Did you know that unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.? Toddlers younger than age 4 account for more than half of all unintentional injury deaths and most occur in the home. Motor vehicle crashes, drowning, suffocation, fires or burns and pedestrian-related incidents are the top five causes of fatal injury.
The Kohl’s Safety Center, which opened this past May in The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, aims to reduce childhood injury by providing low cost safety products and one-on-one education on how to minimize injuries. The Safety Center is the first store of its kind in Pennsylvania combining safety products with on-site guidance of a health educator. Someone is always staffed at the Safety Center that can offer guidance on product use, such as how to fit a helmet or install a child safety seat correctly.
Children’s Hospital has a long and strong commitment to promoting injury prevention, particularly among low-income children who are at greater risk. Children from low-income families are twice as likely to die in a motor vehicle crash, four times more likely to drown, and five times more likely to die in a fire. These families are also less likely to use safety devices due to the expense, inconvenient access to stores selling the products, or less control over housing conditions.
Hospital health care providers will review a list of safety products with families and suggest pertinent supplies appropriate for a child’s age and developmental level. A health educator or nurse at the Center will use the list to educate each family on their risk factors and teach them how to use each safety item. There are also instructional videos available.
For more information and store hours, please see www.chop.edu/safetyproducts, or call 267.426.5000.
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