Tip Of The Day | Avoiding Fatal Falls | Ormond Beach Child Injury Attorney

Each year, roughly 3,300 children aged 5 years and younger are treated for falls from windows, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Up to age 5 years, the majority of a child's weight is concentrated in the head. As a result, if these young children lean out a window, they are at greater risk for falling, medical experts say.

To avoid potentially fatal falls from windows, health care professionals offer these recommendations:

• Supervise. Parents or caregivers should keep their eyes and attention focused on children when they are around open windows.
• Move furniture away from the window. Placing a crib, bed or even a chair next to a window could enable small children to climb onto the window's ledge and gain easier access to the window opening.
• Minimize openings. Make sure windows on upper floors are closed or never open more than a few inches. As a rule of thumb, if children can fit their head through the open space, they can fall out.
• Lock them up. Keep windows closed and locked when they are not being used.