Danbury Hospital Gives Safety Tips For Grandparents

DANBURY — According to the US Census Bureau, 3.9 million children lived with their grandparents in 1997, up 76 percent from 1970. Researchers report that 9 out of 10 grandparents spend at least some time caring for grandchildren during the course of a year.

Having successfully raised their own children, grandparents bring a wealth of knowledge to their role as caregiver. Although parents and grandparents tend to worry about disease, crime, and violence harming children, preventable injuries resulting from falls, burns, and from riding in an improperly installed car safety seat now take more children’s lives than any other cause.

“As a grandparent, I was unaware that my granddaughters were ever in any danger in their car safety seats,” said Kathy Lewis, RN, trauma services coordinator at Danbury Hospital. Due to her line of work, Ms Lewis attended a child passenger safety-training course created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and sponsored by Fairfield County Safe Kids Coalition. She is now a certified child safety seat technician.

“Following this course, I was alarmed at how little I knew about properly installing my grandchildren’s car safety seats,” she said. “In my job and through local car seat clinics with Fairfield County Safe Kids, I am able to instruct parents, grandparents, and even my own daughters on how to safely install their children’s and grandchildren’s safety seats.”

Whether occasional babysitters or primary caregivers, grandparents need to know the most up-to-date safety information. Danbury Hospital, through its membership in Fairfield County SAFE KIDS, suggests the following safety tips designed specifically for grandparents.

Supervise your grandchildren at all times when they are in your care. Never leave them alone – even for a second – especially in kitchens or bathrooms, around playground equipment, or near water.

Buckle up your grandchildren correctly every time they ride in your car. Use age appropriate restraints, including booster seats for children between 40 and 80 pounds.

Keep all medications, vitamins, and household products in their original containers, locked up and out of sight and reach of children.

Install and maintain a smoke alarm on every level of your home and near all sleeping areas.

Set your water thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below to prevent scald burns.

Don’t allow children under age ten to cross the street alone.

Make sure grandchildren always wear safety gear (helmets, pads, etc) when riding bikes, using scooters, skating, and playing sports.

If there are firearms in the home, store them unloaded and locked up, with ammunition locked in a separate location, out of grandchildren’s reach.

Keep poison control center and emergency medical service numbers listed near every telephone in the home. Have a first aid kit, ipecac syrup, and activated charcoal readily available.

Take a class to become certified in CPR and first aid.

To help older Americans learn about these and other ways to prevent injury, the National SAFE KIDS Campaign has developed an easy-to-read guide that highlights what they, and all caregivers, must know to keep children safe. For a free copy of the Helping Every Generation Care of Kids guide, contact Fairfield County SAFE KIDS at 203-325-5566 or visit        the Web site at www.fcsafekids.org.