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Babies and Falls
November 12, 2008 |
Most parents marvel at the sight of their infant’s development. But sometimes they
can progress faster than mom and dad realize.
Dr. Stan Wiggins is a pediatrician with Lee Memorial Health System. He
says, “They’re
used to their baby just being able to lie on the bed and you know, really quickly
between two and four months those babies get to where they’re rolling pretty easily
and they can roll right off a bed and onto a floor.”
Dr. Wiggins
says he treats numerous babies for fall-related injuries. Even falling
a few feet can cause serious injury for an infant. “Down here a lot of our floors
are tile so you can have some significant head injuries that can come from a baby,
you know, rolling and hitting even if it’s just three feet.”
Between birth and 24 months babies are extremely vulnerable. That’s why parents
should be vigilant at all
times when it comes to keeping their bundle of joy safe.
“You feel like oh, I can go run and do this really quickly and I’ll be right back,
it doesn’t
take long. They’re always acquiring new skills and getting into new areas
and that can certainly lead to areas where they can get injured.”
Physicians advise parents to designate certain areas as “safe” in their home. These
would be places where babies and toddlers can learn to roll, crawl, and climb without
a threat of injury. A good rule of thumb is to keep your baby floor-based as much
as possible unless they are strapped into a bouncy seat or car seat. |
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