Box 142106, SLC, UT 84114-2106

(801) 538-6852

SpokespersonDerek Parra

Olympic Gold Medal Skater

Honorary ChairBob Evans

KSTU Fox 13 Anchor

Lead OrganizationViolence and Injury Prevention Program

Proud PartnersUtah Department of Health

Primary Children’s Medical CenterState Farm Insurance

Utah Student Nurses AssociationUtah State Office of Education

Utah Safety CouncilUtah Department of Public Safety

AAA UtahUtah Poison Control Center

Utah PTAAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter

Larry H. Miller ChevroletChevron

KSTU Fox 13

©

The Safe Kids Utah Coalition thanksAnchor Printing, Zellerbach Paper, the UtahHighway Safety Office, Utah Department ofHealth -Traumatic Brain Injury SurveillanceProject, State Farm Insurance Company andPrimary Children’s Medical Center for their

generous contributions which allowed us to producethis newsletter.

POISON PATROLConstant Supervision Is Key

The most common place for a poisoning to happen is in thehome, and the most likely victim is a child less than 6 years ofage. In 2004, more than 26,000 Utah children under age 6came in contact with some type of poison at home.

The substances children get into vary. Cosmetics and personalcare items like toothpaste, perfume, aftershave lotion anddeodorant top the list. Pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil®)and acetaminophen (Tylenol®) are the second most commonpoisons. And cleaners like laundry detergent and bleach, drugslike over-the-counter cold and cough medicines, prescriptionsmedicines, plants and pesticides are dangers, too.

Nearly 80% of calls to Utah’s Poison Control Center arehandled right over the phone, and the victim never has to getmedical attention, which suggests that most unintentionalpoisonings have only mild, if any, effect. Once the scare isover, center staff even call families back to follow-up on howthe victim is doing.

In addition to keeping the above items locked away fromchildren, poison control specialists have noted some of themost dangerous prescription drugs for children. The January,2004 issue of Pediatric Drugs calls the following “deadly indose” for children: narcotics, certain blood pressure and heartrhythm medications, some antidepressants, oral diabeticmedications, iron supplements, anti-freeze and windshieldwashing fluid.

COALITION CONTACTSSafe Kids Utah Sharon Hines-Stringer (801) 538-6852

Janet B. Brooks (801) 588-3683

Local Safe Kids CoalitionsSafe Kids Bear River Farrin Wiese (435) 792-6522Safe Kids Salt Lake County Kathy Chambers (801) 331-6605Safe Kids Davis County Jeri Boren (801) 451-3395

Local Safe Kids ChaptersSafe Kids Central Utah Terry Smith (435) 896-5451 x. 41Safe Kids Wasatch County Amber Peterson (435) 657-3259Safe Kids Tri-County Toni Bolton (435) 823-1501Safe Kids Utah County Bonnie Hargreaves (801) 851-7035Safe Kids Great Basin Dean Shields (435) 743-6530Safe Kids Summit County Geri Essen (435) 615-3912Safe Kids Tooele County Brenda Nelson (435) 843-2338Safe Kids Weber-Morgan Jann Fawcett (801) 399-7186Safe Kids Southeast Utah Georgina Nowak (435) 637-3671Safe Kids Washington County Nikki Weber (435) 986-2562Safe Kids Iron County Kathleen Brinkerhoff (435) 868-5810

As children move into the adolescent years, parents must be awareof products that can be intentionally misused and abused, likecough medicines with dextromethorphan, and inhalants like thevapors from spray paint, hair spray, cleaning fluids, lighter fluids,and even compressed air. Inhalant abuse has been documented tobegin as early as fourth grade and peaks in eighth grade. In Utah,inhalants are the fourth leading substance abused by teens afternicotine, alcohol and marijuana.

To prevent unintentional poisonings:• Store all drugs and chemicals in their original containers,

and out of reach of children, preferably locked up.

• Since most poisonings occur while the product is beingused (e.g., the parent has the vitamin bottle out to give thedaily dose and the child sneaks the entire bottle away), keepyour eye on anything that’s a potential poison and put itaway when you’re finished.

• Use child-resistant packaging

• Never put chemicals in food containers

• Never call medicine candy

• Children learn by imitation. Take your medicines wherechildren can’t watch.

• Keep the number of the Poison Control Center near everyphone.

The Utah Poison Control Center is open 24 hours a day, seven daysa week. The specialists at the UPCC are always just a phone callaway. If you think someone in your family has been poisoned, orneed prevention tips, call 1-800-222-1222. Calls are free andconfidential.

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s4

Unintentional injury is still the most commoncause of death among children ages 1-14 inUtah. Science and doctors can only do so

much to keep an injured child from dying or beingpermanently disabled. THE KEY ISPREVENTION. Caretakers must be knowledgeable,competent, and undistracted to provide a safeenvironment for a growing and exploring child.

Please take a tour of your child’s living area with this Newsletter in hand tosee if you can find some things to improve. Let’s start outside, with the car:

• From birth to 40 lbs, your child should be in a child safety seat.Children who weigh 40-80 pounds and are less than 4’ 9” tall shouldride in a booster seat.

• Be sure the child safety seat is installed correctly. You’ll need toread the user’s manual carefully, then put the manual away in caseyou need to refer to it later.

• Register your car seat with the manufacturer, so if a recall is made,you’re aware and can respond.

• If you need help, call 801-588-CARS to get your seat checked by acertified professional.

If you have a swimming pool or hot tub in your yard, be sure it’s surroundedby four-sided fencing with a childproof, self-latching gate. Without these, a child can easilyaccess the pool and drown in a matter ofminutes. Each year in Utah an average of 12children die in pools, bathtubs, lakes, riversand canals – making drowning the secondleading cause of death for children ages 1-9.

• The great outdoors – whether you’re in the mountains, the heart ofdowntown or in a public park, there is no substitute for parental/adultsupervision. A whistle or even a Global Positioning System will work onlypart of the time.

inside...Tour for Safety (Cont.) . . . . . . . . 2

Stay Safe During Holidays . . . . . 3

Fear of Falling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Poison Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

SAFE KIDS Contacts . . . . . . . . 4

KEEP BABY SAFEIN A REAR-FACINGCAR SEATWhile it’s temptingto have your babyfacing forward inher car seat, childsafety experts sayinfants shouldALWAYS face therear of your vehicle.

That’s because babies have weak backand neck muscles that need extrasupport when riding in a car. A rear-facing infant seat will support yourbaby’s head and neck in a sudden stopor crash.

The American Academy of Pediatricssays all infants should ride rear-facinguntil they have reached the minimumof at least 1 year of age and weigh atleast 20 pounds. The AAP alsorecommends keeping a child rear-facing to the maximum weight on thecar seat–that means up to 30 or 35 lbs.in a convertible seat. Convertible seatsare made for rear-facing and forward-facing and are a good choice to keepyour child safe and rear-facing longer.

It’s also important to put all infant seatsin the back passenger seat of the carand never in front of an air bag

For more information visit, NHTSA at:www.nhtsa.gov or Safe KidsWorldWide at www.safekids.org. Or callyour local health department.

Continued on page 2

P r e v e n t i n g A c c i d e n t a l I n j u r y

THESENTINEL Fall

2005

Tour for Safety with Dr. TomDear Parents, Grandparents, and Other Caretakers of Kids:

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s

Tour for Safety with Dr. Tom

Only you can prevent a lost child.

• Tour your yard. If you have playground equipment,be sure the surface underneath is woodchips, peagravel, fine sand, rubber mats, or mulch to protectkids from falls. Be sure play equipment is in goodrepair, and trees are trimmed for safety.

• Children should have appropriate adult supervisionfor sports play. When you say, “Go outside andplay,” be sure you know where and what your childis playing, and at least keep an eye on him or herfrom inside, to prevent injuries.

Now, let’s go inside:

Do you know how to get your children and yourselfout of the home QUICKLY, in the dark, in case of afire? Talk about and practice an escape plan: Knowwho’s going to get which children out, and whereyou’ll meet once outside. While you’re at it, test yoursmoke alarm every month – you do have one or twoinstalled, right? And keep a home fire extinguisher onhand near the kitchen, where most house fires start.

• Lock all cleaning supplies, pet supplies, alcoholicbeverages, medicines and vitamins out of a child’sreach to prevent poisoning. Use child locks on allcabinets your kid can climb to. Have the toll-freePoison Control Center number next to your phone.It’s 1-800-222-1222.

• Burns – Never carry hotliquids and your baby at thesame time. Keep childrenaway from the kitchen whilecooking. Don’t usetablecloths when childrenare young. They’re very goodat pulling them off tables, along with any hot foodsor heavy items that are on the table.

• Falls are another leading cause of injury and death,and thousands of Utah children are treated for fallinjuries every year. Use safety gates at the top andbottom of stairs if you have crawlers or toddlers. Ifyou have a baby walker with wheels, get rid of itand replace it with a stationary activity center.Cover sharp edges of furniture or the fireplace withfoam or rubber padding.

Continued from page 1

• Choking is a problem forchildren up to 4 years of age.Small objects like hot dogs,grapes, hard candy, buttons,coins, raisins, balloons andsmall toy parts can be deadlyfor an infant or toddler.Even peanut butter can bedangerous. If you’re not surewhether an object presents achoking hazard, do this test. Get the cardboardinsert from a roll of bathroom tissue. If the objectfits inside, it could choke a child.

Still with me? Let’s check out the bathroom:

Set your water heater at the lowest possibletemperature you can live with and no higher than 120degrees F. What if your toddler climbs into the tuband turns on one faucet, the Hot one. Could it scaldyour child?

• Never leave your toddler in the bathtub, even withan older brother or sister. Children can drown inone inch of water without making a sound.

• Never leave a bucket of water where your toddlercan fall in; again a quiet, but sure death.

Now to the bedrooms and living areas:

• Check your dressers and other furniture: Couldyour toddler pull open and climb up on a bottomdrawer and make it tip over on him? Secure alldressers, TV stands and bookcases to the wall.

• Finally, gun safety. For toddlers? Definitely, yes.Three-year-olds can find ahidden gun. Be sure you have agunlock on the weapon. Keepthe gun locked up, and store theammunition separately, lockedup.

Thanks for taking this safety tour ofyour home, and watch for our nextissue of The Sentinel for moresafety tips.

Tom Metcalf, MDAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, Utah Chapter

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s

2

Stay Safe During The Holidays

In an average year in Utah, 1 child age14 oryounger will die, 14 will be hospitalized, and

150 will need emergency room treatment forexposure to smoke, fire and flames. Winter isan especially dangerous time, as space heaters,fireplaces and candles are used more often.

Most fire fatalities happen while people aresleeping. One of the most important steps youcan take to protect your family is to installsmoke alarms and keep them in good workingcondition. � Alarms should be installed in every

bedroom or any areawhere someone sleeps.Be sure there is at leastone alarm on every levelof your home or at eachend of a mobile home. � Place smoke alarmsaway from the kitchenand bathroom. Falsealarms can occur while

cooking or even showering. � Test smoke alarms every month. � Change the batteries in the Spring and Fall

when you change your clocks.� Replace smoke alarms every 10 years. � Never paint a smoke alarm. � Dust or vacuum smoke alarms monthly. � Smoke alarms with a flashing light and an

alarm should be used in homes with deaf orhard-of-hearing children or adults.

Once smoke alarms are installed andworking, check the rest of the home:� Keep lighters and matches out of kids reach.� Burn candles carefully.� Make an escape plan. Every member of the

family should know at least two exits fromeach room.

� Use a combination smoke/carbon monoxidedetector on every level of your home.

� Inspect and replace any electrical cords thatare worn, frayed, or damaged.

� Never overload outlets. � Don’t run electrical cords under carpet or

furniture. They can overheat and start a fire.� Don’t use kerosene or electric space heaters.

If they must be used, keep them away fromclothing, bedding and curtains, and unplugthem at night. Make sure your home is well-ventilated when using a kerosene heater toprevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Parents know how fast their little ones can move. Turn your back for just amoment and a child can disappear: into the tree in the backyard, down the

stairs, or up on top of a dresser.

Falls are the number one cause of nonfatal injury for kids age 14 and under.In an average year in Utah, 2 children 14 and younger will die, 285 will behospitalized, and 19,300 will visit the emergency department because of afall. The good news is you can prevent most falls.

INFANTSMost infant falls involve furniture, stairs, and baby walkers. Growing babiesare naturally curious, so never leave them alone on changing tables, beds, orother furniture. The same goes for stairs. The best way to prevent falls downstairs is to install gates at the top and bottom. Don’t use accordion-style babygates, as a child can get trapped in them and suffocate. Also, stationaryactivity centers are safer than baby walkers. But if you do have to use awalker, buy one that was made after June 30, 1997. Those styles have widerbases and/or rubber stops to prevent falls down stairs.

Another serious cause of falls for toddlers is windows. Don’t allow children toplay unattended on balconies, porches, fire escapes, or near windows. Windowguards are a great way to prevent falls, and you should also move furniture –including beds — away from windows. Parents and caregivers should alsoensure that children can’t hurt themselves on furniture in other ways, likeclimbing on a bookshelf, or being able to climb out of their crib. As childrengraduate from the crib, be sure there are side rails on their beds. If you havebunk beds, never let kids under age 6 sleep or play on the top bunk.

TODDLERS and YOUNG CHILDRENAs children get older the biggest risk of fall-related injury is the playground. Ifyou have play equipment in your yard, the best protection is to put soft surfacing,like wood chips, pea gravel, shredded rubber, mulch or fine sand below allequipment. Make sure it’s 12 inches deep and extends 6 feet around the perimeter.And check to make sure your neighborhood or school playground has softsurfacing. Asphalt, concrete, grass, and soil will not cushion a fall.

More fall prevention tips:• Install grab bars and/or non-skid mats in the shower or tub• Don’t leave young children alone to bathe.• Don’t let kids play or ride in the bed of a pickup

truck.• Do not place infant carriers on the roof or hood of

any vehicle. You could forget and drive off.• Use the safety straps on high chairs, baby swings,

and shopping carts. Constant supervision is alsorecommended.

• Insist your children wear a helmet and elbow/kneepads when rollerblading or riding bikes, scooters orskateboards.

And remember, if you’re going to make sure your children wear helmets, don’tforget to wear one, too.

FEAR OF FALLING

Stop Worrying,Start Working

Toward Fall Prevention

M a k i n g U t a h a S a f e r P l a c e f o r K i d s

3