The most common reason children age 5 and younger go to the emergency room for an injury is because the child fell. Falls from windows are dangerous and can cause injury or death.
Did you know that the most common age for falls from windows is at two years old? It is never too soon to protect your children.
Here is what you can do:
- Do not trust the window screen to keep your child safely inside. Window screens are to keep bugs out. They are not strong enough to keep children in.
- Do not open a window more than four inches. Children can squeeze through an opening and fall.
- Install a window lock (see picture) to keep the window from opening more than 4 inches. You can find these at a hardware store.
- Or, install a window guard (see picture) to let air flow in and out and keep children safe. You can find these at a hardware or home improvement store.
- Move furniture away from windows. This will keep children from climbing up to the window.
- Keep windows closed and locked as much as you can
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Safety Resources from the Pediatric Experts at CHOC
For more important tips to prevent injuries in children and teens, visit choc.org/safety.
