Child safety

Accidents are the second biggest killer of children in the UK and six children die every week - get advice here

While most parents have a good understanding about how to prevent accidents they don't actually act on this, the new study has revealed.

Although 90 per cent of parents and grandparents recognise that hot drinks are a danger to small children, half of those caring for children under five don't realise that a cup of tea or coffee can still scald a baby 15 minutes after it's been made.

• Fact: Over 500 under fives are rushed to casualty every week because of burns and scalds. Hot drinks are the number one cause

Although 86 per cent of those surveyed know that everyday painkillers are a danger for children, over a quarter of those caring for under fives admit to keeping them in a handbag, where children can potentially find them.

• Fact: Around 20 children are admitted to hospital every day because they are thought to have swallowed something poisonous - and under fives are at greatest risk

87 per cent of parents and grandparents believe it's dangerous not to have safety gates on the stairs. But one in four of those caring for a crawling baby or toddler don't have a safety gate on their stairs.

• Fact: Almost 800 under fives are rushed to casualty every week after falling down stairs or steps at home

Over a quarter of parents and grandparents don't have restrictive opening devices on large windows. But 86 per cent know that open windows upstairs pose a real risk to young children.

• Fact: Almost 2,000 under fives are rushed to casualty every year after falling from buildings. Last year, seven under fives died this way

Katrina Phillips, Chief Executive of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, says:

"Accidents are the second biggest killer of children in the UK. Six children die every week and over 2,000 are admitted to hospital. Most families are well aware of the dangers to children. But an alarming number don't put their knowledge into practice. It's not about blame. We know it's hard when you're busy caring for a family."

"And it's easy to think that a serious accident won't happen to your child. But taking a few simple safety precautions can make a real difference to their safety. "

During Child Safety Week, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) are launching a new campaign aimed at keeping children safe in the home. The campaign will include a range of new television and radio adverts to highlight the message that children are at high risk from accidents in the home.

Dr Hilary's advice

Prevention is better than cure.

Speak to your kids frankly about home safety and don't wrap them in cotton wool.  Take a look at your home from your child's point of view - what might seem harmless to you could be a real danger to a child. 

Taking simple steps such as fitting stair gates and locking medicines and household cleaners away in cupboards out of reach could make all the difference.  My advice is to take that extra 5 or 10 minutes to consider what could harm a little one in the home and put simple steps in place to prevent it.

Dr Hilary also says that he has seen many children injured as a result of an accident and that most of us will have had to take at least one of our children aged under 10 to hospital as a result of an accident.