7 Deadly Dangers to Children During the Holidays

Family gatherings, holiday dinners, and specialbecome severely ill from alcohol poisoning and food
traditions are suppose to be the most wonderfulpoisoning during the holidays.
times of the year, especially for children.(4) Kitchens. Since most holiday gatherings involve
Unfortunately, for emergency room doctors it is alsocooking, there are a lot of opportunities for burns.
one of the busiest times of the year. Thus, it isThus, you should keep pot handles turned away
vitally important that you take time to read thefrom the front of the stove and always keep the
information below to learn how to protect your littleover door closed. To prevent these type of
ones from some common holiday dangers. Here areaccidents, keep your children out of the kitchen or
my 7 Deadly Dangers to Children During the Holidays:watch them closely while you bake or cook.
(1) Recalled Toys. Recalls make holiday toy shopping(5) Outdoors. There is an increased risk of car
quite difficult. In addition to toys that have beenaccidents and injuries to children during the holiday
recalled by the United State Consumer Productseason. Parents can prevent many injuries by buckling
Safety Commission, you should avoid purchasingup their children and attempt to avoid driving on
cheap jewelry, toys with any detachable magnets,Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, since there is a
and toys that contain very small pieces. To be safe,higher incidence of drunk driving accidents on these
it is always best to purchase toys that are made indays. Finally, if you live in or will travel to a cold
the United States to ensure product safety andweather climate, sledding accidents can cause children
accountability.very serious injuries. Thus, children should be
(2) Christmas Trees. Keep your holiday tree securedsupervised by responsible adults at all times.
in a sturdy stand so it does not tip over and seriously(6) Choking/Swallowing. Tree ornaments, light bulbs,
injure a child. Additionally, tree ornaments, light bulbs,icicles, tinsel, and small toys are potential choking
icicles, and tinsel are potential choking hazards forhazards for small children because they may block
small children because they may block the airway.the airway. It is important to keep any of these
Further, the needles of holiday trees can causedangerous items out of the reach of young children.
painful cuts in the mouth and throat of a child who(7) Fires. Keep your holiday tree secured in a sturdy
swallows them. Finally, angel hair, which is made fromstand so it does not tip over and possible cause a
finely spun glass, and ornament hangers may causefire. Also, it is important to keep your tree away
cuts, skin irritation, or eye damage if touched orfrom any heating sources or electrical outlets and
swallowed by children.always remember to unplug all lights, both indoor and
(3) Poisoning. Such common holiday plants used foroutdoor, before you go to bed. Finally, most fires are
decorating can cause deadly poisoning to youngusually caused from candles so try to avoid using
children. These plants include the mistletoe, holly,candles at all means. However, if you decide to use a
poinsettias, and Jerusalem cherry plants. Additionally,candle you should never leave a room with a lit
children can be poisoned by bubble lights whichcandle as it only takes one minute for a spark from a
contain methylene chloride. Further, many childrencandle to start a fire.