INTRODUCTION
Illness and injury prevention is decreasing the risk of specific illness and injury in your child’s life. It involves avoidance and/or early recognition and treatment of illness and a return to the best possible health. It also involves recognizing and avoiding hazards. In the event of illness or injury and any resulting disabilities, you should help your child live life to the fullest.
In this age group the practice and teaching of good hygiene is the first step in personal illness and injury prevention. It is also very important to avoid your child’s exposure to cigarette smoke.
Decreasing the risk of injury to your child will involve making the home environment as safe as possible as well as close supervision of your child’s activities. Your child should not be exposed to adult alcohol and/or drug abuse.
See the section Care for information on parental/guardian care to help you to treat minor illness and injury, and when to seek professional treatment.
It may be difficult but it is important to recognize early warning signs of possible serious illness. It is unfortunate that signs and symptoms of common childhood illnesses may be the same as more serious illness. See the section Early Warning (Signs of Possible Serious Illness) for more information.
The most frequent childhood cancers are leukemia, brain cancer, lymphoma and kidney cancer. See the section Cancer Awareness for detailed information on childhood cancer.
The leading causes of injury/death in children age birth to twelve years are: choking, drowning/suffocation, falls, poisoning, burns, motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents, and bodily damage from objects or equipment.
It is important to have a doctor/nurse practitioner who is a partner in your child’s health care. This doctor/nurse practitioner should get to know your child, support promotion and prevention activities, provide treatment, and arrange speciality care when required. Try to find someone recommended by friends, health care personnel, or a local hospital.
Personal Illness and Injury Prevention, including preventive visits are included under each specific age category for this general age group.
Your child should start Preventive Dental Visits when he or she is about two years old.