Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Tips to make each holiday happy and safe

Children anticipate few things as eagerly as the holiday season. Colorful decorations and mounds of gifts create a magical, festive atmosphere. However, these same items can cause unintentional injuries if not used properly.

According to the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, more than 200,000 children under the age of 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms in 2001 for toy-related injuries, such as a burn or laceration. That same year, at least 25 children under age seven died from toy-related injuries. These injuries can be avoided by following a few standard guidelines.

Carol Ball of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and SAFE KIDS of Georgia offers these tips to parents who want to safeguard children from preventable holiday injuries:

• Only allow your child to use age-appropriate toys.

• If you have more than one child, make sure to label and keep toys separate to avoid a mix-up.

• Never allow infants and toddlers to use toys with small parts that could be choking hazards. Determine whether a part is too small by using a standard cardboard toilet paper tube. If the part fits entirely inside the tube, it is small enough to poise a serious choking risk to your child.

• If giving bikes, skates, skateboards or scooters as gifts, make sure to buy the appropriate helmet and other safety gear.

• Keep decorations and other items with sharp edges well out of reach.

• Avoid a fire hazard by making sure that your tree is fresh, green and watered frequently. Also remember to place the tree away from heat sources, such as vents, candles or fireplaces. Make sure all smoke alarms have fresh batteries and that you have developed a home fire escape plan.

• Keep poisonous, decorative plants, such as amaryllis, holly and mistletoe, out of reach of children and pets. Keep the Georgia Poison Center number (800-222-1222) with other emergency numbers.

• Practice common sense while decorating. Only use indoor holiday lights inside and outdoor holiday lights outside.

• When traveling, everyone in the car should be using his or her safety belt or child safety seat. Make sure child safety seats are appropriate for the child’s height and weight and are used according to manufacturer’s instructions.

• For more information on holiday safety call Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at 404-250-kids, or visit www.choa.org.