HIDDEN HOUSEHOLD HAZARDS FOR CURIOUS TOTS
While most adults are well aware of the need for covering outlets, keeping poisonous household cleaning products locked away and not allowing children to play with an object small enough to be a choking hazard, many homes have less obvious safety hazards that could have deadly results for our children. The unfortunate death of Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter raises these concerns once again.
Each year, more than 25,000 children are injured from exercise equipment. Sadly, many of those injuries are related to power cords. Exodus Tyson was strangled by a cord connected to a treadmill. It is believed that she was playing with the machine. While it may be unpractical to unplug a piece of exercise equipment after each and every use, parental supervision is the primary means of eliminating such avoidable accidents. If need be, keep the exercise room door locked and if you need to leave the room, take your child with you. Limiting your child’s access to the room and equipment is crucial.
Another hazard to children is falling through windows. Relying on screens to protect against such falls is not the solution. Emergency rooms are full of examples of screens not “working.” The two most obvious ways to avoid this potentially tragic occurrence are to not place furniture close to windows and utilizing window guards.
Another common source of injuries to children are window treatment cords. Parents should tie up any cords from blinds or curtains and ensure that they are high enough and outside of a child’s reach. Like windows, parents should not place furniture near the cords as they may be viewed as an invitation to children. It is also a good idea to not place changing tables or cribs within reach of window coverings.
Along those same lines, power cords are a source of danger for children. Not only can they cause electrical burns, but strangulation and tripping are foreseeable. Sadly, there have been a number of reported incidents where serious head trauma has been caused from appliances being pulled down by children. If possible, parents should unplug and secure power cords. The alternative is to move the appliances out of the way of the curious toddlers.
Furniture tip-overs are another major hazard to children. In May of 2009, the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that tipped over furniture sent roughly 15,000 children a year to the emergency room. The most common topple furniture pieces are dressers and flat screen television sets. Many children will pull out a dresser drawer and use that as a “ladder” to climb and reach for something up above. An inexpensive wall mounting kit can secure a large amount of weight and prevent the furniture from tipping.
Obviously, know your child. A child’s ability to “get into trouble” varies with their developmental age. Mitigating hazards for your children and all children is something that parents must do.
