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Where Injuries Happen: By Injury
Burns and Scalds
- Fires started from children playing with fire tend
to begin in a bedroom where children are left alone.
Nearly 60% of these are started by children playing
with matches or lighters (1).
- Households without working smoke alarms are approximately
two and a half times more likely to have a fire (1).
- Children living in rural areas have a dramatically
higher risk of dying in a residential fire. Death rates
in rural communities are more than two times higher
than in large cities, and more than three times higher
than in large towns and small cities (1).
- In 2002, approximately 93,000 children were treated in emergency rooms for burns, including nearly 23,000 scalded by hot liquids, mostly from spills in the kitchen. Kids are also at risk around steam irons, curling irons, space heaters and hot bathwater (2).
References:
1. Safe Kids Campaign. 2004. Injury Facts: Fire Injury (Residential).
2. Safe Kids Campaign. 2005. Media Center: It Doesn't Take a Fire to Burn a Child.
Drowning
- Most of the drownings among children aged 1-4 years
occur in residential swimming pools (1). Residential swimming pools are the
most common location of drowning and near-drowning
(2). One half of these deaths and injuries take place
most often at a child’s home and one third occur
at the home of friends, neighbors, and relatives (2).
- Children under age one most often drown in bathtubs,
buckets, and toilets. Older children are more likely
to drown in open water areas such as ponds, lakes,
and rivers (2).
- In-ground swimming pools without complete four-sided
isolation fencing are 60% more likely to be involved
in drownings than those with four-sided isolation fencing
(2).
- Death rates from drowning are higher in rural areas
compared with cities and suburbs, in part due to decreased
access to emergency medical care (2).
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004.
Water-Related Injuries, Brenner et. al, 2001 in CDC 2004.
2. Safe Kids Campaign. 2004. Facts About Childhood Drowning.
Falls
- Infant falls are more commonly associated with furniture,
stairs, and baby walkers; 80% of falls in children
under age 4 occurring at home.
- Toddlers are at risk of window-related falls.
- Older children are more likely to experience playground-related
falls. 23% of falls in children aged 5-14 occur
at school and only 45% at home.
References:
1. Safe Kids Campaign. 2004. Facts About Childhood Falls.
Poisoning
- More than 90% of all poison exposures occur in homes.
The most common poison exposures for children are
ingestion of household products such as cosmetics and
personal care products, cleaning substances, pain relievers,
and plants (Litovitz 2001 in CDC 2004).
- Lead poisoning results primarily from lead paint
in older homes. Children aged 1 to 5 were more likely
to have elevated blood lead levels if they are poor,
non-Hispanic African American, or live in older housing.
Children aged 1 to 5 enrolled in Medicaid have a prevalence
of elevated blood lead levels three times greater than
children not enrolled in Medicaid (CDC 2000 in CDC
2004).
References:
1. CDC. 2004. Poisonings.
2. Safe Kids Campaign. Facts About Childhood Poisoning.
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Adolescent
& Child Targets for Health Foundation, Inc. 
