Can your child be too safe?
You don't want your child to live in a bubble or walk around wearing a helmet at all times, but remember that the more chances you take, the more likely your child will be injured or killed by an accident.
In addition to obvious safety steps of using a car seat correctly, installing a smoke detector, and childproofing your home, beware of other hidden dangers that can compromise your child's safety:
- the upper bunk of a bunk bed, which should be avoided until children are at least six years old
- musical instruments, such as a guitar, that can hurt a young child that is playing with the strings (for example, trying to over-tune them), if one of the strings that is under high tension breaks, flying into his eye or scratches his face, etc.
- high water, storm drains, and ditches when flash flooding occurs during and after severe thunderstorms
- parade floats, which can run over a child along the parade route; kids can also fall while riding on a float
- recalled or broken toys
- toys that are not age-appropriate, especially toys with magnets and small parts, which pose a choking hazard for younger children
- home exercise equipment, including stationary bikes, treadmills, and stair climbers, which lead to about 25,000 child injuries each year
- ride-on lawn mowers, which should not be used by children under age 16 years of age; walk-behind lawn mowers, which should not be used by children under age 12
- hot cars, especially when infants or toddlers are left in a car seat, toddlers or preschoolers sneak into the car to play and can't get out, or kids get trapped in the trunk
- drawstrings on clothing hoods, which can be a strangulation hazard; extra buttons, ribbons, or decorative items on baby clothes and clothing for infants or toddlers, since they can come off and be a choking hazard
- paper shredders, which can cause finger amputations and lacerations, especially to younger children
- older (sold before November 2000) window blinds and cords, which can form loops and strangle young children.
- Roman shades and roll up blinds that have looped pull cords or exposed inner cords.
- falls from windows, which can be prevented by installing a window guard or window stop (prevents the window from opening more than four inches)
- a garage door that does not automatically reverse and can trap a child underneath the door (mainly a problem for garage doors made before 1993 and newer ones that no longer work properly)
- balloons, which cause more choking deaths than balls, marbles, or small toy parts (In addition to choking or aspirating on broken balloon pieces, some children suck in uninflated balloons while trying to blow them up, which is why adults should supervise children under age eight who are playing with balloons. Kids under age three shouldn't be allowed to play with balloons at all.)
- older pool, spa, and hot tub drains; their powerful suction and older covers can lead to hair entanglement or body part entrapment
- home trampolines, motorized cycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), nonpowder guns (BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, or paintball guns), or loud toys, which the AAP considers to be unsafe toys for children
- home trampolines, motorized cycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), nonpowder guns (BB guns, pellet guns, air rifles, or paintball guns), or loud toys, which the AAP considers to be unsafe toys for children
Sources:
AAP Policy Statement. Shopping Cart–Related Injuries to Children. PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 2 August 2006, pp. 825-827
Amusement Ride-Related Injuries and Deaths in the United States: 2005 Update
CDC. National Vital Statistics Reports. Volume 53, Number 17. March 7, 2005.
CPSC. Shopping Cart Safety Alert. Falls from Shopping Carts Cause Head Injuries to Children. CPSC Document #5075
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. WISQARS Fatal Injuries: Mortality Reports
