Warmer weather is here and it is time to open up the windows and let fresh air in! Sadly, while spring and summer bring warmer weather, this time of year we hear about children seriously injuring themselves or even sometimes dying from a fall. A leading cause of injury to children age 5 and under is falls, with over 3,300 children falling out of windows each year. Children playing and being naturally curious are at risk for harming themselves if these easy preventable measures are not in place.

Caregivers can practice good home safety checks by:

• Installing child safety window guards.
  • Window guards should consist of aluminum or steel bars with maximum 4-inch spacing that are installed in the bottom half of a double-hung window.
  • These guards are designed to withstand 150 pounds of pressure and can be purchased at a local hardware or home improvement store for about $40 each.
• Keeping all unopened windows and doors locked.
• Keeping anything a child can climb on like large toys, beds, sofas, and tables or away from windows.
• Opening windows from the top, not the bottom; especially when children are in the home.
  • If you must open windows from the bottom, buy window-stops at your local hardware store.
  • These will limit the opening to less than 4 inches and cost approximately $5-10 each.

Remember: window screens will not prevent a child from falling out of window!

•  Regular screens are designed to keeps bugs out and cannot support the weight of a falling child.

Deaths and injuries resulting from a fall through a window are tragic, but also preventable. While window guards offer added protection, no tool or equipment is 100% foolproof so constant supervision is recommended to keep young children safe.

Practice these safety tips and minimize the risk of injury!

 For more information on window safety visit Mass.Gov, Kids Can’t Fly, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Safe Child and Window Safety Checklist

Written By:

Alicia High
Health and Human Service Coordinator

Tags: kids can't fly, safety, warm weather, WIC, window safety