Menopause bumped against grandmotherhood, but on my recent vacation, we took care of the dangerous problem. I have hot flashes and prefer my bedroom window open wide. We keep the queen-size bed right under the window to get maximum breeze on my bod.
But what if our granddaughter flies out the two-story-high hole while playing on the pillows?
We tried to show her what a bad owie that would be after she tossed out her stuffed donkey. Her Grampie made a big production out of taking her outside, rescuing donkey, patching the beast’s imaginary owies and trying to impress on Kelbi Lynne Maldonado, 2, that things shouldn’t fly out windows.
Rather than risk a terrifying accident, we ordered window bars that make it look like we are under house arrest. According to the National Safety Council, every year, almost 5,000 kids fall out of windows. Of those children, 28 percent require a hospital stay, and dozens die.
Window bug screens provide no protection. Research shows that up to 60 percent of children who fall through windows fall first through screens.
Every year, hospitals in the Puget Sound area treat 30 to 50 children for injuries caused by falls from windows, according to the council. One-third of children hospitalized after a window fall will require intensive care, and 25 percent will return home with some disability.
Head injury is the most serious outcome, and children who land on concrete sustained the most severe injuries. We have a rockery under the bedroom window.
Here are suggestions for caregivers:
* Keep windows closed in rooms where children play.
* Supervision is key to preventing window falls. Most falls occur when children aged 6 and under play alone or with another young child in an upstairs bedroom when the adult is in another room.
* Move beds, chairs, tables and other furniture away from windows so children can’t climb onto the sill.
* Consider placing shrubs, bark or grass under windows to cushion potential falls.
* Never rely on window screens to prevent children from falling out a window.
* Install window guards.
We had trouble finding window bars. If a store sells them around here, let me know. Online, it was tricky matching our measurements with offered models, but we placed a $50 order with crossed fingers. With a bit of luck, got the bars firmly attached to the window.
In case of fire, I’ll need to break out the other half of the pane or kick off bars that are attached to pieces of light trim. Inventors, please get busy. Someone needs to manufacture light window bars with a toddler-proof opening latch.
Snohomish County SAFE KIDS advises that research shows more than 4.5 million children are injured in their homes every year, with falls the leading cause of injuries. Each year, according to www.snosafekids.org, toddlers are most at risk from window falls.
I am relieved we finally installed bars that keep Kelbi safe and Grammie in a cool, breezy mood.
While we’re on the topic, I’ll repeat a message from the Window Covering Safety Council. As I’ve written before, kids can strangle in dangling window cords. Keep them out of reach or upgrade to new shades that come with no cords.
On the last Friday night of my vacation, ABC’s 20/20 offered a segment on television about singer Eric Clapton, whose 4-year-old son died 15 years ago after falling out of a window.
Clapton wrote the poignant song “Tears in Heaven” about the tragedy. I remember hearing in the news during the summer when a 3-year-old toddler in Maple Valley ran outside in his pajamas at 10 p.m. and was hit and killed by a car.
Kids escape. They run, jump and fall.
All we can do is try our best to make environments as safe as possible.
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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