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Current Holiday Safety (‘Tis the Season to be Safe!)
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SEPTEMBER UPDATE |
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9/12/11— September is Baby Safety Month for us here at Safe Kids, so we wanted to take a moment and remind our parents and caregivers out there of a few safety tips to keep in mind to keep your child safe while at home, during play, and on the way! At home: · Take a moment to watch this five minute video about safe sleep practices: Tomorrow’s Child · Cribs—when purchasing a crib, make sure to keep an eye out for the following hazards: sharp/jagged edges, missing/broken/loose parts, cut out designs in headboard or footboard (entrapment hazard), wide crib slats (use a soda can to test width), easily released drop side latches. Click here for more guidelines. · When baby is in their crib, use a firm mattress and a fitted cover— nothing else needs to be in the crib (bumpers, pads, toys, etc.) If a blanket is needed, place the baby on their back, lay the blanket across the baby at about chest level (below the armpits) and securely tuck the blanket in. Soft items and loose fabric in a baby’s crib can pose suffocation, strangulation, or even entrapment hazards. · Sleep—give your baby a safe sleeping environment! Click here for more information. · Think “Back to Sleep,” and place your baby on its back to sleep! Why? A child sleeping supine (on their back) versus prone (on their tummy) has a reduced risk of dying from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). There are many factors that play into SIDS, but since the “Back to Sleep” campaign was started, there has not been an increase in SIDS deaths. · Room-share with your baby, don’t bed share. Parents and caregivers want to be physically close to their babies for many reasons and there are great ways to do it—having a crib, bassinet, or pack-and-play either in the room or even right next to the bed is perfectly fine for you and baby. However, many parents also put their baby in their own bed, which is very problematic and dangerous. · Your baby needs its own firm sleeping surface for its own protection. Why? Because adult beds tend to be full of a lot of soft, loose, and fluffy materials. These are very dangerous for smaller children—they can roll into another pillow or become trapped under one and suffocate, they can become entangled in loose bedding and either suffocate or strangulate, or they can also roll off the bed. Even if you change your bedding to try to make it safer for your child to sleep with you, it still is not safe. Babies have very poor internal thermometers and cannot regulate their body temperatures well, so it is possible for a child to become too hot when sleeping next to an adult. Additionally, especially in those first few months where the idea of a good night’s sleep is wishful thinking, parents are tired! It is very sad to think, but there are several cases where parents have rolled over on their sleeping children, unaware that they did so, and the child suffocated. · You can safely co-sleep (room-share), but you cannot safely bed-share with a baby. · Other places where babies should not sleep: adult beds, sofas, recliners, chairs, soft surfaces, bouncy chairs, baby swings, or car seats · Bath time—avoid scalding hazards by making sure that your water heater’s temperature is no higher than 120° Fahrenheit. Click here for more information. · Use anti-scalding devices that can shut off the water if it gets too hot · Face your baby away from the faucet so they cannot reach to try to turn it on · Never leave your baby alone · Do not let older siblings bathe your baby During play: · ALWAYS read labels on toys and other items to see if they pose a choking hazard. If you are unsure, a quick way to check is to use a toilet paper roll—if the item can fit into the toilet paper roll, it is too small for your baby to play with. · Check toys for loose or broken parts that may accidentally be consumed by your child · Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website to check for recalled products or to sign up for e-mails and receive updates about recalled products.
On the way: · Use a rear-facing car seat until your child is at least 1 year AND 20 pounds, but try to keep your child rear-facing as long as possible · Have your car seat checked by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to answer any questions and to check for proper installation · Car seats expire! Check your seat for information like the date of manufacture and model number. In most cases, if a car seat is six years or older, it is considered expired and should no longer be used. If you’re unsure—find a technician! · Never buy a used car seat! If you don’t know the full history (specifically if it was ever in a car crash), do not use or buy it. |
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September Resources |
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September 18 –24 is National Child Passenger Safety Week! · “Child Passenger Safety Week is celebrated every year to remind parents and other caregivers of the need to keep children of all ages properly restrained in the seat that meets their weight and height requirements.” · Safe Kids Douglas will hold their event Friday, September 23 at the Douglas County Board of Health · Visit Safe Kids USA’s site here to find out more information on child passenger safety. Baby Safety Resources: · Article about SIDS versus unsafe sleeping environment deaths |
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DECEMBER UPDATE |
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12/1/11 — It’s that magical time of the year again! Trees and decorations are being put up, presents are getting wrapped, and the winter chill has (more or less) arrived in Georgia. With all the holiday cheer going around, Safe Kids Douglas wants take a moment to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, as well as to give a few reminders to take into consideration while we’re in the holiday season.
Decorating dangers : · Decorate with children in mind. Avoid putting ornaments with small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on lower branches where small children can reach them. · Natural trees always involve some risk of fire. Minimize this by getting fresh tree and keep it watered at all times; Do not put the tree within three feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent.
Holiday poison hazards: · Keep alcohol, including baking extracts, out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended. · Artificial snow can be harmful if inhaled, so use it in a well-vented space. · Mistletoe berries, Holly Berry and Jerusalem Cherry can be poisonous. If they are used in decorating, make sure children and pets cannot reach it. · In a poison emergency, call the national Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.
Toy Safety: · Be sure your children play with toys that are age-appropriate. Read the warning labels before buying toys for your children. · Look for well-made toys · Check toys regularly for damage that could create hazards. Repair or discard damaged toys immediately. · Make sure that discarded toys are out of children’s reach. · Watch your children while they play. Be aware of potential dangers like small parts, cords and strings, moving parts, electrical or battery-powered cords or wheels · Make sure toy chests are open (no lid) or have safety hinges.
Holiday burn and fire safety: · Keep anything that can catch on fire at least 3 feet from the stove, toaster oven, or other heat source. · To prevent hot food or liquid spills, use the stove’s back burner and/or turn pot handles away from the stove's edge. · Create a 3 foot Kid Free Zone around the stove. · Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids. · Young children should be more than 3 feet from any place where there is hot food, drinks, pans, or trays.
Safely secure your bundle of joy in their car seat—DON’T OVER-BUNDLE and remember to STRAP BEFORE YOU WRAP! · Thick sweaters, snow suits, and other cold weather gear make it difficult to make sure your baby’s harness fits properly; avoid placing a child in their car seat in this type of clothing · Extra fluff in thick items of clothing will compress in a crash and create extra space in the harness where baby can be ejected or receive injury · To keep baby warm and make sure the harness fits, put them in their car seat in their regular clothing (nothing thick), secure them in their harness, and then add a blanket or another item on top of them once they’re secured to help keep them warm. |
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December Resources: |
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· News Release from Safe Kids USA on Holiday Safety. · Don’t Toy with Safety! Learn about choosing safe toys for kids here. · Are you aware that some of our favorite decorations can pose hazards to our kids? See Safe Kids USA’s tip sheet here for a quick, easy guide to make sure you and your family are safe this season. Fire and Burn Safety · Brush up on your kitchen safety and cooking safety knowledge by reviewing a tip sheet here. · The National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) great guide to selecting, decorating, and disposing of a live tree, as well as hazards to avoid, can be found here. |
