CHICAGO HEIGHTS–(ENEWSPF)–November 19, 2012. State Rep. Anthony DeLuca is calling on Southland parents to observe National Child Safety and Protection Month during the rest of November by spending some extra time considering their approach to preventing unintentional injuries and poisonings in their homes.
“As the father, I have spent a great deal of time childproofing my home and doing my best to eliminate household dangers that could easily get overlooked,” said DeLuca.
“It’s very unfortunate to realize that almost every instance of a child being seriously injured or poisoned in the home is completely preventable. That’s why as parents we must do everything we can to be proactive about keeping our children out of harm’s way, even when they’re the most familiar and welcoming locations, like our homes.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in the United States for children and the fifth leading cause of death for newborns and infants. Furthermore, every day in the United States, an average of 165 young children receive medical attention in emergency rooms after getting into medications, and in 2009, 109 children ages 14 years and under died from unintentional poisoning.
Even with the problem of unintentional injuries claiming the most childhood deaths in the country, this problem receives much less attention in the public dialogue than more obvious dangers such as child sex offenders. DeLuca is highlighting the observance of National Child Safety and Protection Month in November to encourage parents to take action to prevent unintentional injuries and poisoning in the home before they happen.
“With all the activity and traveling to relatives’ homes, Safe Kids Illinois would like to remind parents not to forget about safety during the busy holiday season,” said JessicaChoi, Director, Safe Kids Illinois. “Please take a few precautions to prevent injuries and keep the holidays happy by checking around the home for any small objects that could be choking hazards or poisonous. If you are staying with friends or family who don’t have locks on their cabinets, just gather cleaners, cosmetics, small parts and batteries into a box and place it in a secure place that kids can’t access for the duration of your stay.”
Please contact Safe Kids Illinois if you have any questions about how to keep your family safe, at 312-227-6658 or [email protected]. For more information on poisoning prevention or to take the Illinois Poison Center’s free, online Poison Prevention Education Course, please visit their website at: http://illinoispoisoncenter.org. For the Illinois Poison Center Hotline, please call (800) 222-1222.
