INFANT AND YOUNG CHILDREN SAFETY
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Childproofing Your Home
About 2 ½ million children are injured or killed by hazards in the home each year. The good news is that many of these incidents can be prevented by using simple child safety devices that are on the market today.
Any safety device you buy should be sturdy enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for you to use. It's important to follow installation instructions carefully. In addition, if you have older children in the house, be sure they re-secure safety devices. Remember, too, that no device is completely childproof; determined youngsters have been known to disable them.
You can childproof your home for a fraction of what it would cost to have a professional do it. And safety devices are easy to find. You can buy them in hardware stores, baby equipment shops, supermarkets, drug stores, home and linen stores, and mail order catalogues.
Here are some child safety devices that can help prevent many injuries to young children:
- Use Safety Latches and Locks for cabinets and drawers in kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas to help prevent poisonings and other injuries. Safety latches and locks on cabinets and drawers can help prevent children from gaining access to medicines and household cleaners, as well as knives and other sharp objects.
Look for safety latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of protection, but they can make it more difficult for children to reach dangerous substances. Even products with child-resistant packaging should be locked away, out of reach; this packaging is not childproof.
- Use Safety Gates to help prevent falls down stairs and to keep children away from dangerous areas. Safety gates can help keep children away from stairs or rooms that have hazards in them. Look for safety gates that children cannot dislodge easily, but that adults can open and close without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates that screw to the wall are more secure than "pressure gates." New safety gates that meet safety standards display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have an older safety gate, be sure it doesn't have "V" shapes that are large enough for a child's head and neck to fit into.
- Use Doorknob Covers and Door Locks to help prevent children from entering rooms and other areas with possible dangers. Doorknob covers and door locks can help keep children away from places with hazards, including swimming pools. Be sure the doorknob cover is sturdy enough not to break, but allows a door to be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency. By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms in the home, doorknob covers could help prevent many kinds of injuries. To prevent access to swimming pools, door locks should be placed high out of reach of young children. Locks should be used in addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each use, are often not an effective barrier to pools.
- Use Anti-scald Devices for faucets and shower heads and set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help prevent burns from hot water. A plumber may need to install these devices.
- Use Smoke Detectors on every level of your home and near bedrooms to alert you to fires. Smoke detectors are essential safety devices for protection against fire deaths and injuries. Check smoke detectors once a month to make sure they're working. If detectors are battery-operated, change batteries at least once a year or consider using 10-year batteries.
- Use Window Guards and Safety Netting to help prevent falls from windows, balconies, decks, and landings. . Check these safety devices frequently to make sure they are secure and properly installed and maintained. There should be no more than four inches between the bars of the window guard. If you have window guards, be sure at least one window in each room can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window screens are not effective for preventing children from falling out of windows.
- Use Corner and Edge Bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Be sure to look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges.
- Use Outlet Covers and Outlet Plates to help protect children from electrical shock and possible electrocution. Be sure the outlet protectors cannot be easily removed by children and are large enough so that children cannot choke on them.
- Use a Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector outside bedrooms to help prevent CO poisoning. . Consumers should install CO detectors near sleeping areas in their homes. Households that should use CO detectors include those with gas or oil heat or with attached garages.
- Cut Window Blind Cords and use Safety Tassels to help prevent children from strangling in blind cord loops. Window blind cord safety tassels on miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries from strangulation in the loops of cords. For older miniblinds, cut the cord loop, remove the buckle, and put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that older vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or tie-down devices to hold the cords tight. When buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for safety features to prevent child strangulation.
- Use Door Stops and Door Holders to help prevent small fingers and hands from being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.
Be sure any safety device for doors is easy to use and is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a choking hazard for young children.
- Use a Cordless Phone to make it easier to continuously watch young children, especially when they're in bathtubs, swimming pools, or other potentially dangerous areas. Cordless phones help you watch your child continuously, without leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call. Cordless phones are especially helpful when children are in or near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming pool, or the beach.
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Crib Safety Tips
For infants under 12 months of age, follow these practices to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and prevent suffocation:
- Place baby on his/her back on a firm tight-fitting mattress in a crib that meets current safety standards.
- Remove pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, pillow-like stuffed toys, and other soft products from the crib.
- Consider using a sleeper or other sleep clothing as an alternative to blankets, with no other covering.
- If using a blanket, put baby with feet at the foot of the crib. Tuck a thin blanket around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as the baby's chest.
- Use only a fitted bottom sheet specifically made for crib use.
- Make sure your baby's head remains uncovered during sleep.
- Do not place baby on a waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow, or other soft surface to sleep.
Placing babies to sleep on their backs instead of their stomachs has been associated with a dramatic decrease in deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Babies have been found dead on their stomachs with their faces, noses, and mouths covered by soft bedding, such as pillows, quilts, comforters and sheepskins. However, some babies have been found dead with their heads covered by soft bedding even while sleeping on their backs.
Check Your Crib for Safety
There should be:
- A firm, tight-fitting mattress so a baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the crib.
- No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or mattress support.
- No more than 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between crib slats so a baby's body cannot fit through the slats; no missing or cracked slats.
- No corner posts over 1/16th inch high so a baby's clothing cannot catch.
- No cutouts in the headboard or foot board so a baby's head cannot get trapped.
For mesh-sided cribs or playpens, look for:
- Mesh less than 1/4 inch in size, smaller than the tiny buttons on a baby's clothing.
- Mesh with no tears, holes or loose threads that could entangle a baby.
- Mesh securely attached to top rail and floor plate.
- Top rail cover with no tears or holes.
- If staples are used, they are not missing, loose or exposed.
Crib Corner Posts May Be Dangerous
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns of a strangulation hazard that may exist with some cribs that have projections on the corner-posts. Decorative knobs or corner posts which extend above the crib end or side have caught clothing, necklaces and pacifier cords as the child moves about in the corner areas of the crib. These knobs or posts have been implicated in two cases of brain damage and 48 deaths due to strangulation. The CPSC urges that parents never tie pacifiers around a child's neck.
The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), after being alerted to this hazard by the CPSC, developed a voluntary standard that restricts the height of crib corner post extensions to 1/16 inch unless the posts are high and the tops are out of reach of a child, such as where the posts are supports for a canopy. Most crib manufacturers have already ceased to produce cribs with post extensions. However, there may be thousands of such cribs still in consumers' homes, at garage sales, or in second-hand furniture stores.
If you already own a crib with corner post extensions more than 1/16 inch in height, the Commission urges that you remove the extensions and discard them. Some may be removed merely by unscrewing, while others may have to be sawed off and sanded smooth. If you are purchasing a new or used crib, look for one that has corner post extensions less than 1/16 inch above the top edge of the end or side.
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The Dangers of Strollers
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that babies can die if they are left unattended to sleep in strollers. They may slip feet first, through a leg opening, and become entrapped by the head between the seat and the hand rest bar.
In a recent one-year period, an estimated 14,400 children under age 5 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with strollers. Most of the injuries resulted from falls, and almost 90 percent of the fall injuries were to the head. On average, about two children die each year from stroller-related incidents. Many of these deaths happen when children are left unattended to sleep in strollers reclined to the "carriage" position. They may slip feet first through a leg opening and become entrapped by the head between the seat and restraint bar.
To avoid incidents of entrapment in stroller leg openings, CPSC advises infant caretakers to:
- Never leave a child unattended in a stroller. This is especially important if the stroller seat's backrest is in the flat "carriage" position.
- Be aware that infants only a few weeks old can creep or move when asleep. The youngest victim was an infant just seven weeks old.
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Nursery Equipment Safety Checklist
From the beginning of a child's life, products, such as cribs, high chairs and other equipment intended for a child must be selected with safety in mind. Parents and caretakers of babies and young children need to be aware of the many potential hazards in their environment - hazards occurring through misuse of products or those involved with products that have not been well designed for use by children.
This checklist is a safety guide to help you when buying new or secondhand nursery equipment. It can also be used when checking nursery equipment now in use in your home or in other facilities that care for infants and young children.
ASK YOURSELF:
- DOES THE EQUIPMENT HAVE THE SAFETY FEATURES IN THIS CHECKLIST?
- IF NOT, CAN MISSING OR UNSAFE PARTS BE EASILY REPLACED WITH THE PROPER PARTS?
- CAN BREAKS OR CRACKS BE REPAIRED TO GIVE MORE SAFETY?
- CAN I FIX THE OLDER EQUIPMENT WITHOUT CREATING A "NEW" HAZARD?
If most of your answers are "NO," the equipment is beyond help and should be discarded. If the equipment can be repaired, do the repairs before you allow any child to use it.
Back Carriers
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YES |
NO |
| Carrier has restraining strap to secure child. |
____ |
____ |
| Leg openings are small enough to prevent child from slipping out. |
____ |
____ |
| Leg openings are large enough to prevent chafing. |
____ |
____ |
| Frames have no pinch points in the folding mechanism. |
____ |
____ |
| Carrier has padded covering over metal frame near baby's face. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Do not use until baby is 4 or 5 months old. By then baby's neck is able to withstand jolts and not sustain an injury.
Bassinets and Cradles
|
YES |
NO |
| Bassinet/Cradle has a sturdy bottom and a wide base for stability. |
____ |
____ |
| Bassinet/Cradle has smooth surfaces - no protruding staples or other hardware that injure the baby. |
____ |
____ |
| Legs have strong, effective locks to prevent folding while in use. |
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| Mattress is firm and fits snugly. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Follow manufacturer's guidelines on weight and size of baby who can safely use these products.
Baby Bath Rings or Seats
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YES |
NO |
| Suction cups securely fastened to product. |
____ |
____ |
| Suction cups securely attached to SMOOTH SURFACE of tub. |
____ |
____ |
| Tub filled only with enough water to cover baby's legs |
____ |
____ |
| Baby NEVER left alone or with a sibling while in bath ring, even for a moment! |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: NEVER leave a baby unattended or with a sibling in a tub of water. Do not rely on a bath ring to keep your baby safe.
Carrier Seats
|
YES |
NO |
| Carrier seat has a wide sturdy base for stability. |
____ |
____ |
| Carrier has non-skid feet to prevent slipping. |
____ |
____ |
| Supporting devices lock securely. |
____ |
____ |
| Carrier seat has crotch and waist strap. |
____ |
____ |
| Buckle or strap is easy to use. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Never use the carrier as a car seat.
Changing Tables
|
YES |
NO |
| Table has safety straps to prevent falls. |
____ |
____ |
| Table has drawer or shelves that are easily accessible without leaving the baby unattended. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Do not leave baby on the table unattended. Always use the straps to prevent the baby from falling.
Cribs
|
YES |
NO |
| Slats are spaced no more than 2 3/8 inches (60 mm) apart. |
____ |
____ |
| No slats are missing or cracked. |
____ |
____ |
| Mattress fits snugly--less than two finger width between edge or mattress and crib side. |
____ |
____ |
| Mattress support is securely attached to the head and footboards. |
____ |
____ |
| Corner posts are no higher than 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) to prevent entanglement of clothing or other objects worn by child. |
____ |
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| No cutouts in the head and footboards, which allow head entrapment. |
____ |
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| Drop-side latches cannot be easily released by baby. |
____ |
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| Drop-side latches securely hold sides in raised position. |
____ |
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| All screws or bolts which secure components of crib are present and tight. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Do not place crib near draperies or blinds where child could become entangled and strangle on the cords. When the child reaches 35 inches in height or can climb and/or fall over the sides, the crib should be replaced with a bed.
Crib Toys
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YES |
NO |
| No strings with loops or openings having perimeters greater than 14 inches (356 mm). |
____ |
____ |
| No strings or cords longer than 7 inches (178 mm) should dangle into the crib. |
____ |
____ |
| Crib gym has label warning to remove from crib when child can push up on hands and knees or reaches 5 months of age, whichever comes first. |
____ |
____ |
| Components of toys are not small enough to be a choking hazard. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Avoid hanging toys across the crib or on crib corner posts with strings long enough to result in strangulation. Remove crib gyms when child is able to pull or push up on hands and knees.
Gates and Enclosures
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YES |
NO |
| Openings in gate are too small to entrap a child's head. |
____ |
____ |
| Gate has a pressure bar or other fastener that will resist forces exerted by a child. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: To avoid head entrapment, do not use accordion-style gates or expandable enclosures with large v-shaped openings along the top edge, or diamond-shaped openings within.
High Chairs
|
YES |
NO |
| High chair has waist and crotch restraining straps that are independent of the tray. |
____ |
____ |
| Tray locks securely. |
____ |
____ |
| Buckle on waist strap is easy to use. |
____ |
____ |
| High chair has a wide stable base. |
____ |
____ |
| Caps or plugs on tubing are firmly attached and cannot be pulled off and choke a child. |
____ |
____ |
| If it is a folding high chair, it has an effective locking device to keep the chair from collapsing. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Always use restraining straps; otherwise child can slide under the tray and strangle.
Hook-On Chairs
|
YES |
NO |
| Chair has a restraining strap to secure the child. |
____ |
____ |
| Chair has a clamp that locks onto the table for added security. |
____ |
____ |
| Caps or plugs on tubing are firmly attached and cannot be pulled off and choke a child. |
____ |
____ |
| Hook-on chair has a warning never to place the chair where the child can push off with feet. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Don't leave a child unattended in a hook-on chair.
Pacifiers
|
YES |
NO |
| No ribbon, string, cord or yarn attached to pacifier. |
____ |
____ |
| Shield is large enough and firm enough to not fit in child's mouth. |
____ |
____ |
| Guard or shield has ventilation holes so the baby can breath if the shield does get into the mouth. |
____ |
____ |
| Pacifier nipple has no holes or tears that might cause it to break off in baby's mouth. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: To prevent strangulation, never hang pacifier or other items on a string around a baby's neck.
Playpens
|
YES |
NO |
| Drop-side mesh playpen or crib has label warning never to leave side in the down position. |
____ |
____ |
| Mesh has small weave (less than 1/4 inch openings). |
____ |
____ |
| Mesh has no tears, holes or loose threads. |
____ |
____ |
| Mesh is securely attached to top rail and floor plate. |
____ |
____ |
| Top rail cover has no tears or holes. |
____ |
____ |
| Wooden playpen has slats spaced no more than 2 inches (60 mm) apart. |
____ |
____ |
| If staples are used in construction, they are firmly installed and none are missing or loose. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Never leave an infant in a mesh playpen or crib with the drop-side down. Even a very young infant can roll into the space between the mattress and loose mesh side and suffocate.
Rattles, Squeeze Toys, Teethers
|
YES |
NO |
| Rattles, squeeze toys and teethers are too large to lodge in a baby's throat. |
____ |
____ |
| Rattles are of sturdy construction that will not break apart in use. |
____ |
____ |
| Squeeze toys do not contain a squeaker that could detach and choke a baby. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Take rattles, squeeze toys, teethers and other toys out of the crib or playpen when the baby sleeps to prevent suffocation.
Strollers and Carriages
|
YES |
NO |
| Wide base to prevent tipping. |
____ |
____ |
| Seat belt and crotch strap securely attached to frame. |
____ |
____ |
| Seat belt buckle is easy to use. |
____ |
____ |
| Brakes securely lock the wheel(s). |
____ |
____ |
| Shopping basket is low on the back and directly over or in front of rear wheels for stability. |
____ |
____ |
| When used in carriage position, leg hold openings can be closed. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Always secure the seat belts. Never leave a child unattended in a stroller. Keep children's hands away from pinching areas when stroller is being folded or unfolded or the seat back is being reclined.
Toy Chests
|
YES |
NO |
| No lid latch which could entrap child within the chest. |
____ |
____ |
| Hinged lid has a spring-loaded lid support that will support the lid in any position and will not require periodic adjustment. |
____ |
____ |
| Chest has ventilation holes or spaces in front or sides, or under the lid should a child get inside. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: If you already own a toy chest or trunk with a freely falling lid, remove the lid to avoid a head injury to a small child, or install a spring-loaded lid support.
Walkers
|
YES |
NO |
| Wide wheelbase for stability. |
____ |
____ |
| Covers over coil springs to avoid finger pinching. |
____ |
____ |
| Seat is securely attached to frame or walker. |
____ |
____ |
| No x-frames that could pinch or amputate fingers. |
____ |
____ |
THE U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS: Place gates or guards at top of all stairways, or keep stairway doors closed to prevent falls. Do not use walker as baby sitters.
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Crib Toys
Crib gyms, exercisers, kickers, and similar toys are attractive additions to a child's environment, but they are DANGEROUS as well. The risk of strangulation begins when children are just starting to push up on hands and knees, usually about 5 months old. These children can pull themselves up to a hanging crib toy and become entangled or fall forward over it; but they cannot disentangle themselves, support their own weight, or lift themselves off the toy. The results can be injury or death.
Completely remove such toys from the crib or playpen. Do not merely untie one end and allow the toy to dangle because strangulation is still a possibility.
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Strings, Cords and Necklaces
Strings, cords, necklaces, and other items tied around the neck can strangle infants. In recent years, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received reports of two to three deaths annually to children under two years old who were strangled by strings, cords, ribbons, or necklaces around their necks. Most of the deaths involved pacifiers tied around the child's neck. Many of the others involved necklaces. Usually, the string, cord, or necklace became caught on some product such as a crib or playpen. In other cases, the string or cord became tightly wrapped or twisted around the child's neck.
Never tie pacifiers, necklaces, toys, or other items around a child's neck. Never leave cords of any kind near an infant. Take off bibs or other clothing tied around a child's neck before putting the child in a crib or playpen.
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Toy Boxes and Toy Chests
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and guardians of young children about strangulation hazards associated with certain toy chests and other containers.
A 13-month old boy was found dead with his head inside his toy chest and his neck over the edge. Trapped in this position by the fallen lid, he died of asphyxiation.
The agency's data indicate that since 1975, at least 45 reported fatalities and three incidents of brain damage have resulted from the lids of boxes or chests used for toy storage falling on children's heads or necks. These have included chests specifically manufactured for toy storage, as well as trunks, wicker chests, wooden storage chests, decorative cubes and similar items with hinged lids used to store toys.
Most of the victims in these accidents were under two years of age. Typically accidents occurred when children were reaching into the chest and the lid dropped on their hands or trapped them at the neck.
Another potentially fatal, but less frequent hazard is suffocation. These accidents happened when children climbed into toy chests to hide or sleep. Because the toy chests were not adequately ventilated, the victims suffocated in the enclosed space.
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Window Blinds
Since 1991, CPSC has received reports of 130 strangulations involving cords on window blinds: 114 strangulations involve the outer pull cords and 16 involve the inner cords that run through the blind slats.
In 1995, CPSC worked with the window covering industry to redesign new window blinds to eliminate the outer loop on the end of the pull cords and provide free repair kits so consumers could fix their existing blinds. Window blinds sold since 1995 no longer have pull cords ending in loops.
Last year, CPSC began a new investigation of window blind deaths. In an extensive review of incidents, CPSC found that children could also become entangled in the inner cords that are used to raise the slats of blinds. These entrapments occur when a young child pulls on an inner cord and it forms a loop that a child can hang in. All of these deaths involved children in cribs placed next to windows. In most cases, the outer pull cords were placed out of reach, but the children still strangled when they pulled on the inner cords of the blinds. The strangulation victims ranged in age from 9 months to 17 months.
As a result of the CPSC investigation, the industry has further redesigned window blinds. Newly manufactured blinds will have attachments on the pull cords so that the inner cords can't form a loop if pulled by a young child. Consumers with existing blinds should have them repaired.
Consumers who have window blinds with cords in their homes should immediately call, toll-free, (800) 506-4636, to receive a free repair kit for each set of blinds in their home. The repair kit will include small plastic attachments to prevent the inner cords from being pulled loose.
Parents should keep window covering cords and chains permanently out of the reach of children. Never place a child's crib within reach of a window blind. Unless the cords can be completely removed from the child's reach, including when the child climbs on furniture, CPSC recommends against knotting or tying the cords together because this creates a new loop in which a child could become entangled.
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Children Suffocating From Plastic Bags
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received an average of about 25 reports a year describing deaths to children who suffocated due to plastic bags. Almost 90 percent of them were under one year of age. Recent reports often describe bags originally used for dry cleaning or storage. Some may have been used to protect bedding and furniture, and others just were not carefully discarded.
Most dry cleaning bags and some other plastic bags bear a voluntary label such as:
"Warning: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this plastic bag away from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs, beds, carriages or playpens. The plastic bag could block nose and mouth and prevent breathing. This bag is not a toy."
The CPSC has reports of children suffocating with plastic bags in cases like these:
- Child pulled plastic dry-cleaning bag over face while lying on adult bed.
- Plastic garbage bag (filled with clothes) fell over victim's face and mouth while victim was on adult bed.
- Child crawled into plastic garbage bag.
- Child rolled off mattress onto plastic bag filled with clothes.
- Child slept on mattress covered by plastic bag.
Never put children to sleep on or near plastic bags.
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Suffocation Danger Associated with Children's Balloons
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and guardians of young children about the suffocation hazard presented by uninflated toy balloons and pieces of broken balloons.
- Of all children's products, balloons are the leading cause of suffocation death, according to CPSC injury data.
- Since 1973, more than 110 children have died as a result of suffocation involving uninflated balloons or pieces of balloons. Most of the victims were under six years of age, but the CPSC does know of several older children who have suffocated on balloons.
Accidents involving balloons tend to occur in two ways. Some children have sucked uninflated balloons into their mouths, often while attempting to inflate them. This can occur when a child who is blowing up the balloon inhales or takes a breath to prepare for the next blow, and draws the balloon back into the mouth and throat. Some deaths may have resulted when children swallowed uninflated balloons they were sucking or chewing on. The CPSC knows of one case in which a child was chewing on an uninflated balloon
when she fell from a swing. The child hit the ground and, in a reflex action, inhaled sharply. She suffocated on the balloon.
The second kind of accident involves balloon pieces. Children have drawn pieces of broken balloons that they were playing with into their throats. If a balloon breaks and is not discarded, for example, some children may continue to play with it, chewing on pieces of the balloon or attempting to stretch it across their mouths and suck or blow bubbles in it. These balloon pieces are easily sucked into the throat and lungs. Balloons mold to the throat and lungs and can completely block breathing.
Because of the danger of suffocation, the CPSC recommends that parents and guardians do not allow children under the age of eight to play with uninflated balloons without supervision. The CPSC does not believe that a completely inflated balloon presents a hazard to young children. If the balloon breaks, however, CPSC recommends that parents immediately collect the pieces of the broken balloon and dispose of them out of the reach of young children.
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Toy Boxes and Toy Chests
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns parents and guardians of young children about strangulation hazards associated with certain toy chests and other containers.
A 13-month old boy was found dead with his head inside his toy chest and his neck over the edge. Trapped in this position by the fallen lid, he died of asphyxiation.
The agency's data indicate that since 1975, at least 45 reported fatalities and three incidents of brain damage have resulted from the lids of boxes or chests used for toy storage falling on children's heads or necks. These have included chests specifically manufactured for toy storage, as well as trunks, wicker chests, wooden storage chests, decorative cubes and similar items with hinged lids used to store toys.
Most of the victims in these accidents were under two years of age. Typically accidents occurred when children were reaching into the chest and the lid dropped on their hands or trapped them at the neck.
Another potentially fatal, but less frequent hazard is suffocation. These accidents happened when children climbed into toy chests to hide or sleep. Because the toy chests were not adequately ventilated, the victims suffocated in the enclosed space.
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[ More Great Tips Safety Links On This Topic Safety Links Helpline Numbers ]
Sources: The safety tips in this section were compiled from the following great internet resources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (http://www.cpsc.gov)
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