Health and Safety

Health

• Immunizations - Have dramatically reduced deaths from most major childhood diseases, such as polio, in industrialized countries. Many American parents choose to not fully immunize their children for a variety of reasons including the fear of autism, despite inconclusive scientific proof, This has led to a subsequent rise in contagious diseases such as pertussis (whooping cough) and measles.
• Infectious diseases - Responsible for most child deaths in developing countries. Children in poverty are most vulnerable to diseases since many are not immunized and lack adequate nutrition. Malnutrition depresses the immune system, rendering these children at even greater risk. The most common causes of death are diarrhea and pneumonia. Recent interventions, such as oral rehydration therapy and zinc supplements, have dramatically reduced deaths from dehydration due to diarrhea (Victoria, Bryce, Fonatiane, & Monasch, 2000).
• Otitis media (ear infection) - Occurs in the middle ear and is most common in children from six months to six years. Almost all young children (85%) will have otitis media by the time they are three years old. Among the factors that can increase risk are second-hand smoke and early low-quality childcare. Ear infections can interfere with hearing and delay children’s language development. This is turn can disrupt social-emotional and cognitive development. Untreated and repeated ear infections, common to low-SES children, can result in hearing loss.
• Myopia (nearsightedness) - The inability to see well at a distance because of an elongated eye shape. This easily corrected visual problem affects 60% of the U.S. population by adulthood. Myopia is usually diagnosed between the ages of five and ten and progresses until about age 20. The most common form of myopia is hereditary, but it is also influenced by experience. Research has shown that you can indeed “ruin your eyes” with eye strain (Goss & Rainey, 1998). This is the only health condition that increases (rather than decreases) with SES level.
• Nocturnal enuresis (nighttime bedwetting) - Affects about 10% of school-age children in North America, boys more often than girls. Wetting at night is common in early childhood, but by the time they are six years old, 90% of children are using the toilet completely. Nocturnal enuresis usually has a biological basis, and treatment should be sought as soon as possible to limit damage to the child’s self-esteem (Longstaffe, Moffatt, & Whalen, 2000).

Safety

There are myriad dangers in the world for young children; the type and extent of risks are largely determined by their environments. Some children are at particularly high risk because of their temperament, poverty, or high stress.

• Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in preschool-aged children in industrial countries. According to the CDC, in 2016, accidents caused more than a quarter of all deaths among children ages 1 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 14, and more than one in three of deaths among teens ages 15 to 19.
• Car accidents are the most frequent cause of unintentional injury and deaths to children—in fact, victims of auto accidents are most often under 15 years of age. Although car seats will not prevent all types of deaths, their use dramatically reduces injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents.

• Common accidents – Besides vehicle-related incidents, the most common accidents that injure preschoolers usually happen at home. These include falls, choking, drowning, burns, poisoning, bike-riding, and gun-inflicted injuries.
• Risks for injuries vary according to many factors, placing some preschoolers at higher risk than others. For example, injuries are more likely to happen to children who are boys, are temperamentally difficult, are impoverished, or live in crowded, inner-city, and/or stressful homes (Laing & Logan, 1999; Mathey, 1991; Ramsey, Moreton, Goreman, Blake, Goh, & Elton, 2003).

• Environment toxins include pesticides, lead, mercury, asbestos, secondhand smoke, molds, radon, PCBs, and other chemicals. Children’s small and growing bodies are less able to process toxins than those of adults, so children are more vulnerable to negative effects. 
• Child abuse and neglect – Please see handout on Abuse for more information.