Preventing falls
Babies fall a lot, even when you think they are in a safe place. Supervision is needed whenever falls are likely and your baby could hurt herself. Here are some examples:
- A child is left alone in her high chair. She tips over her high chair or falls trying to get out.
- An adult is changing a baby’s diaper on a changing table and steps away to get something.
- A child falls out a window that does not have a window guard preventing it from opening more than 10 cm.
Stairs
A gate must be installed at the top of every set of stairs. It’s also preferable to install one at the bottom of the stairs. (see Babyproofing - Stairs).
Baby walkers
Baby walkers are prohibited in Canada because children can fall down the stairs in them, causing head and other injuries. Health Canada recommends using stationary activity centres for babies instead. They are safer than walkers because they do not have wheels.
Play structures
Make sure your child uses age-appropriate play structures.
Photo: Audrey Bergeron
Playground equipment and slides
Make sure your child is under adult supervision whenever she uses play structures like playground equipment and slides. Teach your child how to play safely on this kind of equipment.
Falls are the leading cause of injury on playground equipment and slides. The risk of injury is linked primarily to two factors:
- The height of the play structure (the higher it is, the more dangerous it is)
- The type of material under and around the play structure (e.g., falling on concrete is riskier than falling on sand)
Make sure your child uses age-appropriate play structures. If you install a play structure at home, follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.
Deaths are rare on playground equipment and slides. When they do happen, they usually result from a child’s head, neck, or clothing (e.g., cords or scarves) getting stuck in a play structure opening. For this reason, when your child uses these play structures, make sure she is not wearing any clothing with cords, have her wear a neck warmer instead of a scarf, and remove her bike helmet, if she is wearing one.
Trampolines
Because so many trampoline injuries are reported, Health Canada recommends that children under 6 not be allowed to play on trampolines, even with supervision.