More than 300,000 ACC claims involving children

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Parents know that if there's trouble to be found, kids will probably find it.

So it's no surprise that some of that trouble will lead to injury, and ACC has revealed more than 300,000 claims were lodged last year for children.

Out of a total 1.7 million ACC claims, 334,141 were made for children from newborns up to 14-years-old.

Boys outdid girls, with 188,529 claims compared to the girls' 145,612.

Many of the children's injuries were minor, with the majority (152,600) being soft tissue injuries such as bruises, strains and sprains.

Cuts, puncture wounds and stings resulted in 98,100 claims to ACC.

After these, the most common injuries were fractures and dislocations (36,700).

Other injuries included: dental (around 13,700 claims), burns with around 7600, foreign bodies in eyes with around 5400 claims, and concussion (around 5300).

ACC's general manager of insurance and prevention services, John Beaglehole, said many minor injuries happen in the context of everyday play and are simply a part of growing up.

"Most kids love running and jumping around, which are all part of a healthy lifestyle," he said. "In fact, kids need to take some risks in order to learn. But at the same time, there are things you can do to help prevent injuries."

How you do this will depend on your child's age.

"With preschoolers, it's basically up to parents and caregivers to manage their risks, by checking their environment and through good supervision," Mr Beaglehole said.

"As kids get older, you still need to set boundaries, but it's also about helping them start to learn to manage risk sensibly themselves. That means talking to them about risks and being a good role model."