Child Safety Week Research Articles

G458(P) Child safety week 2014: a questionnaire based survey exploring parental safety practices and the impact of a county–wide safety campaign

<h3>Introduction</h3> Unintentional childhood injury is a major public health problem associated with significant mortality. In Gloucestershire there have been several fatal accidents among children related to heavy furniture, blind–cords and nappy bags as well as potentially harmful practices such as co-sleeping. In recent years, UK injury prevention programmes have halved the number of childhood accidental deaths. There is evidence that community-based campaigns encourage positive behavioural change and can potentially reduce the number of injuries requiring medical attention. Our aim was to explore carer awareness of four specific hazards (nappy sacks, cord blinds, co-sleeping and heavy furniture) linked to paediatric deaths within the region through the use of questionnaires and a standardised educational poster display. <h3>Materials and methods</h3> A standardised safety awareness poster board was designed using approved charity leaflets. Six-hundred poster packs were distributed to public centres in Gloucestershire. Additionally, a questionnaire was offered to carers of children attending the Children’s centre of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital during Child Safety Week. It explored their current safety practices as well as thoughts on the usefulness and impact of the poster campaign. <h3>Results</h3> We obtained 103 questionnaire responses over five days, 96% of which were from parents. Almost a quarter of respondents were unaware of accidental deaths relating to nappy sacks, although most (82%) kept sacks out of a child’s reach. Of the 57 respondents who had cord blinds at home 26% did not attach safety devices. Despite prominent national campaigns deterring co-sleeping, 42% of all respondents had co-slept with their children when aged less than one year old. Two-thirds (67%) reported securing large furniture items in place within their home. Many parents were aware of the hazards highlighted (average 1–10 scale rating, 8.2), and found the campaign useful (average 1–10 scale rating, 7.3). In 50% of cases the potential to alter current practices perceived by carers was encouraging (average 1–10 scale rating, 5.3). <h3>Conclusion</h3> A poster campaign highlighting hazards implicated in local deaths is deemed useful by parents. Further work through the use of focus groups and parental communication is required to identify how best to promote safety practices for future campaigns.

A Questionnaire-Based Survey Exploring Parental Safety Practices and the Impact of a County-Wide Safety Campaign During UK Child Safety Week 2014

Unintentional childhood injury is a major public health problem associated with significant mortality. In Gloucestershire there have been a number of fatal accidents among children related to heavy furniture, blind cords, and diaper bags as well as potentially harmful practices such as cosleeping. Over the last few decades, UK injury prevention programs have halved the number of childhood accidental deaths. There is evidence that community-based campaigns bring about positive behavioral change and can reduce the number of injuries …

Reducing serious accidental injuries among children under five

Preventable accidents are a leading cause of serious injury among children under five. Some common accidents have a lifelong impact on the child and their family, causing disability and disfigurement. There is a strong link between accidental injury and inequality, with children from the most disadvantaged families far more likely to be killed or seriously injured. Health visitors are in a strong position to raise parental awareness of risks and provide clear, practical, accurate safety advice. This article provides an overview of childhood accidents, key safety messages, advice on engaging parents and the opportunities presented by Child Safety Week (24–30 June 2013).

Readers’ views

I thought I would share some pics of a fab Child Safety Week exploring road safety as our focus.

Child safety week

Two million children are harmed as a result of accidental injury every year. Many of these accidents can be prevented.

Child safety week

Every year, around 100,000 children are seriously injured in accidents. A further 300 are killed. This month's assembly acknowledges these shocking statistics

Letters

Young writers Child safety week: June 19-25 Fundraise while playing football

An in-car safety campaign for children in Southern Derbyshire

Part of my role as the Paediatric Emergency Liaison Nurse for Southern Derbyshire is to co-organise the annual ‘‘Rideout’’. This is a campaign where health care professionals and police officers combine forces to promote the need for ‘and correct use of’ children’s car seats. The event is run in June of each year to coincide with the National Child Safety Week. ‘‘Each year, over 5500 children are killed or injured while travelling unrestrained in the rear of cars, and of these deaths and injuries, about two thirds could have been prevented by the proper use of child restraints’’ (RoSPA). These statistics have been the driving force behind the ‘‘Rideout Campaign’’ in Southern Derbyshire. Each year during National Child Safety Week, a team of health care professionals and police officers have spent time promoting the use of child car restraints and assisting parents and carers to check their own. Derbyshire Constabulary devoted three traffic officers and their cars to the five days of the event. Our aim was for a traffic officer to be paired with at least one health care professional. Volunteers were recruited from the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department, Children’s Hospital, Minor Injuries Units and various community staff. Some staff incorporated this as part of their working day, including myself. Others participated in their own time. Staff were able to volunteer for whole or half days and for as many days as they were able to. Through goodwill and management support a

How to protect your children against accidents

Katrina Phillips examines child accidents and encourages practitioners to use child safety week to focus on accident prevention.

‘ The message of child safety week is that accidents happen in seconds but the effects can last a lifetime ’

The older you get, the more you understand that one moment can change everything, for good or ill. The moment all your numbers come up on the lottery or the moment you tip boiling water over yourself in the kitchen: these are life changing events, done in a flash but certain to turn your world upside down. Understanding the downside of this principle only too well, the Child Accident Prevention Trust has chosen the slogan ‘one moment can change everything’ as the theme for next week’s child safety week, with the message that accidents happen in seconds but the effects can last a lifetime.

School safety project for Child Safety Week

■ The paediatric health promotion nurse was invited to assist a local primary school, providing an opportunity for the hospital to become involved in community health promotion. ■ Several activities involving school personnel, local businesses, the school nurse and the paediatric health promotion nurse were arranged and took place successfully during Child Safety Week ■ This initiative highlighted that the local community recognise the contribution the hospital can make to positive health rather than simply seeing it as dealing with illness and disease.

Checklist for child safety week

Checklist for child safety week

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Amber alert; TV personality Sarah Kennedy released 21 ballooas - one for every child killed in road accidents each day - at the launch of a road safety campaign by The Children's Trust Rehabilitation Unit at Tadworth Court in Surrey. Ex-patients, like 18-year-old Alex Page, pictured, will visit schools to get the message across. The scheme coincides with Child Safety Week, which begins on Friday July 1.

News

Shopping list: Nina Sakjarvi-Stenham (left) and Coco Leuong join Parkside Health Visitor Angie Glew (centre) outside a North London branch of Tesco to highlight the first ever Child Safety Week. Health Visitors and firemen demonstrated to shoppers how parents can make sure their children avoid bums and scalds, while health visitors and road safety officers visited branches of Mothercare last week to give travel safety advice. The Child Accident Prevention Trust says three children the every day as a result of accidents, which is the major cause of death in the under-14s. More than 10,000 children are permanently disabled by accidents every year.

CAPT launches Child Safety Week

CAPT launches Child Safety Week