Unintentional Injuries may happen to babies and infant as they are growing up.  Exploration is a natural part of a child’s development. Babies and toddlers are curious about the world around them.

From 6-8 weeks babies are moving and before parents know it their baby is rolling and at risk of falling off of a bed or sofa. Health visitors advice parents to take extra care and not leave babies on a raised surface and expect to come back to find the baby in the position they left them. 

Once children start sitting up they then pick things and put them in their mouths.  There are different stages of a child’s development that parent need to think about. Parents have to think ahead and anticipate what their child’s next area of development is going to be to prevent unintentional accidents.

During your 6-8 week, health review 1 & 2, your health visitor or nursery nurse will discuss safety and accident prevention with you.

Should your child have an accident it is important to react appropriately. Follow the below link for advice on what to do when your child has an accident, useful videos and when to seek medical attention.

What to do if your child has an accident

References

• HSC Public Health Agency (2018) chapter 4 How your child will grow: https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/birth-five

Keeping your child safe at home factsheets