When it’s a beautiful day, opening your windows for some fresh air might seem like a good idea. But, what you may not realize is that your children could be at risk for a serious injury when you open your windows.
“Falls are the number-one trauma reason children go to the ER,” says Lori Vinson, senior director of Trauma Services at Children’s Health℠.
“We don’t see this during the winter – it’s during the rest of the year,” she continues. “Often, screened windows can give parents the illusion a child is safe, but it’s important for caregivers to know they are not.”
Window Safety Tips
“Screens are meant to keep bugs out, not to keep kids in,” Vinson says. She recommends the following tips to help keep your children safe from window falls:
Try to keep windows on upper floors closed and locked at all times. If you must open a window, only open it four inches or less.
Keep all furniture away from windows so that children can’t climb up near the window ledge.
Consider investing in window guards, which can be found online.
In addition, talk to your children about window safety. Just as you warn your small child to stay out of the street because of car danger, let your child know that windows are for looking out and not climbing or leaning near.
With awareness and careful vigilance, no child should have to suffer the traumatic injury of falling from a window.
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