It’s April already! That means that the warm weather and holidays are headed our way. With Easter coming up and Memorial Day after that, we can only imagine what fun plans and BBQ’s you are planning for your family!

With these events and family get-togethers, some may overlook some common dangers that children especially can face. We at Southern Colorado Insurance wanted to give you some tips to making sure everyone stays safe.

Choking:

• Children are naturally curious and put things in their mouths all the time. In fact, choking is the #4 biggest cause of death in children 5 and under.
• An average of 17,000 children are treated in emergency rooms across the US for choking related incidents.
• The main items that cause these choking incidents are small food, small toys, and coins.

What to do: During Easter and all holidays that tend to involve the consumption of a lot of candy, make sure the candy your child eats is not small enough that they can choke on it. These include, jelly beans, small chocolate candy, mints, hard candies, small marshmallows, etc. Also talk to your children and teach them about small items and choking. Children knowing how to properly chew their food and to avoid putting small items in their mouths will help them to watch out for their safety.

Burning:

• Especially at family BBQ’s there are hot surfaces around. Children are very curious about those as well and may try reaching for it, especially younger children.
• Keep an eye on all open BBQ’s and make sure your children know where the “danger zone” is. This will help to keep them from getting too close accidentally as well.

What to do: If a child does get burnt on a hot surface, wash it with cool (not cold) water to stop the heat from spreading, wrap loosely in gauze wrap (not cotton), and give your child an appropriate pain reliever for their age and weight. DO NOT use ice, butter, ointments, or creams on the burn! The same treatments is used for adult burns as well. Any burns that are third degree or look like they need additional treatment, or if a lesser burn looks infected, get additional medical help from the emergency room or your doctor.

• Not only will skin burning be a concern, but structural fires can occur as well. If there is a fire, make sure you and your children Stop-Drop-Roll your way to safe place. Call the fire department immediately; DO NOT try fighting it yourself!

With all of these Spring-time holidays coming up, we at Southern Colorado Insurance want to make sure your families stay safe and enjoy the beautiful weather. For other safety tips and information about Southern Colorado Insurance Center, visit http://www.scicteam.com. To get more information on how Southern Colorado Insurance Center can help your family stay covered and to get a quote, call Debbie at (719) 329-4441 or email her at youarefirst [at] scicteam [dot] com.