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Parents: be careful about those open windows

More than twice as many children were injured last summer compared to the previous year
boy looking out window
People with young children should make sure windows can't open more than 10 centimetres wide.

As summer temperatures return, B.C. Children’s Hospital is reminding parents to be mindful of those open windows.

Fifteen kids were injured from a window or balcony fall from May to September 2017 – more than double when compared to the same time the previous year.

On May 14, a toddler in Steveston pushed through a screen window and fell three storeys.The boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“Do not underestimate a child’s mobility. They will start climbing before they walk,” says Lisa Romein, RN and manager of the hospital’s trauma program. “Take a look at the windows from a child’s perspective.”

Romein says the patients she sees from a window fall are between one and six years old.

She suggests moving furniture and household items away from windows to discourage little ones from climbing to peer out.

She notes that a child can fit through spaces as small as 12 centimetres wide.

One thing Romein sees a lot of in her patient’s charts is a popped out screen.

“It’s important for families to know that screens aren’t there to protect children,” she tells KamloopsMatters. “They’re there to keep bugs out.”

To prevent a fall or injury, Romein recommends installing window guards on windows above the ground level. Parents can also fasten windows so they can’t open more than 10 centimetres.

Make sure you can open it in case of a fire.”