Home Child Proofing - Be Safe !
Think your home is child-safe? It probably isn't as safe as it could be. Consider this:
- Half of all childhood injuries occur in the home.
- More than 1,000 children die from ingesting poistion.
- Over 4,000,000 children go to the hospital after ingesting poison or medications found in the home.
Kitchen
The kitchen can be one of the most hazardous areas for children. Large appliances, kitchen tools, and poisonous chemicals are not only fascinating discoveries for children, but are often on "kid-level".
- Locker drawers and kitchen doors are your best preventive measure. A drawer full of kitchen utensils is a dangerous find for little ones. And many homeowners store poisonous household chemicals and pesticides under the sink, easily accessible to children. Special locks can be added to cabinet handles, as well as the inside of drawers.
- To prevent the risk of burn injuries, take a good look at the stove. Purchase knob covers to lock the controls and always keep hot pans on the back burners with the handles pointed away from the edges. Keeping hot drinks away from countertop edges is yet another way to prevent burn injuries to your child.
Living Room
- Get down to a child's level to see the room from his or her perspective. Take a good look at items on the floor. Are they potentially hazardous? Be aware of electrical cord placement. Make sure the cords are away from toys or other items that would attract a child. Cords should be secured to prevent tripping. Corner guards should be applied to sharp edges of tables to prevent injuries to toddlers who are just learning to walk.
- Stairs are often very dangerous for children. A child gate (not a pet gate) should be secured to the strongest part of the top of the stairs. All banisters and railings should be checked for sturdiness and repaired as necessary.
Nursery
- Side slats on the crib should be close together to prevent the child from slipping his or her head through and becoming trapped or choked. The slats should be no greater than 2-3/8" apart.
- Test the room between the mattress and the crib. There should be room for no more than 2 fingers' width. This will prevent the child from rolling into the space.
- Outlet covers -- costing less than $1 each -- are a safety necessity to protect children learning to walk or crawl. Add outlet covers to all open, unused outlets.
Windows
- Don't leave long cords -- in which the child can become entangled and choke --on blinds or curtains.
- Use window guards to prevent windows from being raised more than 5" -- through which a child could fall.
Bathroom
- Keep the toilet lid down or the door locked.
- Never leave a child unattended in the bath. Use bath mats to prevent slipping.
posted by googleblogger @ 2:52 AM
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