’Tis the Season to Childproof your Home

Candles, colorful lights, ornaments and tinsel are beautiful additions to the holiday season, but can pose safety hazards for little ones.

“With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, parents may forget the importance of childproofing their homes to protect against accidents,” said Joan Shook, M.D., chief of emergency medicine at Texas Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “Children often are curious about holiday food, decorations and even plants that can prove hazardous.”

The chore of childproofing may seem overwhelming in the already increased activity of the holiday season. A good first step is to slowly walk through each room to identify potential hazards. Parents should sit on the floor or get down on their knees and see a room from a child’s point-of-view, keeping in mind a child’s curiosity.

“Children are much more capable than adults realize,” said Shook. “The holidays pose an extra challenge for parents because children are exposed to many new and interesting things that they aren’t accustomed to during other parts of the year.”

Holiday guests can produce another challenge. Parents should watch out for unattended glasses containing leftover alcohol. Even a small amount of beer, wine or liquor can be toxic to a young child. Grandparents and other company should be reminded not to leave medications within a child’s reach.

Follow these “holiday help” tips:

• Plants such as mistletoe, holly and poinsettias should be kept out of reach of little ones. Mistletoe and holly can be poisonous and poinsettias can irritate a child’s mouth and throat.
  
• Watch for party foods, such as nuts, olives, small hard candy, cocktail franks and popcorn that can be potential choking hazards.
  
• Avoid using lighted candles and make sure all matches and lighters are extinguished.
  
• Dispose of giftwrap as soon as possible. Some giftwrap may contain lead.
  
• Avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, have small parts that can be removed and inhaled or swallowed, or look like candy or food.
  

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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