Child Development & Public Health

One public health topic that I feel should be added to the list this week is child injury prevention.  According to Safe Kids Worldwide, heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children.  On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle.  As a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, I have a passion for teaching others about safe practices while transporting children.  Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization devoted to child injury prevention.  The organization has a network of partners in Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific.

In addition to child passenger safety, Safe Kids Worldwide addresses safe practices for: bike & wheels safety; button battery safety; fire safety; injury prevention; and, heatstroke prevention to name a few.  Safe Kids Worldwide educates families, creates safer environments, and advocates for improved laws to protect children.

In the state of Georgia, there has been great emphasis placed on heatstroke prevention, as the Summer months prove to place children at higher risk.  Parents and caregivers of children are reminded of this serious and very important public safety issue with routine webinars, news conferences and public service announcements.  Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is currently collaborating with five state agencies and three partner organizations to increase awareness of the dangers associated with leaving children alone in vehicles.  By remembering ACT, we can reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke: 

Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute.

Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination.

Take action.  If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. 

In New Zealand, many of the same child injury topics are a focus; however, there is a new addition to their list, skateboard and scooter injury, it is the current Safe Kids campaign theme.  For more information, you can visit Safekids New Zealand. n♥