More than 2,000 Children per Year Fatally Injured at Home

Approximately 2,096 children in the United States, ages 14 and under, die from accidental injuries in the home each year and 3 million kids are treated in emergency rooms for accidental injuries occurring at home. In 2004, approximately 2,300 children ages 14 and under died from unintentional injuries that occurred in the home and nearly 80 percent of these deaths were among children ages 4 and under. Most fatal injuries at home are caused by fire, suffocation, drowning, choking, falls, poisoning or firearms discharged unintentionally.<br /> <br /> Safe Kids USA urges parents and caregivers to check their homes for basic safety precautions. "There's no substitute for active supervision, but childproofing your home provides extra protection and peace of mind. "It's easy to eliminate the most obvious hazards - and it doesn't have to involve a lot of expensive equipment."<br /> <br /> The first step in childproofing a home is to explore every room at a child's eye level. Literally get down on your hands and knees and crawl around. You'll be surprised at how much you can reach and how many small objects you can pick up. Anything that can fit through a standard 1-inch toilet paper tube is a potential choking hazard. Of course, cleaning products, medications, alcohol, firearms and other potentially harmful products need to be stored out of reach and locked up.<br /> <br /> Safe Kids USA also recommends these precautions:<br /> â