That's why parents need to be vigilant about home safety. The most common causes of fatal injuries to children in their homes are fire and burns, drowning, suffocation, choking, unintentional firearm injuries, falls, and poisonings. Children ages 4 and under account for 70 percent of these deaths. The first line of defense is careful supervision. But since you can't watch a child every second, installing safety devices in your home gives you another layer of protection.
Most parents know it's critical to have working smoke detectors.
But many don't know the Consumer Product Safety Commission also recommends carbon monoxide detectors to protect against poisoning from this colorless, odorless gas emitted from malfunctioning furnaces and stoves. Reasonably priced detectors can be found at home improvement stores. To guard against falls, put gates across stairways and block openings in balconies and decks. Use bumpers on sharp-edged furniture. Specially-designed window locks prevent a child from opening a window far enough to fall out.