Parents are excited to see a baby starts to walk-he/she becomes a toddler. And you will find it is important to find all home safety hazards. It is the nature of toddlers to explore the world around them. Each year too many children die from an injury in the home. Preventing your child from dangers is a big challenge. But we must try to do everything we can to keep child safe. The first thing is trying to look out for all the safety hazards in your home. Here are some safety hazards you need to search.
Electrical outlets
This is the most dangerous optional hazard. Usually it may make your baby or toddler die, not only injury. Parents must ensure they are safe. You can read this article to find some solutions.
Sharp
Objects
It is inevitable to have some
sharp objects in the home, such as forks, knives, pointy items, etc. We must
keep these objects out of the reach of children. Objects that are made out of
glass and ceramics are also dangerous too, because they might fall to the
ground and shatter into sharp pieces.
Medicines
and toxic products
Children explore the world by
putting everything into their mouths. They can open drawers and doors, take
things apart, and open a bottle. Adult’s medicines are not for children. So you
must keep all medicines and toxic products away from the reach of your
children.
If your child does put some
medicine into her or his mouth, go to see a doctor immediately.
Doors
Doors are also a safety hazard
for children. Toddlers may play with doors. They like to open and close doors,
and they may get their fingers entrapped in the door hinges. It is best to keep
doors fully closed or open.
When you keep doors open, doors
should be locked too. Prevent your children to close the door easily.
Otherwise, they may hurt your child’s fingers.
If you don’t want your children
to go into some rooms, just keep the doors fully closed and locked.
Big
furniture and appliances
Children like to stand and hold
onto tables, chairs, bookshelf and other items. If these big items are not well
grounded, they can tip over easily. We cannot stop children exploring their own
home, but we must know which places is better to keep them away from.
Fall
Toddlers will walk well and start
to jump, climb, run in your home. They don’t understand what is dangerous. A
chair nest to window, table or furniture allows children to climb to
dangerously high places. And then maybe your children have a serious fall. If
that happens, call the doctor even though your children look well.
Stairs are also a safety hazard.
Your children are unable to keep their balance. So it is best to place a baby
gate to prevent you children from going up and down the stairs.
Guns
It is best to keep all your guns
out of your house. If you want to keep a gun, you must put it in a safe place.
Don’t let you children get the gun.
And sometimes a toy gun may hurt your children. So you must pay attention on
toy guns too.
Burns
Hot liquids, grease, hot food,
hot oven doors, wall heaters, outdoor grills are all dangerous to your
children.
When you are cooking, keep your
children out of the kitchen. Never carry hot items and your child at the same
time.
Houseplants
Some houseplants are great for indoor air quality, but some are safety hazards for children.
“Dieffenbachia and
philodendron are common houseplants that contain oxalates, microscopic crystals
that are released into the mouth when the plant is chewed and cause extreme
pain and inflammation,” says Holtzman. “Parents of young children (and pets)
should purchase only nontoxic plants.”
Small items
Usually there are small items in your home, such as
small toys, small parts, batteries, glasses balls, coins, fasteners, seed, and
so on. Your children may put these items into their mouths. You must make sure
no small items are in your children’s hands.
Chemicals
You cannot avoid having chemicals in your home.
Usually you have chemicals in kitchen or bathroom, such as detergents, dish
soaps, paint, car liquids, oil, house cleaning supplies. These chemicals may
irritate your children’s skin. And it is dangerous if your children inhale some
chemicals. So you must secure the top covers, and don’t let your children get
them.
Playful pets
Some pets are dangerous to babies or toddlers. Never
leave your baby or child alone in the same room with your pets, such as dogs,
cats, etc. You can try to train your pets to protect and respect your children.
Drowning
My daughter loves to play in water. She can jump, run
and play in water for several hours. But she doesn’t know the dangers. You
can’t watch children every minutes. So you must pay attention on that. Never
leave your child alone in a bathtub, wading, swimming pool or pail of water. The
bathroom doors should be keep closed. Even though your child can swim, but that
doesn’t mean he/she is safe in water.
Strong light
Baby’s eyesight is developing all the time in the first year. There are some reports tell us a baby’s eyes may be blinded by strong light, such as a camera flash. But some experts say we don’t worry too much. For safety, it is best to avoid strong light on baby’s eyes.
When you take photos on your baby with a camera or phone, try to make sure you have turned off the flash. Don’t place your baby under strong sunshine. In fact, the UV ray in the sunshine will harm your child’s eyes.
Laser pointer
Maybe you have laser pointers in your home. You must put it in a safe place, and never let your baby or toddler get the laser product. It is a strong light source, and maybe harm your children’s eyes.
Convex lens
Convex is a potential hazard too. Don’t let your
children play with convex lens alone.
Desiccant
Desiccants are commonly composed of some non-toxic
chemicals, for example silica gel. And usually it is used to sustain or induce
a state of dryness. You can find desiccants in many packages when you buy
objects, such as food, shoes, furniture, etc. And usually you will see a label: Do not
eat. It is a potential danger for young
children because it is so easy to get desiccants. If your child puts desiccants
into her/his mouth, you must take your child to hospital as soon as possible.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a flammable, colorless,
strong-smelling gas at room temperature. It is used in many household products:
pressed-wood products, adhesives, glues, paper product coatings, building
materials and insulation, permanent press fabrics, paints, lacquers and finishes,
and so on.
Formaldehyde can cause irritation of eyes, throat, nose
and skin. High levels of exposure may cause cancers.
So it is very dangerous to your family, you must try to pay more attention on these products.
Mothball
Mothball look like candy to children. Usually many families have some mothballs in the home. But keep in mind, it is dangerous. It is one of uncommon home safety hazards. If you swallow mothball, it can damage your red blood cells. And then there will be many other problems. If your children wear clothing stored with mothballs, he/she may be poisoned.
Never let you children get mothballs. Store mothballs
in a safe place. You must follow all label directions carefully. Before using
bedding or wearing clothes which has been stored in mothballs, you must wash
them.
Children and babies only need a tiny small amount of salt in their diet. Their kidneys cannot cope with too much salt, and too much salt can endanger children’s future health. Don’t add salt to the foods when you introduce solid foods to your child or baby. It is best to avoid giving your kid ready-made foods which are not made specifically for babies. Reference: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/how-much-salt-do-babies-and-children-need/
In modern homes, electrical products are so common. You can find them in every room of your home. Phone chargers, power outlets, extension leads, electrical cables, and so on. As an adult, we all know the electrical dangers. But your kids know nothing about the safety hazards. And not all of these electrical products are …
More and more people want to learn a second language. As adults, we all know there are many advantages if we can speak a second, third or more languages. After my daughter was born, I want her to be a bilingual or multilingual child. But there are some questions in my head: Will learning two or …
If you have a toddler at home, you will find there are too many things you need to pay attention to. When my daughter is 1~3 years old, my wife bought many household goods for her. As a father, I don’t think some are necessary. But there are some essential goods you should add to …
20 Home Safety Hazards For Babies and Toddlers
Parents are excited to see a baby starts to walk-he/she becomes a toddler. And you will find it is important to find all home safety hazards. It is the nature of toddlers to explore the world around them. Each year too many children die from an injury in the home. Preventing your child from dangers is a big challenge. But we must try to do everything we can to keep child safe. The first thing is trying to look out for all the safety hazards in your home. Here are some safety hazards you need to search.
Electrical outlets
This is the most dangerous optional hazard. Usually it may make your baby or toddler die, not only injury. Parents must ensure they are safe. You can read this article to find some solutions.
Sharp Objects
It is inevitable to have some sharp objects in the home, such as forks, knives, pointy items, etc. We must keep these objects out of the reach of children. Objects that are made out of glass and ceramics are also dangerous too, because they might fall to the ground and shatter into sharp pieces.
Medicines and toxic products
Children explore the world by putting everything into their mouths. They can open drawers and doors, take things apart, and open a bottle. Adult’s medicines are not for children. So you must keep all medicines and toxic products away from the reach of your children.
If your child does put some medicine into her or his mouth, go to see a doctor immediately.
Doors
Doors are also a safety hazard for children. Toddlers may play with doors. They like to open and close doors, and they may get their fingers entrapped in the door hinges. It is best to keep doors fully closed or open.
When you keep doors open, doors should be locked too. Prevent your children to close the door easily. Otherwise, they may hurt your child’s fingers.
If you don’t want your children to go into some rooms, just keep the doors fully closed and locked.
Big furniture and appliances
Children like to stand and hold onto tables, chairs, bookshelf and other items. If these big items are not well grounded, they can tip over easily. We cannot stop children exploring their own home, but we must know which places is better to keep them away from.
Fall
Toddlers will walk well and start to jump, climb, run in your home. They don’t understand what is dangerous. A chair nest to window, table or furniture allows children to climb to dangerously high places. And then maybe your children have a serious fall. If that happens, call the doctor even though your children look well.
Stairs are also a safety hazard. Your children are unable to keep their balance. So it is best to place a baby gate to prevent you children from going up and down the stairs.
Guns
It is best to keep all your guns out of your house. If you want to keep a gun, you must put it in a safe place. Don’t let you children get the gun.
And sometimes a toy gun may hurt your children. So you must pay attention on toy guns too.
Burns
Hot liquids, grease, hot food, hot oven doors, wall heaters, outdoor grills are all dangerous to your children.
When you are cooking, keep your children out of the kitchen. Never carry hot items and your child at the same time.
Houseplants
Some houseplants are great for indoor air quality, but some are safety hazards for children.
“Dieffenbachia and philodendron are common houseplants that contain oxalates, microscopic crystals that are released into the mouth when the plant is chewed and cause extreme pain and inflammation,” says Holtzman. “Parents of young children (and pets) should purchase only nontoxic plants.”
Small items
Usually there are small items in your home, such as small toys, small parts, batteries, glasses balls, coins, fasteners, seed, and so on. Your children may put these items into their mouths. You must make sure no small items are in your children’s hands.
Chemicals
You cannot avoid having chemicals in your home. Usually you have chemicals in kitchen or bathroom, such as detergents, dish soaps, paint, car liquids, oil, house cleaning supplies. These chemicals may irritate your children’s skin. And it is dangerous if your children inhale some chemicals. So you must secure the top covers, and don’t let your children get them.
Playful pets
Some pets are dangerous to babies or toddlers. Never leave your baby or child alone in the same room with your pets, such as dogs, cats, etc. You can try to train your pets to protect and respect your children.
Drowning
My daughter loves to play in water. She can jump, run and play in water for several hours. But she doesn’t know the dangers. You can’t watch children every minutes. So you must pay attention on that. Never leave your child alone in a bathtub, wading, swimming pool or pail of water. The bathroom doors should be keep closed. Even though your child can swim, but that doesn’t mean he/she is safe in water.
Strong light
Baby’s eyesight is developing all the time in the first year. There are some reports tell us a baby’s eyes may be blinded by strong light, such as a camera flash. But some experts say we don’t worry too much. For safety, it is best to avoid strong light on baby’s eyes.
When you take photos on your baby with a camera or phone, try to make sure you have turned off the flash. Don’t place your baby under strong sunshine. In fact, the UV ray in the sunshine will harm your child’s eyes.
Laser pointer
Maybe you have laser pointers in your home. You must put it in a safe place, and never let your baby or toddler get the laser product. It is a strong light source, and maybe harm your children’s eyes.
Convex lens
Convex is a potential hazard too. Don’t let your children play with convex lens alone.
Desiccant
Desiccants are commonly composed of some non-toxic chemicals, for example silica gel. And usually it is used to sustain or induce a state of dryness. You can find desiccants in many packages when you buy objects, such as food, shoes, furniture, etc. And usually you will see a label: Do not eat. It is a potential danger for young children because it is so easy to get desiccants. If your child puts desiccants into her/his mouth, you must take your child to hospital as soon as possible.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a flammable, colorless, strong-smelling gas at room temperature. It is used in many household products: pressed-wood products, adhesives, glues, paper product coatings, building materials and insulation, permanent press fabrics, paints, lacquers and finishes, and so on.
Formaldehyde can cause irritation of eyes, throat, nose and skin. High levels of exposure may cause cancers.
So it is very dangerous to your family, you must try to pay more attention on these products.
Mothball
Mothball look like candy to children. Usually many families have some mothballs in the home. But keep in mind, it is dangerous. It is one of uncommon home safety hazards. If you swallow mothball, it can damage your red blood cells. And then there will be many other problems. If your children wear clothing stored with mothballs, he/she may be poisoned.
Never let you children get mothballs. Store mothballs in a safe place. You must follow all label directions carefully. Before using bedding or wearing clothes which has been stored in mothballs, you must wash them.
If somebody has swallowed mothballs, you can use this online tool to get help. https://triage.webpoisoncontrol.org/#/exclusions
Salt
Children and babies only need a tiny small amount of salt in their diet. Their kidneys cannot cope with too much salt, and too much salt can endanger children’s future health. Don’t add salt to the foods when you introduce solid foods to your child or baby. It is best to avoid giving your kid ready-made foods which are not made specifically for babies. Reference: https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/childrens-health/how-much-salt-do-babies-and-children-need/
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