​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Falls can lead to serious injuries. In Alberta, falls are the leading cause of emergency room and urgent care visits for children. For example:

• Max, 3 years old, fell from an open window on the third floor of their apartment building. They broke a bone in their skull and had to go to the hospital.
  
• Quinn, 4 years old, fell 6 feet (1.8 metres) from a fence they tried to climb. ​They broke their leg, got a con​cussion​​, and had to go to the hospital.

Your child’s development and falls

Falls are common and can lead to broken bones or head injuries. Children have large heads compared to the rest of their bodies. If a child falls, their head will often hit the ground first, which can cause a concussion. A concussion is a brain injury that can be caused by a blow to the head, face, neck, or body.

As your child grows, they explore more, move faster and can climb, and spend​ more time outdoors. These are new risks that can lead to falls.

How to protect your child from falls​

It's important that children play and spend time in safe places. Make sure the environment your child is playing in is safe for them, whether they are at home or out in the community.

Being at your child's side, especially when they're trying something new (like starting to ride a bike), is the best way to prevent falls.​

Here are some things you can do to help protect your child from falls, both in your home and out in your community.

Windows

• Know that a​ screen won’t protect your child from falling out of a window. Their weight can easily push a screen out of the window casing. 
• Put window guards on windows higher than ground level. Window guards are like gates in front of windows. Window guards must be able to open quickly from the inside in case of an emergency.
  
• Put safety devices on windows that prevent them from opening more than 10 cm (4 inches). Adults and older children should know how to easily take the device off or be able to open the window all the way in case there is an emergency.
  
• Move furniture such as chairs, stools, and beds away from windows to prevent your child from climbing up to them.
  
• Keep cords for drapes, blinds, and curtains out of your child’s reach. If you have long cords, wrap them around a cleat (a kind of hook with 2 ends that is used to hold window cords) or wrap them up high on the wall. This is important to lower the risk of your child strangling or choking on cords.

Furniture and stairs

• Move furniture such as chairs and stools away from windows, balcony rails, and counters to prevent children from climbing to high places.
• Attach loose furniture (such as dressers, bookshelves, and TVs) to the wall. You can find child safety products, anchors, and other devices for your home at many stores and online. Read the product information closely and know how to use the product properly.
  
• Teach your child to walk up and down stairs holding on to the handrail.
• Keep safety gates on the stairs until your child can climb them safely.

​At the playground

• ​Watch your child closely and stay nearby when they're using playground equipment. An adult should always supervise children younger than 5 years old at the playground.
  
• Choose playgrounds with safe surfaces under playground equipment, such as sand, pea gravel, wood mulch, or rubber. These materials help absorb a child's fall.
  
• Make sure the playground equipment is the right size for your child and they can reach it on their own.
• Check that the equipment has strong handrails and barriers to help prevent falls.
  
• Use the playground checklist to check for hazards.
  

On wheels

• Make sure your child wears a helmet every time they ride on a tricycle, bike, or other ride-on toys. Set a good example for children by wearing your bike helmet, too.
  
• Put a helmet on your child when they’re riding in a bike trailer or child bike seat.
• Make sure your child’s bike is the right size for them.
• When your child is in a shopping cart, make sure they’re always sitting down and wearing the safety straps. Stay close to your child when they're in a shopping cart.

Adapted from Kids Don’t Bounce series, an Alberta Health Services Provincial Injury Prevention resource.