23 Alberta kids have fallen from windows and balconies this year: AHS

Health officials are reminding Albertans to ensure windows and balconies have been child-proofed. In a release Wednesday Alberta Health Services (AHS) said 23 children in the province have been taken to the hospital due to injuries from window and balcony falls in the first four months of 2017.

According to AHS, 175 children across the province were taken to emergency rooms in 2016 for fall-related injuries, 20 of whom had to be hospitalized.

This week is Child Safety Week, and officials have sent out the following reminders:

• Move furniture like cribs, beds, stools and change tables away from windows
• Furniture and other items on balconies and decks can be used to climb, and could result in a fall over a railing
• Screens are meant to keep bugs out and not children in
• Window guards should be installed on all windows on the second floor and above
• Parents should consider installing safety devices on windows to limit the opening of windows to a maximum of 10 centimetres or four inches
• Balcony’s vertical railings should be no more than 10 centimetres or four inches apart
• Keep drapery cords out of reach of children to avoid a choking hazard

For more information on injury prevention and safety click here.