by Sarah Staples

Created on: February 07, 2009

Falls are a leading cause of injury in children, and often occur within the confines of the child's own home. Falls on stairs can easily happen, and can lead to significant injury. Falls on stairs can occur in children of all ages. Taking steps to keep children safe on stairs is vital in all homes. The following tips will help you keep your child safe on the stairs.

1. Fit safety gates.

Stair gates are easily and relatively cheaply purchased. There are a variety of different designs of stair gate available so you should be able to find one suitable for your home.

Some stair gates need to be fixed to the wall either side of the stairs and then have a gate that is opened to allow you to pass through. The advantage of this design of gate is there is no bar to step over, reducing the risk of tripping. However, you will need to fix the gate to your walls using screws and therefore will leave permanent marks.

Another design of stair gate is one that fixes inside the stair well by applying pressure on the walls. This design does not require any permanent fixing to the wall, but there will be a bar across the bottom which you will need to step over.

You can also purchase gates that retract into a frame, as well as travel stair gates, which can easily be assembled when you are away from home.

Most importantly, ensure that whatever stair gate you purchase is correctly fitted and kept closed. You should ideally have a gate at the bottom and top of the stairs.

2. Keep stairs clear of clutter at all times. Any object left on the stairs becomes a potential trip hazard and could result in a fall. Teach your older children to keep the stairs clear of toys and other objects.

3. Ensure any banisters and railing around and on your stairs are securely fixed. Ensure young children cannot slip through railing and on to the stairs. Ideally have a banister on both sides of the stairs so children can hold on with their preferred hand.

4. Ensure your stairs are well lit and consider leaving a light on at night if you have older children who may go downstairs unaccompanied during the night.

5. As soon as your baby starts to show an interest in the stairs, spend time teaching your child how to come safely down the stairs. The safest way is to encourage them to come down backwards on the stomach. However, ensure that you are right by them until you are confident that they are safe. Remember that a tired child may not be safe on the stairs even if they are normally so during the day.

6. Actively discourage any playing on the stairs. Ensure your child only goes on the stairs for a specific purpose. Never allow your child to run up or down stairs.

7. Ensure you are especially careful when you are carrying your young child on the stairs. Make sure your footwear is appropriate and that there is nothing you will trip on. Do not carry your child up the stairs if you feel unwell yourself.

In conclusion, following the above tips will help keep your child safe on the stairs, reducing the risk of falls and potentially serious injury.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Staples.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.