Globally, more children over 9 years of age die from injuries than from any other cause

Accidents are one of the biggest killers of children in India. Every day around the world the lives of more than 2000 families are torn apart by the loss of a child to an unintentional injury or so-called “accident”. However, these injuries could have been prevented and treated early by trained personnel and also be avoided if people are informed about necessary precautions. In order to create awareness about the seriousness of this issue, Aster CMI Hospital today launched a book on child safety on the occasion of children’s day :Playful: An ultimate guide to child safety, authored by Dr. Chetan Ginigeri, Consultant Paediatric Intensivist – ASTER CMI Hospital. This initiative has been supported by Himalaya BabyCare. All the proceeds coming from the sale of the book will be contributed to Aster Sick Kids Foundation, which meets expenses of life saving treatment for needy children under 18 years, hailing from under privileged families.

The book not only throws light on child safety at home, on the road, school, bathrooms and playgrounds but also informs the readers about the preventive measures which they should take to avoid such accidents. Few parents and children who have experienced unintentional or accidental injuries recently were also present at the event to extend their support to the cause.

Over the last 2 decades, there has been a spurt in un-intentional accidents in children which is currently the world’s largest killer of children:

MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM

·        World over, one NORMAL child dies every single MINUTE because of unintentional injury.

·        Globally, more children over 9 years of age die from injuries than from any other cause

·        Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences accounted for staggering 12.5 % of deaths among Indian Children aged 5-14 years.

Dr. Chetan Ginigeri, author of the book said: “Ensuring safe homes and neighbourhoods should be of paramount importance for all parents around the world. We must remember that child safety is not our choice, it is our responsibility. Children’s curiosity and drive to explore their world are not matched by the capacity to understand danger. Hence it is the responsibility of parents to teach them about un-intentional accidents. We would like to propagate the message that even small changes in our everyday lives can make big differences to children’s safety and take this campaign on a larger scale”.

Dr. Nitish Shetty, CEO, Aster CMI Hospital, said, “This is yet another initiative from Aster Volunteers programme which is the global corporate social responsibility initiative of Aster DM Healthcare. All the proceeds coming from the sale of the book will be contributed to Aster Sick Kids Foundation to reduce the financial burden on families of kids who are unable to bear the financial burden of any treatment for them. This activity reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting the communities it serves and recognizes volunteerism as a key pillar of giving.”

Speaking at the event, Mr. Chakravarthi N.V., Business Head, Himalaya BabyCare and Himalaya Mom, said, “We receive a lot of queries on child safety from new parents. We connect them with experts to get their queries answered. But, ‘PLAYFUL’ will be a handbook for new parents – informing them about child safety at home, school, on the road, and playground. This book will also educate them about preventive measures to avoid fatal and non-fatal incidents in children. As an ongoing initiative, we will continue to create content around Child Safety on Himalaya BabyCare’s social media platforms. In addition to this, we intend to host Facebook live sessions and other communication to constantly educate new parents.”

Unintentional injuries are also a major cause of disabilities, which can have a long-lasting impact on all facets of children’s lives: relationships, learning and play. Children live in a world designed for adults, and because their body contours and behaviour are different, they are more prone to injury. It is the elimination of this unintended injury that forms the crux of this new book on child safety. It is the hospital’s endeavour to ensure that the message of child safety reaches one and all.

This book has been published by Times Group Books and available online at https://www.asterbangalore.com/playful/