Infant and toddler safety
Preventable measures reduce injury and death in infants and toddlers.
Keeping babies and toddlers safe means taking steps to prevent accidents and injuries that can lead to death. Many of these incidents are avoidable. Children from birth to age four have the highest injury rate, according to the National Safety Council.
Once babies start crawling, usually between six and nine months, they face new dangers. Toddlers love to climb, especially on furniture like bookcases and dressers that can weigh hundreds of pounds and are often not secured to walls. If a child climbs on such a piece, it can tip over and fall on them, causing serious injuries or death. Even if a child looks fine, internal injuries or head trauma may not be obvious right away, which can delay treatment. Heavy objects like televisions on furniture pose the same risk.
Toy defects from design or manufacturing mistakes are a major safety issue, leading to many emergency room visits. In 2022, children’s products made up 100 recalls—the most since 2013—and about 34% of all consumer product recalls that year.
Lead poisoning can cause lifelong problems for a child. Kids in low-income families are more likely to have elevated lead levels, and testing methods have been questioned. Children are at higher risk because they often put things in their mouths, including objects with lead paint, and they absorb more of the lead they ingest. Treatment exists, but prevention is better.
Food safety for infants and toddlers involves avoiding risky handling practices to prevent illness. Handwashing is the simplest step. Formula, baby food, and other foods can contain dangerous pathogens that may make a child very sick or even cause death.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) can kill an infant, often without a clear cause. Preventive measures include putting the baby on their back to sleep, breastfeeding, tilting crib rails to prevent tipping, keeping the mattress bare (dress the baby warmly instead), getting immunizations, using a pacifier, and using a sleep sack to stop the baby from rolling onto their stomach.
Infants and toddlers are vulnerable to physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect, and they can’t describe what happened. Child grooming happens when an abuser gains a caregiver’s trust to get access to the child. Shaken baby syndrome can cause permanent brain damage.
- Field
- Child safety and injury prevention
- Known for
- Highest injury rate among children ages 0–4; preventable accidents including furniture tip-overs, toy defects, lead poisoning, SIDS, drowning, and car seat positioning
- Key risk age range
- 0–4 years old
- Leading causes of injury
- Furniture tip-overs, toy defects, lead poisoning, SIDS, drowning, choking, falls, car accidents, animal attacks, hyperthermia/hypothermia
Lore & Background
Infants begin to crawl around six to nine months of age, exposing them to many dangers. Heavy furniture such as bookcases and dressers, often unsecured to walls, can fall onto climbing toddlers, resulting in deaths and injuries. Even if children appear uninjured, internal injuries may occur with serious consequences, and head injuries are common. Design and manufacturing defects in toys also pose significant risks; in 2022, children's products accounted for 100 recalls, the highest number since 2013, representing about 34% of all consumer product recalls that year.
Unsafe levels of lead in a child's body can cause lifelong harm. Globally, an estimated 82,000 drowning deaths occur each year among children under five, making it a leading cause of death in that age group. Prevention measures include constant supervision, fencing around pools, and teaching water safety.
Reader's Guide
Infant and toddler safety is significant because it addresses the leading causes of preventable injury and death in the youngest population. The highest injury rate among children ages 0 to 4 underscores the need for proactive measures. Key areas include securing heavy furniture to walls to prevent tip-overs, which can cause fatal or internal injuries; ensuring toys meet safety standards to reduce recalls and emergency room visits; and preventing lead poisoning through awareness and testing, especially in low-income households. SIDS prevention strategies, such as back sleeping and using a sleep sack, have been widely promoted. Car seat placement in the center rear seat reduces injury risk by 43%, yet this position is underused. Drowning prevention is critical, as toddlers can drown in shallow water. The legacy of this field is the development of evidence-based guidelines—such as those from the National Safety Council—that empower caregivers to create safer environments. Ongoing challenges include addressing disparities in lead exposure and ensuring consistent use of safety practices like handwashing and proper food handling to prevent illness.
Did You Know?
- Children ages 0 to 4 have the highest rate of injury according to the National Safety Council Injury Facts.
- Children under age 3 are 43% less likely to be injured in a car crash if their car seat is placed in the center of the car.
- Of all drowning deaths in 2013, 82,000 occurred in children less than five years old.
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