Thousands of children suffer injuries and even death within their own home every year, not from abuse, but from an unsafe home. Below is a list of things that could be harmful to your child (even if you don’t have children of your own, but occasionally have children in your home you should be aware of these things):
1. Electrical Outlets: Children, especially babies and toddlers, are curious about electrical outlets. Cover them with a plastic outlet insert found at most stores where items for babies and children are sold.
2. Drapery Cords: What? That’s right drapery cords are a hazard to children. Every year hundreds of deaths are recorded of children who were playing around with drapery cords and accidentally get hung up in the drapery cord. Either secure the cords high out of the reach of children, cut the looped end, or affix a cord safety device to the lower end of the cord that will prevent strangulation.
3. Toilets/Tubs: Yes, toilets and tubs can be a hazard to young children. Cases have been reported of babies and toddlers who fell head first into a toilet, couldn’t get out and drowned. Only a teaspoon of water can drown an infant. Safety devices can be purchased that easily fasten to the toilet to make them safe around small children, yet still make the toilet easily accessible. When young children are in the tub don’t leave them alone, even for a minute!
4. Oven/Burners: Remember children are curious and in their early years don’t always know what can hurt them. Ovens and stove burners are a hazard. Like toilets, a safety device can be fastened to the oven making it more secure and safe around small children. When cooking on the stove, turn the handle of skillets and pans away from the front of the stove, so that small children can not reach up and pull scalding food, liquids, or grease down on themselves.
5. Cabinets: Cabinets are a great source of curiosity to young children and like to explore them. We often store chemicals, cleaners, medicines and other potentially harmful substances in our cabinets. Secure your cabinets with a safety latch to prevent curious hands from getting into them.
6. Poisons: We sometimes store poisons, such as for rodent or weed control in cabinets or on shelves in the garage. Make sure they are safely stored away from children. Keep the number for poison control accessible and instruct responsible members of your family, or baby sitter, where the number is kept in case of an emergency. You can reach Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 24 hours a day. Speak to a poison specialist or contact a physician or emergency room before attempting to induce vomiting. You may be asked by poison control to administer Ipecac, so keep some on hand at all times.
7. Pools: It goes without saying, pools can be dangerous to children. Yet, hundreds of kids drown every year in family pools. Drowning can be avoided at your home if you follow safety procedures and provide safety features around your pool. Pools can be safer if they are covered with a secure cover that children can not crawl under; fenced in and locked; and swimming is only allowed when there is adult supervision (always stay alert and keep track of all of the children around or in the pool!). There are special life vests and other flotation devices that have been designed to keep an infant or toddlers head, face up, above water. Make sure these flotation devices are the right size and properly fitted to your child. It is also advisable to become infant/child CPR certified. Most communities offer infant/child CPR classes. You may save your own child’s life!
8. Cribs: It may surprise you that cribs can be a safety hazard. Make sure the crib you own or are considering purchasing is child safe. The lateral bars or spacers on the crib, if not properly spaced apart, can choke a child. Also, the mattress can be hazardous, too. For infants it is advisable to put a breathable mattress in the crib to avoid suffocation.
9. Stairs: Stairs are a risk too, not just from falls, but also from unsafe railing. Be sure “baby gates” are secure and properly installed to avoid injury and that the stair railing is safe from a child’s head getting stuck in between the rails to prevent injury or choking.
Other things you may want to consider, depending on your individual situation is making sure proper allergy medications are on hand, as well as asthma medicine, bee sting and/or snake bit kits. Educate your self on the proper dosages and use of these items.
This list is not all inclusive. Assess your home for other possible hazards that could be risk to a child. Some of the supplies and equipment in this post can be purchased by clicking on the banner below.
