Child Safety

Childhood safety issues include car seats, fire prevention, lead paint, best sleep practices, childproof storage of cleaning supplies, guns and drugs, drowning, helmet usage, and other issues. Laws and best practices in this area are continuously changing.

Cleaning supplies, batteries, guns, drugs and other dangerous items should be stored out of reach of children and in appropriate childproof containers. Get free Poison Control help online at www.poison.org or call 800-222-1222 if you or your child swallow, splash, or get stung by something that may be harmful.

  • According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, when a state begins allowing the sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, as Connecticut did in 2021, an uptick occurs in pediatric ER visits by children who have ingested THC-laden edibles.
  • Cleaning products comprise more than 11 percent of all pediatric poison exposures.
  • Swallowed batteries burn through a child’s esophagus in just 2 hours, leading to surgery, months with feeding and breathing tubes, and even death. About the size of a nickel, 20 mm, 3-volt lithium coin cells are the most hazardous as they are big enough to get stuck and burn faster.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that cribs, playpens, and inclined infant sleep products were associated with 83% of fatalities reported. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act became Federal law in May 2022 to prohibit the manufacture and sale of inclined sleepers and crib bumpers, but those products are still being used.

Proper car seat usage is regulated by CT State law. Learn more about these regulations. The ECCS partners with the Southington Police Department to host car seat safety check events, check the Events page for the next one.

The use of bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of brain injury by 88 percent. Since 2018, CT requires child fifteen years of age to wear headgear when operating a bicycle, scooter or skateboard or wearing roller skates or in-line skates. Learn more about helmet safety and laws.

According to the CDC, more children ages 1–4 die from drowning than any other cause of death except birth defects. Formal swim lessons for this age group have been shown to reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. Here is a guide developed by Water Safety USA to help parents and caregivers make an informed decision when looking for a good learn-to-swim program.

People of all ages should be award of outdoor safety, including temperature extremes, hydration, plants and insects.