Injury Prevention Resources

What you should know:

• Kids ages 0-7 are more at risk of being unrestrained passengers in vehicles.

Explore information on child car accident injury prevention.

• Child passenger safety classes (car seat installation) are available through Henry Ford Health.
• Michigan’s child passenger safety laws and informational safety videos can be found on Michigan.gov.

Organizations That Can Help

• Safe Kids Worldwide Michigan chapters and coalitions
• National Institute of Injury Prevention’s ThinkFirst program

What you should know:

• Firearms are another leading cause of injury incidents, with approximately half of these events happening at home.

Henry Ford Health offers free gun locks. To request one for your home, contact our injury prevention team at injuryprevention@hfhs.org .

What you should know:

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-19.

Find support through the following organizations:

• Bureau of Children’s Coordinated Health Policy & Supports
• Association for Children’s Mental Health (ACMH)
• Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN)
  • Free, confidential mental health help is available for Wayne County residents.
  • Find free, quick and confidential mental health screenings online.

What you should know:

• Youth medication deaths caused by accidental overdose have doubled since the 1970s.
• Michigan.gov provides information about proper drug disposal to help keep unwanted or unused medications out of children’s hands.

Poison Control Can Help

You can contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for more than just emergencies. Expert guidance is available 24/7 at no cost.

What you should know:

• More than 775,000 children ages 14 and younger are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year.
• Approximately 62% of organized sports-related injuries happen during practice.

Safe Kids Worldwide provides:

• Sports Safety Tips
• Sports Safety Checklist for Coaches

What you should know:

• Drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional death in the United States, with individuals ages 0-19 accounting for 34% of these incidents.

More information is available through Stop Drowning Now.

Your baby’s safety is our priority. Our team is committed to educating families on how to create a safe sleep environment and providing resources to help families stay safe.

Safe Sleep Classes

Browse upcoming safe sleep classes and search using the keyword “safe sleep.” Both in-person and online classes are available.

Key Safe Sleep Guidelines

• Back to sleep: Always place your baby on their back for every sleep, including naps and nighttime sleep.
• Firm sleep surface: Use a firm, flat mattress in a safety-approved crib, bassinet, or play yard with a fitted sheet. Avoid soft surfaces such as sofas, armchairs, or adult beds.
• Keep it clear: The crib should be free of blankets, pillows, bumper pads, stuffed animals, and toys.
• Room share, not bed share: It is safest to keep your baby’s sleep area in the same room where you sleep for at least the first six months. Do not bed share.
• No smoking: Avoid exposure to smoke, alcohol, or illicit drugs during pregnancy and after birth. These significantly increase the risk of SIDS.
• Pacifiers: Offering a pacifier at naptime and bedtime can reduce the risk of SIDS. If breastfeeding, wait until breastfeeding is well established.
• Avoid overheating: Dress your baby in appropriate clothing and keep the room at a comfortable temperature. Avoid hats and blankets while sleeping.
• Breastfeed, if you can: Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS.
• Tummy time: Give your baby supervised tummy time while awake each day to strengthen muscles and help prevent flat spots.
• Immunizations: Keep up with your baby’s regular checkups and vaccines, which are linked to a lower risk of SIDS.

Free Resources from Cribs for Kids

Our Injury Prevention team and Safe Kids Oakland County collaborate with Cribs for Kids to provide free safe sleep resources, including Cribette play yard cribs and sleep sacks, to families in need.

To qualify, new or expecting parents and caregivers must attend a safe sleep education session, either virtual or in person, through Safe Kids Oakland County and provide proof of current enrollment in a qualifying program.

Caregivers must also sign and submit a qualifying program affidavit to the Safe Kids Oakland County Coordinator during the safe sleep class or at the time of pickup. This program is currently available to Oakland County residents only.

Learn more about our partnership with Safe Kids Oakland County and Cribs for Kids.

What you should know:

• Overdoses from drugs and alcohol are the leading cause of unintentional injuries and deaths for adults.
• Alcohol plays a factor in 27% of injured adults visiting the ER.
• 49% of deadly motor vehicle accidents are related to alcohol use.

Find support and additional resources from the following organizations:

• Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Resources
• MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving

What you should know:

• Motor vehicle accidents are one of the top five trauma-related causes why patients visit the ER.
• Motor vehicle accidents consistently rank in the top three of preventable deaths, roughly accounting for 20% of these deaths.

Michigan.gov provides resources for safety on the road, including more traffic crash statistics and information on traffic laws, FAQs and tips for all vehicle types and age groups.

What you should know:

• Suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 49,300 people.
• Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.

Help is available through Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN).

• Free, confidential mental health help is available for Wayne County residents.
• Find free, quick and confidential mental health screenings online.

What you should know:

• Michigan ranks eleventh in deaths caused by firearms.
• Michigan’s violent crime rate and aggravated assault rate are both higher than the national average.

Help, care and resources are available through the following organizations and centers:

• Victim's Assistance | City of Detroit
• Michigan Coalition To End Domestic and Sexual Violence
• Trauma Recovery Center | Henry Ford Health - Detroit, MI

What you should know:

• Falls are the leading cause of death for individuals aged 65 years and older.
• 1 in 5 falls causes a serious injury (head trauma or fracture).

Am I at risk for a fall?

• You may be at risk for a fall if you have trouble seeing, hearing or walking. Additionally, if you sometimes feel dizzy, have had a stroke, fallen in the past 6 months or are on medications that could produce side effects.
• To minimize fall incidents and make your home as safe as possible, be sure to keep a tidy space and avoid clutter you could easily trip over. Additionally, move items you frequently use to levels within reach, so you don’t need to use a step stool.

Organizations that provide fall prevention support: classes and programming are available through:

• Henry Ford Health: fall prevention classes
• 211 Michigan: online and in-person programming for you and your caregiver(s), help with home safety modifications and more.
• The Detroit Area Agency on Aging: workshops and activities to prevent falls and stay active.

What you should know:

• Motor vehicle accidents are another leading cause for individuals in this age range, resulting in almost twice as many crashes compared to individuals 18-64.

Enhance your driver safety with programs and additional resources from Carfit, and organization developed by AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association.

What you should know:

• There have been more deaths attributed to “poisoning” for this population, so it is important to take your medications as directed by your doctor.
• Not taking your pills as directed by your doctor can result in side effects, including organ failure and death.

Additional resources:

• The FDA provides medication safety tips for older adults.
• The National Institute on Aging has a guide to taking medication as you age, including important questions to ask your doctor and pharmacist.

Anyone can be at risk for a fall. Your chances of a fall increase if you have glasses, a walker or hearing aids. Medications and other health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes and previous strokes also increase your risk for falls.

Accidents will always happen. But using a walker, wearing appropriate shoes and being mindful of your surroundings will help keep you safe.

Keeping your home safe includes not using rugs, having clear walking paths and having a home free of clutter.

Injuries are age specific, but some of the top causes are falls, accidental poisonings, motor vehicle accidents and assaults. Increased alcohol use has been attributed to increased injuries; minimal alcohol use may prevent some injuries from happening.

What you should know:

• More than 775,000 children (ages 14 and younger) are treated in hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries each year. 62% of organized sports-related injuries happen during practice.

Safe Kids Worldwide provides Sports Safety Tips and a Sports Safety Checklist for Coaches.

Henry Ford Injury Prevention offers a wide range of classes from fall prevention, Stop the Bleed, driver safety and child passenger safety classes.

Find more information in the events section further down this page.

Proper body mechanics, protective equipment, and warming up properly can help prevent injuries. Knowing your environment and your surroundings can also limit your chances of an injury occurring.