Safety Tips For Children and Pets

Some Surprising Home Dangers 

 Suffocation Hazards

• Soft and loose bedding, including pillows, quilts, blankets,  comforters, bumper pads, sleep positioners, sheepskins and stuffed toys.  Remove these items from baby's sleep area. 
•  Latex balloons. More children have suffocated on uninflated balloons and pieces of balloons than on any other type of toy.  Keep latex balloons away from children under 8 and pets. Choose mylar balloons (shiny, metallic) over latex.
•  Latch type clothes dryers, refrigerators and freezers; combination washer-dryer units; iceboxes, file cabinets and storage chests. Suffocation deaths occur in such places when children crawl inside and cannot escape. The best choice for a toy chest is one without a lid or one with a lightweight, removable one.

Choking Hazards

• Coins, keys, jewelry, paper clips, water bottle  tops, safety pins, removable rubber tips on door stops, jeweled decorations on child's clothing, hard/ round foods and crayon pieces.

Poisoning Hazards

• Household art materials, including crayons and paint sets can be toxic. Beware of products made by unknown companies from other countries. Always look for this label: ASTM D-4236. This label means the product has been reviewed by a toxicologist. If it is necessary, cautionary information will be included with this label.
• Antifreeze. The main ingredient in many major antifreeze brands is ethylene glycol, which is very toxic. Antifreeze has a sweet taste. Children or pets will drink large amounts of it if it is left out in an open container or if it is spilled on your driveway. Use antifreeze formulated with propylene glycol which is considerably less toxic.  
• Two common houseplants are poisonous: Dieffenbachia and Philodendron.

Items That Can Pierce or Burn

• Toys with sharp edges and points and electrical toys with heating elements. Avoid for children under 8.
• Toys that include propelled objects. These can be turned into weapons, so avoid them for children of all ages. 
• Arrows and darts. If children play with such items, they should have cork tips, rubber suction cups or other protective tips.
• Hot water. Set hot water heaters no higher than 120 degrees F. A lower water temperature will reduce the chance of scald burns.

Strangulation Hazards

• Necklace or pacifier tied around a young child's neck. It can get caught on a crib, playpen or doorknob and strangle the child.
• Window treatments with hanging cords. Those manufactured before 2001 may pose a strangulation risk to small children and pets.  You can replace them with cordless window coverings or repair them. You can obtain free retrofit safety devices from the Window Covering Safety Council. Visit: http://www.windowcoverings.org.

Falling Hazards

• Large and heavy furniture. Because of the tipping hazard, use angle braces or anchors to secure to the wall. Place TVs, VCRs and stereo systems on lower furniture, as far back as possible.
•  A child can fall out of a window that is open more then four inches, and screens offer no protection. Install window guards on all windows in your home. Use quick-release mechanisms on any windows that are part our your fire-escape plan.

Unsafe and Recalled Products

• Recalled products. When a product is found to pose a threat of injury or death,  a recall alert is issued. To stay current on this matter, contact the CPSC to receive free recall information sent to you by  E-mail. Call the CPSC at (800) 638-2772, or visit their website: http://www.cpsc.gov. Make sure all consumer products meet current national safety standards.

Be prepared for emergencies!

Click here to download Debra's emergency preparation sheet,
taken from her new book, "The Safe Baby."
Excerpted, with permission, from The Safe Baby (2009) by Debra
Smiley Holtzman, available wherever books are sold.

Debra is available for interviews, seminars and speaking engagements.