What's dangerous for your child right now?

Select your child's age group. We'll show you the biggest risks — physical and emotional — based on Australian data. Then walk through your home in 3D.

Infant
0 – 12 months
Toddler
1 – 4 years
School Age
5 – 12 years
Adolescent
13 – 17 years
Toddlers — 1 to 4 years

The 5 biggest dangers for toddlers at home

73% of injuries for this age group happen at home. Every one of them is preventable.

#1 Risk — Critical

Drowning & Near-Drowning

Drowning is the leading cause of death for Australian toddlers. It happens in silence — a child can drown in as little as 20 seconds in 5cm of water. 56% of drowning deaths for this age group occur at home: pools, bathtubs, buckets, pet bowls.

26
Deaths / year (0-4)
78
Hospital admissions
56%
Occur at home
20 sec
Can happen silently
What you can do
  • Fence your pool with compliant (AS 1926) barrier + self-closing gate
  • Never leave a toddler alone in the bath — not even for 10 seconds
  • Empty buckets, wading pools, and pet water bowls after use
  • Learn infant CPR — courses available through Royal Life Saving
DANGER
#2 Risk — Critical

Poisoning

Toddlers explore the world mouth-first. Medications (especially grandparents' blister packs), cleaning products, dishwasher pods, and button batteries account for 5,700+ emergency presentations per year for children under 5. A single 20mm lithium button battery can burn through an oesophagus in 2 hours.

5,700+
ED visits / year (<5)
20/wk
Button battery cases
2 hrs
Battery burn-through
90%+
Preventable
What you can do
  • Store all medications and cleaning products above 1.5m or in locked cabinets
  • Secure or discard all devices with button batteries (remotes, key finders, toys)
  • Keep dishwasher pods in a locked container — they look like lollies to toddlers
  • Save Poisons Information: 13 11 26 (24hr Australia-wide)
#3 Risk — High

Falls

Falls are the most common cause of injury hospitalisation across all age groups. For toddlers: furniture (especially bunk beds and change tables), stairs, and windows. Head injuries are disproportionately common due to toddlers' centre of gravity.

38%
Of all home injuries
4,200+
Hospital stays / year
62%
Involve head injury
What you can do
  • Install stair gates at top and bottom of all staircases
  • Anchor heavy furniture (TVs, bookshelves, dressers) to the wall
  • Window locks on all windows above ground floor (max 10cm opening)
  • Never leave a child on a change table, bed, or couch unattended
#4 Risk — High

Burns & Scalds

Hot drinks are the most common cause of scald burns in toddlers. A cup of tea at serving temperature can cause a full-thickness burn in under 1 second on a toddler's skin. Kitchen is the primary location — stove-top pulls, oven doors, hot water taps.

2,000+
ED visits / year
<1 sec
Full-thickness burn
65°C
Coffee temperature
What you can do
  • Keep hot drinks away from edges and never hold a child while drinking one
  • Set hot water system to max 50°C (Australian Standard AS 3498)
  • Use back burners and turn pot handles inward on the stove
  • Install a stove guard or barrier if you have a toddler
!
#5 Risk — Moderate

Choking & Suffocation

Small objects, food (grapes, nuts, sausage rounds), and blind cords. A toddler's airway is the width of a drinking straw. Items that pass through a toilet paper roll are a choking hazard. Blind cords are responsible for approximately 1 child death per year in Australia.

1,400+
ED visits / year
~8
Deaths / year (0-4)
5mm
Toddler airway width
What you can do
  • Cut grapes, cherry tomatoes, and sausages lengthwise (never round)
  • Use the toilet roll test: if it fits through, it's a choking hazard
  • Replace all corded blinds with cordless alternatives
  • Learn back blows and chest thrusts for choking infants/toddlers

The invisible dangers

Physical hazards get the headlines. But emotional harm at home is equally documented — and often longer-lasting.

Witnessing Domestic Violence

Even toddlers show measurable cortisol elevation and behavioural changes when exposed to parental conflict and DV at home.

1 in 4 children — AIHW

Emotional Neglect

Emotional abuse and neglect are the most common forms of child maltreatment — more common than physical abuse or sexual abuse combined.

55% of substantiated cases — AIHW

Screen Exposure (<5)

Under-5s with >2hrs daily screen time show language delays and reduced social-emotional development. The effects compound through childhood.

WHO recommends 0 hrs for under-2s

Coming next: School Age (5–12)

As your toddler grows, the risks shift. Falls from trampolines replace bathtub drowning. Cyberbullying emerges. See what's ahead.

See School Age risks

Now walk through the home

See these dangers in 3D. Click on objects to learn. Room by room.

Enter the 3D Home