Keeping your toddler safe
Accidents can be prevented! On average, one child in six is taken to hospital each year.
Choking Hazards for Young Children
Protect your child from choking by understanding common hazards and taking precautions. Keep small objects, food, and toys out of reach, and supervise your child closely during meals.
Anything smaller than a 2 pence piece can choke a toddler.
- Food: Cut food into small pieces. Avoid grapes, hard foods, and small objects.
- Toys: Keep small parts, buttons, coins, and magnetic toys out of reach. For more information on buying safe toys, click here.
- Supervision: Stay with your child while eating and encourage them to sit still. For more information on preventing choking, click here.
Keep these items out of children's sight and reach!
Button batteries, commonly found in toys, watches, and other electronic devices, are dangerous to young children. If swallowed, they can cause severe burns and internal bleeding.
How to prevent accidents:
- Keep them out of reach: Store button batteries securely away from children's grasp.
- Check toys regularly: Ensure that toys do not contain loose button batteries.
- Supervise closely: Watch children carefully to prevent accidental ingestion.
If you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Seek immediate medical attention.
Toddlers can suffocate on nappy sacks, and making some simple changes can make a big difference to your child’s safety. Do not place nappy sacks within Toddler's reach. Do not place nappy sacks in a child’s cot, pram, or buggy.
Young children’s skin is 15 times thinner than adults’ skin.
This means they can suffer painful burns more easily. To avoid the danger of serious burns and fire, turn hair straighteners off at the plug as soon as you’ve finished using them. Put them in a safe place to cool down and keep them out of the reach of children.
This goes for all hot items:
- Mugs with hot tea
- Baking trays
- Candles
Children can easily get blind cords caught around their necks and become caught, and could strangle young children.
Use a cord shortener or cleat to tie up cords out of the reach of children. Don't place a child's cot, bed, highchair, playpen, or furniture near a window blind. For more information on blind cords, click here.
Suspected poisoning is one of the most common reasons for young children to be taken to A&E.
Keep household cleaning products, such as washing tablets, liquitabs, and small batteries, out of the sight of children, preferably in a high, lockable cupboard.
Other items that should not be left around are e-cigarettes, liquid refills, plug-in air fresheners, and sachets of air fresheners.
Car Safety
Car Seats:
By law, under-fives must always ride in proper baby or child car seats when travelling by car – even on short journeys. Always use a baby or child car seat that fits your child's height and weight, and ensure the seat is fitted correctly in the car.
For more information, click here.
Never leave your child alone in the car. It can get very hot in summer. Also, they may play with window and door switches and the cigarette lighter. It's hazardous if you have left the keys in the ignition.
Falls
Falls are one of the most common causes of childhood accidents.
Serious falls, like a baby falling from a bed or a toddler from a window, can have devastating consequences. These falls can cause head injuries and long-term problems like learning disabilities and personality changes.
Toddlers are naturally curious and adventurous, which often leads to climbing and exploring. This can be an excellent way for them to learn and develop, but it also increases their risk of falls. To keep your little one safe, it is important to take proactive steps to prevent serious accidents.
Window safety:
Install safety catches, locks, or restrictors on all windows to prevent your toddler from opening them. Keep keys to these locks readily available in an emergency, but store them out of reach. Additionally, furniture should be moved away from windows to discourage climbing and remove any objects that could be used as a step.
Balcony safety:
Is another important consideration. Keep your toddler away from balconies unless they are under constant supervision. Lock balcony doors when not in use to prevent them from accessing the area.
Drowning
Always supervise children around water.
On average, one child drowns a month at home in England. Children under the age of 5 are at the most risk.
Young children can drown in as little as 5cm of water, so it is important never to leave your child alone.
Keeping safe around water when at home
Ensure your child's safety during bathtime by visiting Splash Safety tips by the Royal Life Saving Society UK. Their website provides tips for preventing accidents and making bath time a fun and safe experience.
Click here to download the RLSS's checklist
In your garden, store and empty any containers or buckets. Fence off any garden ponds, making sure they are out of reach. Empty any paddling pools when not in use. Introducing your child to water early on is essential, as it helps build their confidence and vital life skills. However, make sure that you are practising water safety.
Keeping safe around water when out
Walks are a great way to keep you and your toddler active, but it is equally important to remain vigilant at all times as, you may walk past ponds, canals and rivers. It is vital to ensure you are constantly supervising your child.
Here is a video from the Canal & River Trust, showing the importance of water safety:
For more information from the Canal & River Trust, click here.
First Aid Kit
Keep a well-equipped first-aid kit in your home
and car. Include plasters, wipes, medical tape,
antiseptic, allergy relief, and age-appropriate
medicine. Remember to check expiration dates!
Consider getting a first-aid manual to keep near
your first-aid kit.