Clear out junk. Keep shared spaces like the garage and yard free of wood and metal scrap, old tools and nails, cans, and similar objects. 

If your child is injured, be aware that some cuts and minor puncture wounds can be treated at home. To do so:

• Wash your hands and the wound itself with soap and water. If your child has a puncture and the object can be removed easily, do it; otherwise, go to the ED. 
• Apply pressure with a clean cloth until the bleeding has subsided. 
• Clean the area with soap and cool water—not alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, which can worsen the injury. Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment or gel and place a bandage on the wound. 
• Keep the area clean and dry. Change the bandage once or twice daily and keep monitoring for infection.

If you’re not sure how bad your child’s injury is, go to an HCP rather than risk a serious issue. Get medical help right away if any of the following occur.

• There’s dirt, glass, or part of an object stuck inside the wound.
• The wound is deep, wide, or jagged, or exposes tendon, muscle, or bone.
• It won’t stop bleeding with pressure.
• A puncture wound is caused by a nail, fish hook, or animal or human bite, or by a dirty or rusty object. Your child may need a tetanus shot.
• Your child’s hands, feet, neck, chest, or abdomen have been punctured.
• The wound is on the face—especially if it’s close to the eyes.
• Your child loses function of any body part.

Also seek help if the wound becomes infected or increasingly painful after treatment. Infection signs include warmth, redness or discoloration, swelling, and drainage. 

A concussion is a head injury that temporarily affects brain function. It often occurs when there’s trauma to the head—specifically, when the head and brain are jolted back and forth. In the United States, about 2.3 million kids under age 18 have been diagnosed with a concussion or brain injury, according to a 2022 CDC report. Many childhood concussions are related to sports. To help prevent them:

Practice proper technique. If your child plays a sport, have them work with a trainer or coach to learn proper form for things like tackling and heading. Make sure they learn good sporting rules and ways to prevent injuries, like never hitting a defenseless player.

Wear the right gear. Almost all sports require kids to wear protection like shoulder pads or helmets. But it’s important for the gear to fit properly. If it doesn’t, it won’t protect them as well. You may have to replace certain items each season, especially if your child has outgrown it or it’s worn out. Watch out for things like broken buckles and worn padding.

Be aware of the signs. It’s not always easy to recognize a concussion. But it helps when you and your child are familiar with common signs. Some symptoms may gradually worsen over time and might not show up until days later. Here are signs to watch for:

• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or trouble with balance
• Sensitivity to light and/or noise
• Blurred or double vision
• Irritability or unhappiness
• Exhaustion
• Anxiety
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

If your child is showing signs, head to an ED so a healthcare provider can perform a physical exam and test nervous system functioning with things like balance, coordination, nerve function, and reflex assessments. You should also pull your child out of the activity or practice right away.

“If an athlete suspects he or she might have a concussion, they should be honest with parents, athletic trainers and coaches in order to prevent a prolonged recovery from a concussion,” says Jon Schultz, MD, a sports medicine specialist in Lenexa, Kansas.

Young children are prone to eating and drinking non-food items. So, it’s key to properly store potentially poisonous things, including medications, household cleaning or laundry products, pesticides, chemicals, and even makeup.

If your child swallows or inhales a poisonous substance, or gets it on their skin or in their eyes, first remove it from your child’s reach. If it’s in their mouth, take it out, but don’t make them vomit as this can cause more damage. Start CPR or other treatment if appropriate and call 911. (The American Red Cross offers directions on how to perform infant and child CPR correctly.) Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for further direction, too. 

For irritants on the skin, take off their clothes and rinse the area with room-temperature water for 15 minutes or more. If your child has inhaled something poisonous, make sure they start breathing in clean air immediately. It’s always best to follow up with a pediatrician for advice about next steps.

You may be aware that drowning is a top cause of death for young children, claiming the lives of about 1,000 kids each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. But did you know that non-fatal drowning is a leading cause of injuries? 

Non-fatal drowning occurs when a child develops trouble breathing from being underwater, but they survive. It can result in severe, lifelong health issues, including serious brain injury.

Drowning can happen quickly and quietly. To prevent it, never leave a child unattended around water, including bathtubs, hot tubs, pools, or open water. Empty buckets if you have small children. If you’re going swimming, stay in the water with babies and toddlers at all times. Teach kids how to swim young—even at age 1—and have the right swimming gear available if needed. Here are other tips to keep in mind.

Install a fence. If you have a pool in your backyard and you have young children, put in a four-sided isolation fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate. This will ensure that your young children can’t get in when you aren’t supervising. Many states and communities require this type of fencing for anyone who has a pool, so you’ll want to check with local government or state building commission for specific guidelines. 

Always bring a life jacket that fits. Even if your child knows how to swim, it’s still best to have them wear a lifejacket anytime they’re around natural bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, or oceans.

Know the signs. People who are drowning are typically unable to call out or wave for help. They may struggle for up to a minute before going under, so it’s important to recognize the signs of drowning so you can get help. These signs include:  

• Head is below surface of the water and mouth is level with the water
• Head is titled back or forward and mouth is open 
• Glassy or closed eyes 
• Hair is in front of face 
• Legs are vertical 
• Gasping or hyperventilating 
• Attempting to swim in one direction, but not getting anywhere
• Playing in the bathtub, but suddenly gets quiet 

If you think your child is drowning: 

• Get them out of the water as soon as you can. 
• If they’re not breathing, give them CPR immediately and keep going until they are breathing again or until the paramedics arrive. (Again, visit the American Red Cross website for instructions on performing infant and child CPR.)
• If there is someone around, have them call 911 or look for medical help. If not, once your child starts breathing again, call 911.