1000 SW Jackson Suite 230
Topeka, KS 66612-1274
(785) 296-1223
(785) 296-8649 (FAX)

Coordinator:
Jan Stegelman

Executive Committee:
Randall Bolin
NHTSA Region VII

Dennis Cooley, MD
Medical Advisor
American Academy of
Pediatrics, Kansas
Chapter

John Drees
Douglas County
SAFE KIDS Coalition

John Halbran
Kansas Safety Belt
Education Office

Jim Keating
Kansas State
Firefighters Association

Elena Nuss
Kansas State
Fire Marshal's Office

Cindy Samuelson
Kansas Hospital Association

Safe Kids Kansas Cautions:
Native American children bear disproportionate risk of injury

As the nation observes Native American Heritage Month this November, Safe Kids Kansas reminds Kansas families that Native American children are injured and killed in disproportionate numbers every year. Among children ages 14 and under, Native Americans and African-American children have the highest accidental injury death rates in the United States - more than 1.5 times the rate for white children.

"This gap is not caused by a child's ethnicity," says Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas coordinator. "Rather, it's because more than 40 percent of Native American children live below poverty level."

Children from low-income families are much more likely to die from accidental injuries than children from affluent families. In addition to universal hazards to children, low-income households are most likely to feature:

-parents who are single, young, absent or undereducated;
-substandard maintenance and overcrowded conditions;
-unsafe yards and playgrounds, or none at all;
-close proximity to busy streets; and
-lack of safety devices, due to cost.

Urban kids are at greater risk of serious injury than rural kids, although the mortality rate from injury is higher among rural and suburban children. "In larger communities, kids are closer to major hospitals and trauma centers," says Stegelman.

Safe Kids Kansas is committed to reaching parents and caregivers in underserved communities. "In communities that bear the greatest risk, we have to make the greatest effort to protect our kids," says Stegelman. "We're trying to teach parents that safety doesn't have to be expensive."

Home safety measures that can be taken with low-cost alternatives to commercial safety devices include:

-for outlet covers, use a product that safely and securely covers the outlet (possibly tape products including duct tape);
-for furniture bumpers, use a product that safely and securely protects children (possibly bubble wrap or masking tape);
-for a small parts tester, using a standard 1.5-inch cardboard tube (such as a paper towel roll) (if an item fits through the tube, it's too small for a baby or toddler to play with);
-instead of safety tassels on window blind cords, cut the loop at the end of the cord for the same protection; and
-instead of anti-scald devices on all your water fixtures, reducing your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit will offer the same protection.

Parents who need information about car seat loaner programs should call Safe Kids Kansas at 1-800-32-6262. "That's one thing you can't improvise," says Stegelman. "There's no substitute for a federally approved car seat, either from a safety perspective or by law."

Safe Kids Kansas, Inc. is a nonprofit Coalition of 67 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Clay, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Ellis, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marion, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Smith, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Wilson and Woodson Counties, as well as the cities of Chanute, Emporia, Leavenworth, Norton, Pittsburg, the Wichita Area and the Metro Kansas City Area. Safe Kids Kansas a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury.

www.kansassafekids.org