odds of a child being injured

What are the odds?

So what are the realistic odds of your child being injured or killed during their childhood? Well, just take a look. You may be surprised at just how often it actually happens. Accidental childhood deaths rarely make the news, but outnumber kidnapping victims by more than 100 to 1. Serious injuries are usually not noticed by many, while deaths make the headlines and catch the attention of parents. But don’t forget that some of these injuries permanently disable the child. Here are some alarming facts, to help you realize just how important safety measures are:

·	Accidental injury is the leading cause of death in children in the United States.

·	Every year, there are around 380,000 residential structure fires in the United States.

·	Every year, about 800,000 children are reported missing.

·	Approximately 5,000 children are injured each year from fireworks.

·	Each year, approximately 15 children die, and another 200,000 children visit hospital emergency rooms due to playground injuries.

·	Around 100 children each year are abducted and killed at the hands of a stranger.

·	Accidental injuries cost the public about 480 Billion dollars per year on hospital and other related expenses.

·	Every year, the poison control center receives about 1.1 million reports of unintentional poisoning for children 5 and under.

·	There are approximately 33,000 sledding related injuries that require emergency room visits each year.

·	Each year, approximately 50,000 children under 16 are seriously injured in skiing accidents

·	Around 150,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for toy related injuries

·	Nearly 2000 children die each year in home-related accidents

·	Around 3.4 million emergency room visits due to home accidents or injuries each year

·	Each year, approximately 60 children are killed in accidental firearm deaths, and several hundred more injured.

·	Around 1800 children die each year in auto accidents

·	Around 700 youngsters are struck and killed by a car in pedestrian accidents

·	Another 40,000 are treated each year in emergency rooms for pedestrian-car accidents

·	Drowning claims the lives of as many as 1,000 children per year, and another 4,000-5,000 drown and survive, but most often times suffering permanent damage.

·	Annually, 1 in 14 students suffer medically treated injuries while at school.

·	Each year, around 3.4 million visits by kids 14 and under to the emergency room are due to preventable injuries in the home.

·	Around 2000 children 14 and under die each year from preventable home accidents. Around 80% of these are 4 and under.

·	Around a dozen children each year die due to toy related injuries, and another 150,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms.

·	Around 1,000 kids choke to death each year.

·	Most experts estimate that as many as 60-95 percent of these deaths could have and should have been prevented, with information and simple precautions that are available today.