Unintentional injuries are the number one cause of death among children. Childhood injury can happen in a matter of seconds, but staying informed and taking proper precautions can prevent many injuries.
Most sleep-related deaths in infants are preventable. To make sure your baby is sleeping safely, follow the ABC’s of safe sleep:
- Alone - Babies should always be on their own sleep surface. Bed sharing is a risk factor for SUIDS and other sleep-related deaths.
- Back - Babies should be on their back for every sleep.
- Crib - The crib should be empty. This means no bumper pads, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, toys or supplies, like diapers and diaper wipes.
For information about how to choose a safe crib for your baby:
Find more information on the Dallas County Healthy Start Program:
- DCHHS Healthy Start Program
- Classes about safe sleep practices, managing diabetes, nutrition education and more!
Find more information on safe sleep practices:
- North Texas Safe Sleep Taskforce
- If you would like to receive information about safe sleep, sign up for the free text messaging campaign program, text “Safe Sleep” to 75058
For more information about creating a safe environment at home for your baby, visit:
Review the following checklist to make sure your child’s sleep environment is safe:
Pediatricians recommend all infants and young children should ride in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer.
Children below the age of 13 and below the height of 4ft 10 in should never sit in the front seat. If airbags deploy, it could cause serious damage to their face or even be life-threatening.
Find the right car seat for your child based on their age, height, and weight here:
Car Seats should be replaced after a moderate or severe crash. To be defined as a minor crash, ALL the following must apply:
- The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site
- The vehicle door closest to the car seat was not damaged.
- None of the passengers in the vehicle sustained any injuries in the crash
- The vehicle’s airbags did not deploy during the crash
- There is no visible damage to the car seat
For more information regarding replacing your car seat after an accident, click here.
Additional Resources:
For more information about car seat safety for your child:
Schedule a car seat safety check today!
- 5%-10% of childhood drowning cases result in long-term disability
- Drowning happens in seconds and is often silent. Never let children swim alone.
How kids drown varies by age:
 |  |  |
For more information regarding water safety and drowning prevention:
 |  |
The internet can pose significant risks to children and adolescents. They are particularly vulnerable to encountering inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators.
Children and adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The office of the US Surgeon General has established steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of harm to children and adolescents.
Parents and care givers can:
- Create a family media plan to help establish healthy technology boundaries at home—including social media use. For information on creating a family media plan, visit Healthy Children's Media Plan
- Create tech-free zones and encourage children and adolescents to foster in-person friendships.
- Model responsible social media behavior.
- Teach children and adolescents about technology and empower them to be responsible online participants at the appropriate age.
- Report cyberbullying and online abuse and exploitation.
- Work with other parents to help establish shared norms and practices and to support programs and policies around healthy social media use.
For more information on how to keep your children safe online:
Connect:
-
You must be on the network to see these links.
© 2025. Dallas County. All rights reserved.
