Child Health, Safety, and Well-being

 Child Safety Hazards

Last Updated: January 11, 2022
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​Drowning

Drowning is the LEADING cause of death in children ages 1 to 14 years - killing 3 children each day. Drowning kills more children 1 to 4 years old than anything else except birth defects. To prevent this tragedy from happening to your child, click HERE External Link.

Lead Poisoning and Other Military Housing Concerns

Contact the Army's Housing Environmental Health Response Registry at 1-800-984-8523 for housing concerns on lead or mold. The military is aware of lead hazardsExternal Link - also see this APHC Factsheet. Lead can cause serious developmental and behavioral problems in children and fetuses of pregnant women. Primary sources are paints used on houses before 1978; if lead paint is covered by newer paint, exposure can still occur from chipping or dust during renovations. Some toys contain lead too. In some cases, drinking water may be contaminated. Recently, concerns have also been raised about lead and other heavy metals in baby food. Your doctor can perform a blood test to see if your child has lead poisoning. APHC posts the results of child blood lead testing from Army installations here.

Medicine and Household Poisonings

Hundreds of U.S. children are seen in emergency rooms each year due to accidentally ingesting household products (cleaning products, detergent pods, car fluids, medicines) or accidental overdoses of medicine given to them by a caretaker. Save the Poison Control Center Hotline 1-800-222-1222 in your cell.  

  • Educate your child - see this U.S. EPA website interactive learning tool about hazards in your home External Link.
  • Before giving your child medications - read labels to ensure proper child dose and possible interactions.
  • Dispose of unneeded products and lock up or move those you need to hard-to-reach locations.
  • Save the Poison Control Center Hotline on your cell and on/near every phone in your home.
    • Call Poison Control if you think a child has been poisoned and if they are awake and alert.
    • Call 911 if your child has collapsed or is not breathing.

Safety Recalls

Every 3 minutes a child is in an emergency room for a toy or home product-related injury - these especially include choking and suffocation hazards. Some are fatal. Before you buy, review safety recalls on consumer goods and child toys. 

 


The mention of any non-federal entity and/or its products is not to be construed or interpreted, in any manner, as federal endorsement of that non-federal entity or its products.​