List of Dangerous Items for Kids
It is always a great time to take stock of your home environment to determine how safe it is for your young children. As we remind parents at our North Denver pediatrics office, unfortunately many common household items can be dangerous items for kids to encounter.
Taking Stock of the Potential Dangers Around Your Home
To ensure that your home is as safe as possible for your little ones, periodically conduct a quick inspection to determine if any of these potentially-dangerous items or conditions are present.
- Baby oils and bath products. While these products may seem harmless, they should always be stored securely out of reach of children. Some baby oils and bath products contain liquid hydrocarbons; if aspirated into a child’s lungs, these chemicals can cause pneumonia-like symptoms, lung damage, or even death.
- Purses and backpacks. The fact that your child sees you “magically” pulling things out of your purse or backpack piques their natural curiosity. But, the sharp or breakable items they contain — pens,makeup mirrors — can be very dangerous items for kids. So can medicines, lotions, or cosmetics you may carry with you. Always prevent children from accessing your handbag.
- Unsecured ‘tall’ furniture. Children often see bookshelves, dressers, and other furniture as a fun climbing challenge. However, when one of these items tips and falls onto the child, serious injuries can occur. Take steps to secure furniture or prevent access to it. Your North Denver pediatrics provider can tell you more about techniques for making furniture safe.
- Ranges and dishwashers. Especially when they are open, these appliances pose a significant danger to kids. Touching a recently-opened oven can cause serious burns. And even if the oven is cool, climbing onto the open door can rock the appliance bringing hot items from the stove top down onto the child. Dishwashers may hold sharp items and/or soap that can be very harmful to children.
- Latex balloons. Perhaps one of the most dangerous items for kids are balloons. Balloons are wonderful party decorations and can be fun to play with after the event is over. However, they are a major choking hazard to young children: small children might chew on them or inhale them while trying to inflate them. Always supervise children who are playing with balloons, and immediately discard the pieces of a popped balloon. If possible, use Mylar balloons which are less hazardous but still provide supervision.
- Full bathtubs. Sadly, many child drownings take place in the home. If a curious child gets into a full bathtub that is left unattended, disaster can result. Be sure that children are always supervised around tubs with standing water.
- Soft bedding. That beautiful quilt you received as a gift is wonderful to snuggle with on the couch, but in the crib of a child under one year of age, it can pose a suffocation risk. Always keep the crib clear of everything other than a tight-fitting mattress pad and sheet, and possibly a lightweight blanket tucked tightly around the mattress. Always put babies down on their back.
As any parent of young children knows, you only have to turn your back for a second for a child to get into a possibly harmful situation. Scanning for common dangers and taking steps to address them can help you create a safe and secure environment where your children can play and explore with minimal risk.
Simple Steps to Keep Kids Safe
The items and conditions listed above are just some of the issues to keep in mind when considering home safety. Fortunately, it only takes a few moments to walk through your house and remedy potentially-dangerous situations. It can be daunting to identify all of the dangerous items for kids, so you can find additional household safety resources at safety.com. If you have questions about your children’s wellness or to make an appointment, call our North Denver pediatrics office at (303)430-0823.
