Safe Parenting Handbook (PDF 1.07 Mb) - Department of Health ...

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WARNING SIGNS“Before Sean was bornI never thought about where Ileft things. Nowadays, everythingin the house seems dangerous.I feel I have to follow himeverywhere. Yesterday he foundmy painkillers in the bedroomand nearly swallowed some.It happened so quickly.”Children learn by exploring their surroundingsChildren do not automatically know what is dangerousChildren need guidance to stay safe at homeRemove all potential dangers in your home from the reach ofyour childKeep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of childrenWatch your child and remove him or her from danger both insideand outside the homeExplain about safety to your child from an early ageIn the event of an accident in the home seek immediate medicalattentionkeeping your child safe26Spend some timeexploring yourhouse as if youwere a young child.This will show youthe many potentialdangers which, ifnot removed, couldharm your child.ACTIONMake a list of thesepotential dangersand remove them tosafety or protectyour child fromthem by usingsafety devices.Talk to the contactslisted if you areunsure about this.WHAT TO SAYWith very youngchildren the tone ofyour voice and facialexpressionsalongsideexplanations areextremely important.Children will beginto sense the warningtone in your voiceover time.PREVENTIONRemove dangerousobjects like drugs,syringes, medicinesand householdchemicals out ofthe reach ofchildren and lockthem away safely.Do this before yourchild is exposed toany hazard.CONTACTS• Talk to your healthvisitoror midwife• Royal Societyfor the Preventionof Accidents(RoSPA)028 9050 1160• Child AccidentPrevention Trust020 7608 3828• Health & SafetyExecutive forNorthern Irelandwww.hsenigov.uk/kids.cfmBabies and young children learn about theirworld by exploring it. This means that, as soonas they are able to, they will crawl, touch andgrab at whatever they see. They are curious bynature and need careful and gentle guidancefrom a young age about what danger is andwhat to stay away from.Most accidents happen in the home or justoutside and this is why it is important to ensurethat your home is safe for all your family,especially for young children. There are manysituations each year in which children haveoverdosed on their parents’ drugs and medicines.Keeping safe within the home:• Make sure that all medicines and drugs arelocked away well out of reach and your useof them is private to avoid your childcopying you.• Certain rooms are necessarily full of danger,such as the kitchen, and should remain outof bounds or made safe by the use of safetydevices. Consider using cupboard locks,stair safety gates, fire and cooker guards tomake your home safer.• Can your children get out of the house? Isthe safety chain high enough on the frontdoor even for a very active toddler?• Crawling and exploring are an essentialpart of their development - keep an eye onyour young children, especially near wiresand sockets.• Never leave young children alone in the bath.• Small children should never be left alonewith pets. Even trained and good naturedanimals can turn on them.• Make sure that irons, saucepans, kettles(including cables) and hot drinks are keptout of the reach of children. Scalding andburns are common and avoidable accidents.• Inhaling cigarette smoke is bad for children’shealth. Children will be affected by passivesmoking and your smoking may encouragethem to smoke when they are older.• Check toys for safety marks. Ensure thatyour child does not play with toys that arenot suitable for his or her age, especially ifthe pieces are small enough to choke on.Unsafe toys can be very dangerous.Keeping safe outside the home:• Keep children away from building sites andderelict buildings - they are not adventureplaygrounds and can kill.• Children should always wear safety helmetswhen cycling and other recommendedprotective wear for outdoor activities suchas skate boarding.• Always ensure children are properlyrestrained in the car.• Keep children away from unattendedfarming machinery or gardening equipment.These can kill. Stress the dangers of thismachinery to children from a young age.• Never leave young children unsupervisednear rivers, garden ponds or paddling pools.• Teach children how to safely cross the roadand be a good example to them when you arecrossing the road.27
Breast milk offers the most natural and healthy start for your babySix months is the recommended age for the introduction of solidfoods for both breast and formula fed infantsDon’t give up if your child does not like certain foods at first -keep trying. It can take several attempts before your child acceptsa new foodMaking your own baby food is cheaper and gets your baby used tohome-cooked mealsTrue food allergies are relatively uncommon. If you have concernsseek advice from your GPbuilding a good foundationfor health“Every parent wants the beststart in life for their children. One of themost important things you can do foryour child is to ensure that he or sheeats a wide variety of foods in the”right amounts.Good nutrition is essential during childhood,as it is a time of rapid growth, development andactivity. Your child’s nutritional needs changethroughout their childhood.From birthSolid foods should not be started too early asbabies digestive systems and kidneys are notfully developed. Weaning too soon may causeproblems such as food allergies in the future. Therecommended age to start weaning your babyonto solid foods is six months. This applies tochildren who are breastfed or given infantformula. Suitable first weaning foods includeunflavoured baby rice, cooked fruit andFrom 6-11vegetables. However it is important to progress toa wider range of tastes and textures. Moredetailed advice can be found in the ‘Weaningmade easy’ guide available from your local healthpromotion resource service (see Contacts)From 1-5healthy eating guidelines, just like the rest ofthe family. For good health, children need toeat a wide range of foods from the four mainfood groups:• Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and breakfastcereals.• Fruit and vegetables.• Meat, fish, chicken, pulses and eggs.• Milk, cheese and yoghurt.Do not encourage processed foods, fizzy drinksor crisps. For more detailed advice refer to‘Getting a good start’ which is available fromyour local health promotion resource service(see Contacts).Active children have good appetites. Encourageexercise as this will develop good appetites anddiscourage weight problems. Encourage childrento choose the healthier options from the schoolmeals menu. If they take packed lunches ensurevariety and include fruit and raw vegetables.28WARNING SIGNSIf your child iseither overweightor underweightthis will haveimplications foryour child’s healthin the short andlonger term.Contact your GPor health visitorfor advice.ACTIONWHAT TO SAYEncouraging your It’s not just whatchild to develop you say - it’s whatgood eating habits you do - set a goodwhen they are young example to yourwill also mean they childrenare more likely toeat healthily as theygrow up.PREVENTIONAvoid your childbecomingdependant onthings like fizzydrinks, crisps andprocessed foods.CONTACTS• Central healthpromotion resourceservices in yourlocal HSS Boardarea for leaflets -see page 44• Your health visitor• Your GPPhotograph courtesy of the Health Promotion AgencyChildren under the age of five need to eat smallamounts of food regularly. This is bestprovided in three small meals every day(breakfast, lunch and tea/dinner) along withtwo or three nutritious snacks in between.Between the ages of two and five, children canbegin to gradually eat more foods that arehigher in fibre and lower in fat. By the age offive years, your child will be able to follow theFrom 12 to adulthoodBones are still growing at this stage - aim for 1pint of milk per day, or the equivalent fromyoghurts and cheese. Good sources of iron egfrom red meat, breakfast cereals, pulses andeggs, are also important, especially for teenagegirls. All children will enjoy a healthy diet ifthey are given it.29
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Safe Parenting Handbook (PDF 1.07 Mb) - Department of Health ...

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