Table 1 Quotations from findings

Purchasing equipment

“the first one was old one [car seat], like second-hand, we got it from eBay” (mother of one child: DN).

“Obviously the higher up you go in price usually the safer they are [car seats]”, (mother of one child and pregnant: DN).

“as long as everything is safety standard on the car seats [it’s ok to purchase item]”, (mother of two children and pregnant: DN).

“I can’t really remember that much really of what she’s [health visitor] talked about”, (mother of two children: AN).

Health professionals advice

“Being given advice from someone who hasn’t got children never sits very well anyway… But if you have another parent who said what they did…then you’re going to listen”, (mother of two and pregnant: AN).

“…You’d like to think a lot of [safety issues are] common sense, wouldn’t you? If you haven’t been around children at all and it’s all new, I suppose you do need to be told properly, don’t you?” (mother of one child: AN).

Alternative sources of information

“I have done the ESOL (English as a second language) course, they say where you can go and find these items [child safety devices]”, (pregnant mother: AN).

“I like researching into what’s good for my child and what’s bad for my child and then make a decision myself”, (mother of one child: DN).

Social networks

“My auntie was telling me that one of her friends, when she had a baby, she was washing the back of the baby and she leaned him a bit too far forward and started drowning him. I thought if you can drown them that easily, you know, you don’t really want to leave them [in the bath unattended]” (mother one child: DN).

Factors affecting safe practice

Birth order and personality

“… [My firstborn child] had quite cold baths for the first few months of his life because I was really worried the water would be too hot…[whereas] I just stick my hand in now. When I’m putting [my 14-month old] in, I just put her feet in first…See what she says (Laughs)” (mother of two children: AN).

“…we used to have like a big book shelf in our lounge… he [older child] never even looked at it. Whereas, [younger child] would definitely have climbed up if she had the opportunity,” (mother of two children: AN).

Parental recommendations

Verbal advice (one to one)

“I think going to the home of Asian ladies and talking to them, give them a leaflet [to look at] and explain to them. I think that would be the best” (pregnant mother: DN).

“[have injury advice] in playgroups… because this morning we had people coming round who were brushing teeth… everybody sat round and listened, you know, because it’s for the kids” (mother of two children: DN).

Leaflets and books

“I quite like leaflets because you don’t always have the time to sit and talk…where you don’t have time to look at DVDs, videos or what not, but leaflets, you can just, when you’ve got a moment, have a quick look through, can’t you?” (mother of two children and pregnant: AN).

“with leaflets and things, it’s just a waste of paper” (mother of two children and pregnant: DN).

“when you start like a nursery they [should] give you like a little starter pack or something [on child injury prevention]” (mother of one child: DN).

Posters (in waiting rooms and nappy changing areas)

“because you sit and stare at [posters], quite often subconsciously you will have taken a lot of [the information] in” (mother of one child: AN).

Mass Media

“TV is probably the strongest point, there was an advert on TV not so long ago that was horrible… I suppose they need to put the information across to both parents, not just [the] mother …they need to target men more as well…, if they’re like watching the football, you know (mother of one child and pregnant: DN).

“I text that St John’s Ambulance advert with the child choking [for an advice pack]” (mother of one child: DN).

Timing of interventions

“[Information should be given] at all stages… Because different things are relevant and will occur to you more at different stages. I think you need information not too long before it’s relevant… So whilst it’s good to read all this [safety information] before [having a baby], some of it will stick and some of it won’t” (mother of one child: AN).

“…You don’t want to let [young children] harm themselves, you don’t want to wait until it is too late [to learn about child injury risks] and go ‘oh, I was supposed to get this, I was supposed to do this’, you know” (mother of one child: DN).