Most Common Preschooler Accidents

Unintentional Drowning

• Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention̵7;s report ̶0;Protect the Ones You Love: Injuries are Preventable, Drownings: The Reality.̶1; As many as three children drown every day. The agency suggests that you learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and swimming basics to help a preschooler who is in trouble. Whenever your child is in or near a natural body of water, he should always wear a life jacket, even if he knows how to swim. If you have a pool, install a fence around it that has a gate that closes and latches by itself. If a pool doesn̵7;t have a gate, consider placing a life jacket on your preschooler. When your preschooler is near or in water, including the bathtub, always supervise him and avoid distractions such as telephone calls.

Falls at Home and While Playing

• A preschooler is in the process of fine-tuning her motor skills and may be accident-prone. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that falls are the leading nonfatal injury among youth and children. Up to 8,000 children in the U.S. visit the emergency room each day because of this type of accident. Prevent falls at home by installing gates at the top and bottom of stairs, placing guards on windows and installing guardrails that are low enough for your little one to use, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests. To prevent fall-related injuries at a playground, only allow your preschooler to play at those that have soft surfaces on the ground instead of just dirt or pebbles. Always watch your child whenever he plays around hazards such as stairs.

Motor Vehicle Collisions

• Motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of ̶0;injury death̶1; among preschoolers, according to a 2008 statement by Ileana Arias, Principal Deputy Director for CDC, to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services about preventing childhood injuries. One of the best ways to keep your preschooler safe in a car accident is to ensure you use an appropriate and correctly installed car seat. Be sure that the car seat you use has not expired or been in a collision. It is also important that you make sure your child has not outgrown it. The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending that children remain rear-facing in their car seat until the age of 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. However, when your child outgrows her rear-facing seat, it is important that she still remain as safe as possible in a 5-point harness car seat. Eventually booster seats can be used when the child reaches the height and weight limits of a 5-point harness seat. Children should also be taught to sit straight up and not slouch once they move to a booster seat.

Accidental Poisoning

• More than 80 percent of the phone calls that U.S. poison control centers received in 2009 were for children who were younger than 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Items such as household cleaners, pesticides, medications and vitamins have the potential to harm a preschooler if he ingests them. Exposure to the chemicals in cleaners and pesticides can also harm a kid. To prevent an accidental poisoning, keep toxic products, vitamins and medicines out of your child̵7;s sight and reach. However, don̵7;t store chemicals in the same area as your medications and vitamins. Always follow the pediatrician̵7;s instructions or the label on a bottle of medication or vitamins when administering them. Limit the use of toxic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides in and around your home.