Toddler's Hours Of Hazard (1965)

[Music] have you ever seen the inside of a children's Ward there are many Wards of this kind in hospitals throughout the country these youngsters are victims of home accidents burned a fall poison lacerations eye injury most of the accidents occurred between the hours of 4: and 6:00 p.m. to children ages 1 to 5 every one of these accidents could have been prevented let's examine some accident facts and the circumstances leading to the near fatal mishap of one of these youngers 2-year-old Richard Danbury [Music] [Applause] [Music] at the Children's Hospital in Boston a research group recently completed a year study of its serious accident cases the findings revealed a set of emotion charged circumstances which set the stage for an accident most accidents were traceable to simple everyday occurrences heading this study was Dr Robert J Hagerty now chief of pediatrics at the Strong Memorial Hospital University of Rochester you know parents can do a great deal to prevent ACC acents we as doctors can immunize your child against a lot of diseases like polio tetanus dthera things that used to be such a problem to children but only you as parents can immunize your children against accidents which are the greatest cause of death and trouble with children today now let's look back at Richard and see what some of the causes of his accident were and how they could have been prevented the day got off to a bad start the family alarm clock was a half hour slow it put Bill behind in the [Music] schedule I've got to get out of here I've got to be at the office at 9:00 but you have to have some breakfast I don't have time oh all right pour me a cup of coffee that's all I have time for Bill you'll have to forget at the coffee there isn't any make a juice that'll be okay there's just enough juice for the kids how about some milk I'll get something to eat when I get downtown [Music] Ruth have you seen those papers I was working on last night they have to be here somewhere the children haven't been in here and you left them here well I've got to have them at the office well they're here somewhere oh forget it I'll get along without them you're never going find anything in this [Music] house you got to get those bills finished today or we'll never get away on vacation all right bill I'll try and get them done today [Music] Jenny hurry up the school bus is coming [Music] okay come on in Jen hurry up get your hat on here's your lunch box where's your hat come on over here on the chair put it on quickly and have you got your Show and Tell yeah okay put it in your pocket ready go out and tell the bus driver we're coming be careful crossing the street and have a good time [Music] [Applause] oh Richard what did you do that for Ruth had no time to sympathize with [Music] Richard there were clothes to be checked and packed for their vacation trip bills to be paid and the house to be tidied before her mother-in-law a spotless housekeeper arrive for a visit [Music] [Music] [Music] f [Music] [Applause] [Music] Ruth was so busy that she forgot about Richard's nap he was so tired that he bed at letting granny hold him by the time granny left Ruth was behind in her dinner preparation and her tension was mounting [Music] is that you B yeah did I ready almost it's kind of late isn't it well it's just been one of those days and everything's gone wrong oh my you get those bills paid [Music] yet Mommy I want to all right all right shut the door and I'll get you one come shut the door all right now here take your cookies take your things off and go in and watch television hurry up where are the towels I'm in the shower [Music] Richard Richard what have you done Bill call the doctor Richard Danbury was the unfortunate victim of Dr haggardi answers this and other questions on how to make the home a safe place for children in the study that we conducted at the children Hospital in Boston we found that most accidents could be prevented if parents would observe the eight danger signals now let's take a look at these this is danger Situation Number One the hungry child the most dangerous time is the hour just before supper at that time small children are tired and hungry and they will eat anything even if it's a poison what to do well try and forget the clock feed the child even if it makes dinner for the older people wait a bit the second cause fatigue is almost as dangerous as hunger in 3/4 of all accident cases of young children the children involved are either hungry tired or both forget exact Knack times when a child is obviously tired or when you when you're ill pregnant or it's just one of those days you can't be as watchful as usual you just don't have the energy on those days try doing just the things that are absolutely necessary another high accident time is when your family is vacation bound children are excited and this excitement can lead to accidents be especially careful at these times if you go out leave your child in the care of a reliable babysitter who knows your child's ways and who really cares for him too many parents have returned home only to find that the babysitter underestimated what their child could do or did not pay enough [Music] attention our study found that accidents often occur in families when the parents argue with one another especially when the children are around children have a way of knowing when their parents aren't getting along and it bothers them and it's at times like this that accidents occur next next is the overactive child particularly the toddler and the two and threeyear olds to keep him in one pieace requires constant supervision and finally another cause of accidents is failure of parents to recognize the developmental stage that their child is at children grow and develop very rapidly and it's hard for all of us as parents to realize that our little 2-year-old has grown up to the point where he can climb up and get into the medicine cabinet and get at those poisons probably warnings such as don't do this and don't do that won't help very much uh but they may at times even trigger off an accident what I think is important is that we recognize that these accidents occur at the time when things are going wrong in the family if we take things a little easier at these times this will prevent accidents only in this way can we prevent what happened to Richard let's make this accident the exception rather than the rule [Music]