Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
Summer is a time to take extra precautions to keep kids safe around water, vehicles, and windows at home, according to experts at Intermountain Children's Health and Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital.
"Each year, Primary Children's Hospital treats children for injuries from falling out of open windows at their homes, for heatstroke after being left alone in cars on hot days and for near-drownings in swimming pools, lakes, and even bathtubs," said Karlee Kump, community health manager at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital. "Accidents can happen to anyone. That's why it's so important to educate ourselves about simple steps we can take to help keep children safe this summer."
Here are three vital tips from Intermountain Health experts to keep kids safe this season:
1. Never leave a child in a car – even for a second
The temperature inside a vehicle can heat up by 20 degrees in 20 minutes and become deadly on summer days.
Every year, nearly 40 children across the country die after being left in a hot vehicle. In Utah, 13 children died in hot vehicles from 1998 to 2022.
Many more have suffered heat stroke and other injuries in close calls. A child's body temperature can increase up to five times faster than an adult. Cracking a window does very little to mitigate the temperature inside a car.
Hot car tragedies often happen when an unattended child gains access to a vehicle, or a caretaker or parent forgets a child is in the car, often due to fatigue or change of routine.
Here are ways you can prevent hot-car injuries:
- Always look in the back seat before getting out of your vehicle.
- Keep vehicles locked and keys out of the reach of children so they can't get inside.
- Never leave your child alone in a vehicle – even for a few minutes.
- Keep a visual reminder that a child is with you, like a stuffed animal, in the seat next to you.
- Place something you'll need when you arrive at your destination, like your phone or bag, cell in the back seat. That way, when you reach for the item, you'll likely see the child.
- If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk.
- Call police or 911 if you see a child left alone in a car.
2. Window safety: Only open windows 4 inches or less
Each year, thousands of children are injured from falling out of home windows in the United States. Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital treats an average of 28 children a year for injuries from window falls.
"Windows open more than 4 inches can be a hidden fall hazard for children," Kump said. "Even pressure from tiny hands can cause window screens to pop out. We want people to remember the 4-Inch rule: and open their home windows no more than 4 inches to prevent falls."
Intermountain Primary Children's is offering free visual reminders for windows to help people remember the 4-inch window rule. The free window clings come in English and Spanish, and should be placed on home windows where they'll be seen by the person opening them.
3. Water safety: Always use a life jacket around water and appoint a water watcher
When it comes to keeping kids safe in water, nothing compares to adult supervision, Kump said.
Fitting children with a Coast Guard-approved life jacket at the pool or open water is the next best thing to prevent accidental drowning.
Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital has donated 900 life jackets to Life Jacket Loaner Stations at lakes, reservoirs, and rec centers across the state to help keep kids safe around water. The life jackets can be borrowed on first-come, first-served basis, come in various sizes for children and adults, and should be returned at the end of the day.
Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable injury death for Utah children under age 14, and 70% of drowning deaths happen between May and August, the Utah Department of Health & Human Services reports. These occur in bathtubs, pools, and open water like rivers and lakes.
Here are some ways keep young children safe around water:
- Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub, even for a second.
- Appoint a water watcher to supervise children without distraction. Take shifts and create a visual cue, like a lanyard or silly hat, so everyone knows who's watching.
- Fully drain kiddie pools and buckets and turn them upside down when not in use.
- Ensure the whole family learns to swim.
- Have children wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets – not water wings, which can deflate or fall off a child's arms.
- Enclose pools and hot tubs with self-closing and locking gates.
- Teach children to stay away from water while hiking or camping.
- If a child is missing, always check nearby water first.
- If a child falls into rushing water, call 911. Don't jump in after them.
- Learn CPR.
For more information, visit primarychildrens.org/safety.
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