How Safe are Your Home & Yard
IN YOUR HOME
(***NOTE: Please call us for advice, if your child swallows anything other than food. If you cannot reach us quickly, call the Poison-Control Center. The Poison Control Hotline number is 1-800-222-1222.***)
MEDICINES. Keep all medicines up high and in closed cabinets with child-resistant latches. Ingestion of birth control pills is not uncommon, because they are usually kept in a location that is convenient to MOM-often in plain view of children.
Always request child-resistant caps on prescription medications, and remember that there is no such thing as "child-proof". Some non-prescription medications, such as Tylenol and iron tablets, can be deadly when recommended dosages are exceeded. Often these may be in easy-to-open containers.
CLEANING PRODUCTS. Keep these in latched cabinets also. Common household cleaners-dishwasher detergent, furniture polish, and bathroom cleansers-are very dangerous. Your child's exploration of the world includes tasting, as well as touching.
**SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER IN KEEPING YOUR CHILD'S ENVIRONMENT A SAFE ONE**
HOT LIQUIDS. Hot tap water burns can be avoided by having your hot water heater set for 125 degrees. In the kitchen, keep handles on the stovetop turned in, out of reach of a small child, and instruct other older family members to do the same.
SHARP OBJECTS. Knives, scissors, razors, nail clippers, and other personal hygiene instruments need to be kept in secure holders, and in out-of-reach locations.
WHEN YOU SLEEP: THE OPEN FRONTIER. When your child is out of the crib, she or he might find danger when you are asleep in your own bedroom. Unused electrical outlets should be plugged by plastic inserts. Look around to see that no narrow metal objects (keys, for example), that could be inserted into an outlet, are left lying around. Some parents apply bitter tasting "puppy-no-chew" spray to electrical outlet covers to discourage licking. (Saliva will carry an electrical current into the mouth.) Can your child climb to higher levels? Are the objects that could lead choking (balloons, inflated or not) or suffocation ( such as a drycleaner's bag)? Are there other objects small enough to swallow or insert into the nose or ears? Mardi Gras beads can end up in the strangest places!
GUNS. This is an emotional subject for many. If you feel compelled to keep guns in your home, take extraordinary measures to keep them from your child at all times. Keep them in a locked cabinet, and keep ammunition in a separate location, also locked.
PETS. Dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, snakes, lizards, and turtles-each animal may present a potential hazard to your child. Lizards and turtles can excrete salmonella germs in their stools. They should not live in the same house with a toddler who frequently is putting his fingers into his mouth. Nonpoisonous snakebites can hurt, but are not likely to do permanent damage. Ferrets have small, sharp teeth, and may bite if mishandled. They cannot be immunized against rabies. Parrots and other imported birds can carry and transmit some unusual diseases. Parakeets and canaries that are kept in their cages are probably safe. Through biting and scratching, cats can transmit toxoplasmosis, a very serious infection for infants. Cat dander (skin flakes), is the allergen that most affects people with allergies, second only to dust mites. Get rid of a cat that does not have an affectionate nature around children. Dogs can be wonderful and lifesaving, but dangerous. Do not consider bringing your child home to a dog that is not well-trained. Get rid of your dog if you observe any signs of jealousy. If purchasing a dog, choose the breed with the advice of a veterinarian. Avoid large dogs bred for fighting or guarding. Your toddler's face can be destroyed by a dog defending his food dish. Small breeds, mutts or purebred, are the safest.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
SWIMMING POOLS. Swimming pools are pleasurable, but can also be dangerous. There are drownings every summer. The tragedy is, every drowning is preventable. Think of bath tubs as small swimming pools. Toddlers have drowned in just a few inches of water. Never leave your child unattended in a bath tub. Consider waiting until after your children have reached school age to buy a home with a pool, or to have on installed. By the age of six, children can master both the physical motion of swimming, and also have the judgment necessary to use that ability to avoid danger. If, however, you do have a pool and children under the age of 6, put up a 4-foot high fence around your pool with a locked gate. An alarm system, which sounds whenever there is surface disturbance in the pool, is another safety precaution. Check the pool immediately, if a young child is unaccounted for. Most drownings occur when your are not "on duty", or when you are distracted (remember the movie, "Home Alone"?). IF you are entertaining, it is a good idea to hire a pool sitter, someone who will focus on the pool amidst the festivities. Post pool rules and insist that they be observed. It is important that older children and adolescents model safe behavior to younger children.
IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD. Did you know that toadstools grow overnight? This fact is best learned now, not as you round the corner to see your child eating the second of three mushrooms that was not in the yard the day before. Take a quick look around your child's play area at the beginning of each day. What you find may surprise you. Cover your child's sandbox each day. Cats love to use them for toilets. Cat hookworms, not visible in the sand, can burrow under your child's skin. Fire ants. Hate'em! Other ants bite-fire ants bite and sting. These sting marks show up as little pus blisters on the surface of the skin moments after being stung. Small children do not associate the sting with the anthill. They just dance and scream in place. Occasionally, multiple stings result in major allergic reactions, which may include swelling of the lips and tongue, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Should breathing difficulties occur, call 911. Do not attempt to drive to the hospital, there may not be time. The ambulance is stocked with medications for allergic reactions.
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