Children in danger even in their own homes

Coinciding with the launch of the launch of the third annual Family Safety Week, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has teamed up with Confused.com to highlight the risks and dangers faced by young children in the home.

More than a quarter of parents (27 per cent) surveyed said that their child had injured themselves when they were in the same room as them.

And just over one in five (21 per cent) said their child had injured themselves when they had turned their back on them for just a short period.

The charity will target a different issue each day of this week – falls, burns, poisons, and suffocation and choking – and offer tips on how to guard against an unwanted trip to A&E.

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: “These statistics show just how easy it can be for a child under five to have an accident at home, in the place where we think that they should be the safest. Some of these can lead to serious, life-changing injuries, and in the worst cases, the death of a child.

“No matter how vigilant parents are, there is always the possibility that something has been missed, and some other things may not always be obvious dangers. We want to make sure that parents have the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent the distress and heartbreak accidents to children cause.”

More details can be found at www.familysafetyweek.org.uk