Household Safety Threats
Make Your Home More Child FriendlyParents of infants and toddlers work hard to baby-proof their homes, but as toddlers become preschoolers and then grade-schoolers, additional dangers can present themselves in and around the home.
“As children get older and more responsible and acquire more skills, it can be easy to forget they’re still kids,” says Lawrence Quang, MD, pediatric emergency medicine physician at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and director ofthe Greater Cleveland Poison Control Center,located at Rainbow. “No matter how old your child is, dangers at home still exist.”
More than half of the 2 million poison exposures that occur annually involve children younger than age 6 and result from toxic substances stored in and around the home. Summer and fall bring added risks of exposure to lawn and garden chemicals, pesticides, insect sprays, gasoline, washer fluid and antifreeze stored in garages and sheds.
“Unfortunately, many dangerous chemicals are not in child-resistant packaging,” says Dr. Quang. “Bags of fertilizer, bottles of weed killer, spray for bees or hornets, rodent bait and ant traps are all packaged in ways that make them easily accessible to children.”
If you ever suspect your child has been poisoned, call the national Poison Control Center hotline at 1-800-222-1222, or call your doctor or 911 immediately. Have product information from the label on hand as well as information about the child’s age, height and weight.
There are plenty of things that can be done proactively at home to prevent parents from having to make that call. First, keep in mind that residue from products such as fertilizer can remain on toys for days and may be ingested accidentally by children who handle them.
Second, although leaving products out as you answer the phone or mow the lawn may seem harmless, it provides an opportunity for exposure; don’t chance it. Finally, neighbors, babysitters, grandparents or other caregivers may not be as mindful of childproofing their homes and garages as you. If you’re ever worried for your child’s safety, discuss your concern with the caregiver.