SAN ANTONIO – Many child injuries could be prevented if steps were taken ahead of time.
The Texas Department of Child Protective Services has many resources on its website to help families find answers to questions about water safety, safe sleeping habits and car safety.
Raquel Galvan, Child Safety Specialist with CPS, reviews high-risk cases and deaths for children under four years old. She says the most common fatalities involved co-sleeping deaths when parents share a bed with the newborn and drownings.
Many parents know this basic information, but some don’t think it will happen to them.
“I think that parents genuinely have the best intentions when it comes to their children. And of course, nobody wants anything to happen to their child,” she said. “So I think that, with the resources that we have available and that we continue to have these conversations about safety as little reminders, that will help all of us as a community help keep these children safe.”
The state website has numerous links that new parents can click on to familiarize themselves with basic child safety guidelines.
Galvan says families should also be mindful of car safety, whether it’s car seat safety or remembering not to leave a child in a hot car alone.
“Just remembering that the children are in the car, you can put something significant in the backseat, maybe like your phone or your purse or, the keys. You know, if the car operates without a key, putting that in the backseat as a reminder that the child is back there,” she said.
If you have questions about how to strap a car seat properly, you can get help by calling 2-1-1 or visiting a police or fire station.