SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - San Diego is in a heat wave and it will continue into the weekend. That means more families are opening up their windows, putting toddlers at risk.
"We always tell parents that screens keep bugs out but they don't keep children in," said Mary Beth Moran, Manager for Injury Prevention at Rady Children's Hospital.
Moran says during the summer months the hospital treats two to three children per week who've fallen out of windows.
"It's so tragic," said Moran. "Of course, parents blame themselves. And my job is to help parents navigate the potential risk to kids."
She says there are low-cost solutions to keep children safe, like the Super Stopper, a removable suction cup wedge. Moran recommends not opening the window more than five inches.
Parents can also contact the hospital for a free counseling session at their safety store. They also have free safety checklists online.
Lance Harper knows the gut-wrenching feeling of a child falling through a window. It happened when his daughter was 22-months-old and his mother was watching her.
"As she turned the corner she sees my daughter basically holding onto the screen and flying out the window," said Harper.
At the time, his daughter was jumping on a bed right next to a window.
"She was fine, the rest of us were pretty shaken up over it," said Harper.
Moran says children are curious and that putting any climbable furniture near a window is dangerous.
She hopes people will take the time to safeguard their windows so that injury numbers aren't so high this summer.
