It's a parent's worst nightmare. Your child injures themselves walking or, even worse, falling down the stairs. Well, it turns out there is reason to worry. A new study has concluded that every six minutes, a child under the age of 5 is taken to the hospital for stair-related injuries.
"What that tells us is that we have much more that we need to do to make the home environment safer for children," study author Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, told The New York Times. "Children under 5 spend most of their time in the home, and even the best parent in the world can't watch their child 100 percent of the time. It just simply isn't possible."
Read more ¿Qué más?: Autism in minority children is not detected early enough
The report, published in Pediatrics, found that over 930,000 children under the age of 5 were sent to the ER between 1999 and 2008 for getting hurt on the stairs –mostly results of tripping or __being dropped by a paren__t. Injuries included bumps and bruises typically around the head or neck, but about one in ten of the kids also broke a bone. And that only includes cases in which children were actually sent to the hospital! The overall number could actually be much higher.
Read more ¿Qué más?: All Latina teens should watch this teen rape PSA
This is a really difficult number to swallow for anyone who spends time around young kids but especially for all those busy moms who are constantly running around, juggling their kids and 30 other things. So, what can you do to prevent this from happening to your kids? Try following these tips:
- Researchers suggest installing gates at the top and bottom of the staircase. That way, you'll block your kid's access to it and won't have worry about them trying to run down the stairs while you're not looking.
- Keep stairs free of toys, papers, and other clutter. It'll make it less likely that your child (or you!) will trip or fall while going up and down the stairs.
- Use railings. Whether you're in your house or out and about, make sure your kids are either holding on to you or the railing. It'll help them keep their balance. You might even want to consider installing smaller-size railings in your house to make it easier for children to grab on to.
- Follow the "one thing at a time" rule while you're on the stairs. Women, and especially moms, are used to multitasking at any given time but stairs should be the exception. If you're carrying your child, avoid carrying any other items or engaging in any other tasks, even if it's something simple like texting or talking on the phone. It'll be safer for you and your child.
- Have good lighting over the stairs. If the area where your staircase is is dimly lit, it could cause accidents even during the day.
- Don't make yourself the only boundary between your child and an injury. It can be hard for moms to accept their own limitations as parents, but it's impossible for you to keep your eyes on your child every second of every day. So give yourself a little help by taking extra precautions, like safety proofing your house. It'll make a difference!
Has your child ever gotten a stair-related injury? How do you ensure safety on the stairs?
Image via clover_1/flickr
