11 Serious Home Safety Hazards Overlooked by Young Parents
- Post Date: 08 Nov, 2019
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By: Tina
Keeping your children safe while at home is undoubtedly important to all parents, but here’s an important question; is your home truly as safe as it could be? As a young parent, it’s natural to have some fears and concerns about this question, as young children are naturally curious and their tendency to touch, taste and feel everything puts them at serious risk. Since deterring their curiosity is nearly impossible, knowing all the possible ways they could get hurt and how to prevent them becomes crucially important.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The most recent statistics from the National Safety Council and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control show that airway obstruction injury (suffocation) is the main cause of unintentional injury-related death among infants under age 1. Injury and death rates for fires, burns and drowning were highest for children 4 years of age or younger, and an estimated 2 million children under the age of 5 visit the emergency room annually for an injury suffered at home.
10 leading causes of child and adolescent death in the U.S.
Source: NEJM study, Dec. 2018
Among the injuries listed above, many occurs at home. While you might think home is the safest place for your infant, toddler or child, it’s actually where injuries tend to occur. While some risks are obvious, like an ungated stairwell, others are not and thus easily overlooked, especially by young, inexperienced parents. For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of 11 Serious Home Safety Hazards Overlooked by Young Parents and, more importantly, how to avoid them and prevent injury and death. Please note that, as homes vary from one to the other, this list should not be deemed all-inclusive.
1- Extension cords and electrical cables
Extension cords and electrical cables are everywhere in most homes, dangling from TVs, computers, electrical appliances and more. Some are on the floor, while some pass under tables or snake up a wall. These cables and cords are to small children what a ball of yarn is to a kitten; inviting. However, unlike yarn, tugging or biting on a cord or electric cable can cause burns, electrocution and even strangulation.
Prevention; Hide or safely cover any cord within baby’s reach using widely available cord hider kits and cable covers.
2- Electrical Outlets
As we mentioned earlier, children have a natural tendency to touch just about everything, and that goes for electrical outlets as well, especially since they’re usually low-to-the-ground and easily accessible. This is well-known and most parents use plastic outlet inserts to prevent injuries. However, these plastic inserts can be removed, in some cases quite easily, causing risk of electrocution as well as a choking hazard.
Prevention; Use safer childproof outlet covers instead of plug-in versions as the child-proof versions close automatically and are quite difficult to remove without the appropriate tools.
3- Power Strips
Like cables, cords and outlets, power strips pose the risk of electrocution if they fall into young hands. In fact, thousands of children are injured by power strips every year, and so keeping them out of reach, hidden or covered is crucial.
Prevention; Purchase cable management boxes to cover any power strips you’re using, making sure that they feature vents large enough to dissipate any heat the power strip might create.
4- Pet Fur and Dander
While a cat or dog (or multiple cats and dogs) can become incredible companions and part of the family, their fur and dander can create a big risk for your child. Many babies and toddlers today are extremely sensitive to both and, if your dog or cat sheds profusely, the clumps of fur they leave behind can cause severe allergic reactions. If the clumps become large enough, they can even cause suffocation.
Prevention; Groom your pets regularly using pet grooming gloves, and use fur removal rollers to sweep regularly to remove excess fur and dander from rugs and floors.
5- Table Corners and other Sharp Objects
While this may seem rather obvious, sharp objects like forks, needles, toothpicks, knives and many other common household items should be safely stored at all times. One sharp object that many parents forget however is the 4 sharp corners on most tables, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal head injuries, especially if your child runs into them at full speed.
Prevention; Use cardboard, a sponge or any other soft material to wrap table corners, securing them with tape to prevent head injuries.
6- Falls from Windows
Supervising your child every minute of the day is almost impossible and, sadly, many meet their doom after falling out of an unlocked or open window. In fact, falls from high windows are one of the leading the cause of infant death.
Prevention; Install window guards and/or locks on all windows to prevent them from being inadvertently opened.
7- Lighters and Matches
When it comes to learning, small children act like sponges; everything they see, they learn, especially the things they see being done by their mom and dad. That includes using lighters and matches, especially because children are attracted to flames almost as inherently as moths. A child with a lighter or matches is a danger not only to themselves but to others.
Prevention; Keep all lighters and matches far out of reach and, if you smoke, make sure you smoke where the children can’t see you.
8- Detergents, Cleaning Agents and other Chemicals
Common household detergents and cleaners can be incredibly toxic, corrosive and poisonous, let alone a major skin and eye irritant. If ingested they can quickly harm or kill a child, even so-called ‘natural’ products. Unfortunately, many are very colorful and thus more attractive to a curious child.
Prevention; Keep all detergents, cleaners and other chemicals far out of reach and, if possible, in a locked cabinet or storage room.
9- Hot Liquids on a Stovetop or Range
One of the most common injuries to a child in the home is burns, especially from liquids like water, coffee and soup being heated on a stovetop or range. A pot’s handle hanging over the side of the stove can be easily grabbed, tugged or pulled by a child, causing horrific injuries when that pot or pan falls over.
Prevention; Turn handles to the inside of the stovetop or range, and use the rear heating elements when possible.
10- Bath-Tubs and Buckets filled with water
Water doesn’t need to be hot to harm your child. A full tub or even a bucket is a drowning risk for many smaller children, as well as a toilet. Sadly, children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water and in less than 3 minutes, so preventing this hazard is crucial.
Prevention; Never leave a full bathtub or bucket anywhere in the home, and never leave a child unsupervised in the bathroom, even for only a minute. One of the best solutions is to close the bathroom door or set up a child safety fence to prevent children from getting close to the water in the bathroom and home.
11- Torn, ripped or chapped quilt and pillows
Last but not least, suffocation can occur from many things, and the stuffing from quilt and pillows is no exception. A torn quilt cover or pillowcase may be the opening a baby needs to pull out the stuffing inside, as well as any type of torn fibers, causing them to choke and suffocate.
Prevention; Check pillows and linens frequently and dispose of any with tears or rips.
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