Bright Futures

Every year in the United States, thousands of children ages 1 to 18 years old die from unintentional injuries, making it the leading cause of death and a major contributor to hospital admissions among this age group. With proper education, these injuries can be prevented. 

The Injury Prevention Program at Phoenix Children’s plays an integral role in educating our community about keeping children safe from preventable injuries.

In 2021, our Center for Trauma Care treated 2,700 children who suffered injuries related to falls, suffocation, furniture tip overs, firearm, dog bites, drownings, ATV accidents, drownings, ingestion and poisoning.  Our Injury Prevention Program consulted and provided resources to about 600 families.

The injury prevention team is made up of 6 staff members. Each specialist has at least one primary injury prevention focus that they share out to the community in keeping their children safe. 

Our Injury Prevention Program includes: 

• Child Passenger Safety – Provides families with education on the correct use of car seats, booster seats and restraints.
• Helmet and Pedestrian – Educates parents and children about the importance of safety when out for a walk, as well as correct use of helmets, bicycles, scooters, skateboards and ATV’s. 
• Home Safety – Assists families in identifying safety hazards in their household.  The program provides information and resources to make necessary changes to child proof a home for any stage of your child’s life.
• Safe Sleep for Infants – Teaches families the importance of creating a safe sleep environment for infants under the age of one. 
• Water Safety – Helps families identify water safety risks and develop a plan to keep kids safe around water.  There is also a Pediatric Drowning Prevention Program, which works with pediatricians to improve their knowledge of drowning prevention, so they can share this important information with families during their well child visits (particularly for our most at risk population of children ages 1 to 4 years old).

On Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, Phoenix Children’s will be shining a green light on the Thomas Campus to support the Injury Free Coalition for Kids on their mission to bring awareness to help reduce preventable injuries across the United States. The Gilbert water tower, along with other landmarks across the country, will also be going green to show their support for child injury prevention.  

To learn more about the importance of National Child Injury Prevention Day, join us for a live, one-hour Twitter chat on Nov. 18 at 1 p.m., EST. You can also follow us @PhxChildrens and use the hashtag #BeInjuryFree to be a part of the conversation.

If you would like to learn more about the Injury Prevention Program at Phoenix Children’s, contact Ilce Alexander at 602-933-3393.