May is Safe Kids Month

From Safe Kids Pennsylvania

May is Safe Kids Month. Preventable injuries are the number one cause of death of children in the United States, and millions of other kids are injured in ways that can affect them for a lifetime. In honor of childhood injury prevention, the 2025 theme of Safe Kids Month is “the right fit can make a big difference,” focusing on the importance of getting the right fit when using critical child safety gear, including bike helmets, booster seats, life jackets, and safe sleep environments. In recognition of Safe Kids Month, Safe Kids Pennsylvania (SKPA) joins over 400 local coalitions and partners across the country to advocate for a safe upcoming summer season.

Summer is an exciting season for families, often bringing vacations, barbecues, picnics, and time away from work and school. Unfortunately, unintentional childhood injuries and deaths increase dramatically during the summer months, known among public health professionals as “trauma season.” During the months of May through August, 41% of all unintentional injury deaths in children occur.

SKPA offers these safety tips and resources to support parents and caregivers in their efforts to keep their children safe from preventable injuries during the summer season and all year round.

Child Passenger Safety

• Have your child sit in the back seat while riding in a vehicle. Children ages 12 and under are approximately 36% less likely to die in a crash if seated in the rear seat of a passenger vehicle.
• Select a car seat based on the child’s age and size, choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time. Try to wait as long as possible based on height and weight before moving your child up to the next seat.
• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system.

Bike Safety

• Do a Basic Bike Check for your child (ABC Quick Check) before they begin riding:
  • (A)ir in tires
  • (B)rakes are working
  • (C)ranks and chain
  • Quick release levers closed
  • Check over the entire bike
• Ensure that your child is always wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet by completing a Helmet Fit Test.
• Dress your child in bright colors when riding (wearing white has not been shown to make you more visible) and have your child wear something that reflects light, or have flashing lights on your child’s bike, so that drivers are aware of your young bicyclist.

Water Safety

• Teach your child how to swim. Every child is different, so enroll children in swim lessons when they are ready. Consider their age, development, and how often they are around water.
• Never leave your child unattended around water, and avoid distractions while watching a child in or near water, as babies can drown in as little as one inch of water within a minute.
• Empty all tubs, buckets, containers, and wading pools immediately after use. Store them upside down and out of children’s reach.

Safe Sleep

• Always have your baby sleep in a safe crib, bassinet, or pack-n-play. Bed-sharing or sleeping on the same surface as a baby, such as a couch or a chair, is not considered safe due to the high risk of suffocation.
• Only use a firm, flat, non-inclined mattress covered with a tight-fitting crib sheet in your baby’s crib instead of soft bedding, stuffed animals, bumpers, and other accessories to prevent blocking your baby’s airway during sleep time.
• Lay your baby on their back for every sleep by every caregiver until the child is 1 year old. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, sitting devices such as car seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, and infant slings are not recommended for routine sleep due to the risk of the baby’s head falling forward and closing the airway, medically called positional asphyxiation.

Additionally, Safe Kids Pennsylvania has translated Four Safe Kids Worldwide resources: The Family Safety Activity Book, A Parent’s Guide to Child Safety, Baby Safety Basics, and Water Safety Activity and Coloring Book, into Spanish, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Nepali. Parents and caregivers can also use and share the My High Five Child Safety Checklist, which includes the proven tips for the top safety areas, such as bike safety, child passenger safety, home safety, water safety, and sleep safety.

More information on unintentional childhood injury prevention is available at www.pasafekids.org or by calling 717-766-1616.