Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
Atlanta personal injury lawyer blog
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Father Sues Amby Baby Bed Maker Over Infant Death
Last month I alerted you about the Amby baby hammock recall. Now a father in Oregon has filed suit against Amby Baby USA, maker over the hammock-style baby beds.
Jonathan Kuzma of Gresham, OR filed the lawsuit in Moltnomah County Circuit Court and claimed that the defective and dangerous Amby baby bed led to the suffocation death of his son Matteo in August 2009.
The Amby Baby Motion Bed also led to the death of a 4-month-old baby in Georgia. The four-month-old girl was from Lawrenceville, GA, and she died in June 2009.
On December 8, 2008, a recall was issued for about 24,000 of the baby hammocks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned that the side-to-side tilting of the hammock could cause a baby to become trapped within the fabric or mattress pad and suffocate.
Amby has not yet responded to calls or emails seeking comment about the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Amby created a hammock with an unstable sleeping surface that creates a suffocation risk. The lawsuit also states that the materials used to manufacture the hammock were not sufficiently “breathable.”
The recalled Amby Baby Motion beds were sold between January 2003 and October 2009. They consist of a steel from and a fabric hammock connected by a large spring and a metal crossbar. The label on the bed says: “Amby - Babies Love It, Naturally.”
The CPSC warns consumers to stop using the hammocks immediately and contact the company for a free repair kit. In the meantime, if you have one of those baby hammocks, find another safe place for your infant to sleep.
For additional information about the Amby Baby hammock recall, you can call Amby Baby USA at 1-866-544-9721 or visit www.ambybaby.com. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772 to reported a dangerous product or product-related injury, or visit www.cpsc.gov for more information.
Is your baby’s sleeping area safe? Review the following tips from the National Institute of Child Development.
Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night. The back sleep position is the safest, and every sleep time counts.
Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, and other soft surfaces.
Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area. Don't use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, and pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby's sleep area, and keep any other items away from your baby's face.
Keep your baby's sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep. Your baby should not sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair with adults or other children, but he or she can sleep in the same room as you. If you bring your baby in bed with you to breastfeed, put him or her back in a separate sleep area, such as a bassinet, crib, cradle, or a bedside cosleeper (infant bed that attaches to an adult bed) when finished.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Child Injuries from Falling TVs on the Rise
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
For Parents, Child Household Safety is Something that Can and Needs to be Taught
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Consumer Product Safety Commission: Standing Between American Consumers and Dangerous Products
Friday, June 19, 2009
14 Tips for Child Proofing Your Home
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Importance of Childproofing Your Home
Last month I alerted you about the Amby baby hammock recall. Now a father in Oregon has filed suit against Amby Baby USA, maker over the hammock-style baby beds.
Jonathan Kuzma of Gresham, OR filed the lawsuit in Moltnomah County Circuit Court and claimed that the defective and dangerous Amby baby bed led to the suffocation death of his son Matteo in August 2009.
The Amby Baby Motion Bed also led to the death of a 4-month-old baby in Georgia. The four-month-old girl was from Lawrenceville, GA, and she died in June 2009.
On December 8, 2008, a recall was issued for about 24,000 of the baby hammocks. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned that the side-to-side tilting of the hammock could cause a baby to become trapped within the fabric or mattress pad and suffocate.
Amby has not yet responded to calls or emails seeking comment about the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Amby created a hammock with an unstable sleeping surface that creates a suffocation risk. The lawsuit also states that the materials used to manufacture the hammock were not sufficiently “breathable.”
The recalled Amby Baby Motion beds were sold between January 2003 and October 2009. They consist of a steel from and a fabric hammock connected by a large spring and a metal crossbar. The label on the bed says: “Amby - Babies Love It, Naturally.”
The CPSC warns consumers to stop using the hammocks immediately and contact the company for a free repair kit. In the meantime, if you have one of those baby hammocks, find another safe place for your infant to sleep.
For additional information about the Amby Baby hammock recall, you can call Amby Baby USA at 1-866-544-9721 or visit www.ambybaby.com. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772 to reported a dangerous product or product-related injury, or visit www.cpsc.gov for more information.
Is your baby’s sleeping area safe? Review the following tips from the National Institute of Child Development.
Always place your baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night. The back sleep position is the safest, and every sleep time counts.
Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, and other soft surfaces.
Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area. Don't use pillows, blankets, quilts, sheepskins, and pillow-like crib bumpers in your baby's sleep area, and keep any other items away from your baby's face.
Keep your baby's sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep. Your baby should not sleep in a bed or on a couch or armchair with adults or other children, but he or she can sleep in the same room as you. If you bring your baby in bed with you to breastfeed, put him or her back in a separate sleep area, such as a bassinet, crib, cradle, or a bedside cosleeper (infant bed that attaches to an adult bed) when finished.
Labels: child proofing, child safety, product liability, product recall
The Associated Press reports that, even though many consumers are replacing heavy televisions with lighter flat-screen TVs, the number of children getting injured or killed by falling televisions continues to rise. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than 80 of the 180 furniture-related child deaths between 2000 and 2006 involved televisions, and that number has been rising over the years.
Some experts believed that lighter, flat-screen TVs would lead to fewer injuries, but that has not been the case. Perhaps the number of injuries is increasing because more people hanging TVs on walls and placing them in unsafe places where they may not be totally secure.
In 2006 alone, 16,300 children ages 5 and under were treated in emergency rooms due to injuries associated with televisions, furniture, and appliance falls and tip-overs.
“Many parents are unaware of the deadly danger of this hidden hazard,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “I urge parents to include securing TVs, furniture, and appliances in their childproofing efforts. Taking a few moments now can prevent a tip-over tragedy later.”
Many parents focus on ground-level hazards when childproofing their homes. But parents must also watch out for higher hazards, such as television on walls or appliances on top of bookcases. For instance, a speaker sitting on top of a bookcase could fall off due to sound vibrations.
“You may think your home is safe, but everyday things like a television can hurt your child. I was right there and it happened,” said Sylvia Santiago who lost her 2-year-old daughter in 2008.
Most injuries of this nature occur when children climb onto or fall against television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests, and appliances. A television placed on top of a piece of furniture or on top of a rickety stand may tip over onto a child and cause fatal injuries.
“The most devastating injuries that we see resulting from furniture tipping on children are injuries to the brain and when a child is trapped under a heavy piece of furniture and suffocates,” said Dr. Gary Smith of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
The CPSC offers the following tips to prevent television falls and other furniture tip-over injuries among children:
Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests or dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
Push the TV as far back as possible.
Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach kids not to play with them.
Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
Of course, some of these child injuries are caused by defective products or negligence on the part of a property owner. If your child has suffered such a personal injury, contact a Georgia accident lawyer as soon as possible. Call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 to schedule your free consultation.
Some experts believed that lighter, flat-screen TVs would lead to fewer injuries, but that has not been the case. Perhaps the number of injuries is increasing because more people hanging TVs on walls and placing them in unsafe places where they may not be totally secure.
In 2006 alone, 16,300 children ages 5 and under were treated in emergency rooms due to injuries associated with televisions, furniture, and appliance falls and tip-overs.
“Many parents are unaware of the deadly danger of this hidden hazard,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “I urge parents to include securing TVs, furniture, and appliances in their childproofing efforts. Taking a few moments now can prevent a tip-over tragedy later.”
Many parents focus on ground-level hazards when childproofing their homes. But parents must also watch out for higher hazards, such as television on walls or appliances on top of bookcases. For instance, a speaker sitting on top of a bookcase could fall off due to sound vibrations.
“You may think your home is safe, but everyday things like a television can hurt your child. I was right there and it happened,” said Sylvia Santiago who lost her 2-year-old daughter in 2008.
Most injuries of this nature occur when children climb onto or fall against television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests, and appliances. A television placed on top of a piece of furniture or on top of a rickety stand may tip over onto a child and cause fatal injuries.
“The most devastating injuries that we see resulting from furniture tipping on children are injuries to the brain and when a child is trapped under a heavy piece of furniture and suffocates,” said Dr. Gary Smith of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
The CPSC offers the following tips to prevent television falls and other furniture tip-over injuries among children:
Furniture should be stable on its own. For added security, anchor chests or dressers, TV stands, bookcases and entertainment units to the floor or attach them to a wall.
Place TVs on a sturdy, low-rise base. Avoid flimsy shelves.
Push the TV as far back as possible.
Place electrical cords out of a child’s reach, and teach kids not to play with them.
Keep remote controls and other attractive items off the TV stand so kids won’t be tempted to grab for them and risk knocking the TV over.
Make sure free-standing ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.
Of course, some of these child injuries are caused by defective products or negligence on the part of a property owner. If your child has suffered such a personal injury, contact a Georgia accident lawyer as soon as possible. Call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 to schedule your free consultation.
Labels: child proofing, child safety
I have previously posted several useful informational posts for parents about childproofing a home, but as a new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows, people might not be listening. In fact, the study shows that parents of young children can identify fewer than half of the potential safety hazards for children in their home. And, says the study, caregivers, healthcare professionals and day care workers identified even less.
Interestingly enough, the study also found that parents found more dangers when asked to identify hazards for other children than when asked to identify hazards for their own children. This led researchers to believe that many parents have adopted an erroneous overestimation of their child’s knowledge when it comes to safety, i.e. an attitude that seems to suggest that they think their own children are less vulnerable to danger or that “my child knows better.”
As to the specifics of the study, which was reported in Accident Analysis and Prevention, researchers had three groups of adults visit mock living rooms, bathrooms and child bedrooms and place stickers on anything they thought to be a hazard. Among hazardous items planted in the rooms were prescription medicines, cleaning products, and marbles. (Common inherent hazards like toilets and sinks were also included.)
Findings showed that the parents of children between the ages of 1 and 3 marked only 47 percent of the safety hazards that might be a hazard for children in general, and only 40 percent of the issues that they thought to be a hazard for their particular child. Following the same guidelines, day care employees found only 37 percent of the hazards and health care professionals came in dead last, identifying only 29 percent of the hazardous issues.
"While there were no benchmarks to assess whether this is a good or bad rate of recognition, it is concerning if it approximates behavior in real homes," the authors, doctoral student Joanna Gaines and pediatric psychologist David Schwebel of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a news release.
On the bright side, Gaines pointed out that parents can become more attuned to household hazards if they take parent related education courses or CPR. Participants in the study who had completed such training did better than others at spotting safety issues.
If you have any doubts about your ability to spot household hazards, look into taking extra precautions. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, accidents are the leading cause of death for toddlers in the United States. More than 1,300 children aged 1 and 2 years died from unintentional injuries in 2005, the last date the data was available. Being unaware of household hazards is by no means a personal failing. It is simply another aspect of parenting that parents should seek out and learn.
In the meantime, be sure to check out and pass on my post about 14 Tips for Child Proofing Your Home.
Interestingly enough, the study also found that parents found more dangers when asked to identify hazards for other children than when asked to identify hazards for their own children. This led researchers to believe that many parents have adopted an erroneous overestimation of their child’s knowledge when it comes to safety, i.e. an attitude that seems to suggest that they think their own children are less vulnerable to danger or that “my child knows better.”
As to the specifics of the study, which was reported in Accident Analysis and Prevention, researchers had three groups of adults visit mock living rooms, bathrooms and child bedrooms and place stickers on anything they thought to be a hazard. Among hazardous items planted in the rooms were prescription medicines, cleaning products, and marbles. (Common inherent hazards like toilets and sinks were also included.)
Findings showed that the parents of children between the ages of 1 and 3 marked only 47 percent of the safety hazards that might be a hazard for children in general, and only 40 percent of the issues that they thought to be a hazard for their particular child. Following the same guidelines, day care employees found only 37 percent of the hazards and health care professionals came in dead last, identifying only 29 percent of the hazardous issues.
"While there were no benchmarks to assess whether this is a good or bad rate of recognition, it is concerning if it approximates behavior in real homes," the authors, doctoral student Joanna Gaines and pediatric psychologist David Schwebel of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a news release.
On the bright side, Gaines pointed out that parents can become more attuned to household hazards if they take parent related education courses or CPR. Participants in the study who had completed such training did better than others at spotting safety issues.
If you have any doubts about your ability to spot household hazards, look into taking extra precautions. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, accidents are the leading cause of death for toddlers in the United States. More than 1,300 children aged 1 and 2 years died from unintentional injuries in 2005, the last date the data was available. Being unaware of household hazards is by no means a personal failing. It is simply another aspect of parenting that parents should seek out and learn.
In the meantime, be sure to check out and pass on my post about 14 Tips for Child Proofing Your Home.
Labels: child proofing, child safety
Recently, the MLN Law blog brought you a post about several important product recalls. But have you ever stepped back to think about who is behind these recalls? The answer is, The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC is “charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products.” In less dire terms, the CPSC is responsible for making sure that items that can pose fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazards or can injure children are taken off the market and removed from our homes. And they’re doing a great job. It is estimated that the CPSC contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
For the safety conscious consumer, the CPSC’s website is an excellent one stop shop for product recall information. From the site, you can search for the safety and track record of items from amusement park rides to vinyl lunch boxes. This is handy if there is ever a question of a recall on a product you own. You can search the site by date of recall, company, product type, product description or hazard posed.
Important items to check out with the CPSC include hand-me-down baby items. As explained in this post about childproofing your home, it’s easy for busy new parents to miss a product recall, and then continue to use the same dangerous item for subsequent children.
The CPSC’s website can also be helpful if you are in the market for a new item, especially an item like a child’s crib. Check the site to find items that may have been recently recalled or companies with less than stellar track records when it comes to cribs. Speaking of cribs, the CPSC site also lists standards for safety that manufacturers have to adhere to when it comes to many products.
Perhaps most importantly of all, the CPSC’s website allows average consumers to report dangerous products. After all, as too many recent cases have shown, it is nearly impossible to make sure that every product that makes it out onto the market has been thoroughly tested. This is one way that you, as the consumer, can do your part to help others when you come across a dangerous product. Physicians, attorneys and investigators are also encouraged to file a report with the CPSC when they work on a case dealing with unsafe or potentially dangerous consumer products.
If you have any questions about the safety of a product in your home, it’s always a good idea to check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Their database of recalls and resources can be a real life saver when it comes to dangerous products.
Have you or someone you love been affected by a faulty product? You may have legal recourse. For a thorough investigation and caring, aggressive representation, call MLN Law at (404) 531-9700 for more information.
For the safety conscious consumer, the CPSC’s website is an excellent one stop shop for product recall information. From the site, you can search for the safety and track record of items from amusement park rides to vinyl lunch boxes. This is handy if there is ever a question of a recall on a product you own. You can search the site by date of recall, company, product type, product description or hazard posed.
Important items to check out with the CPSC include hand-me-down baby items. As explained in this post about childproofing your home, it’s easy for busy new parents to miss a product recall, and then continue to use the same dangerous item for subsequent children.
The CPSC’s website can also be helpful if you are in the market for a new item, especially an item like a child’s crib. Check the site to find items that may have been recently recalled or companies with less than stellar track records when it comes to cribs. Speaking of cribs, the CPSC site also lists standards for safety that manufacturers have to adhere to when it comes to many products.
Perhaps most importantly of all, the CPSC’s website allows average consumers to report dangerous products. After all, as too many recent cases have shown, it is nearly impossible to make sure that every product that makes it out onto the market has been thoroughly tested. This is one way that you, as the consumer, can do your part to help others when you come across a dangerous product. Physicians, attorneys and investigators are also encouraged to file a report with the CPSC when they work on a case dealing with unsafe or potentially dangerous consumer products.
If you have any questions about the safety of a product in your home, it’s always a good idea to check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Their database of recalls and resources can be a real life saver when it comes to dangerous products.
Have you or someone you love been affected by a faulty product? You may have legal recourse. For a thorough investigation and caring, aggressive representation, call MLN Law at (404) 531-9700 for more information.
Labels: child proofing, product liability, product recall
Following yesterday’s post about the vital importance of childproofing, here are some tips on how you can keep children, from baby to teen, safe in your home.
1.) Take the time to really examine your home from your child’s point of view. If you have small children, get on your hand and knees on the floor and examine everything you can reach (Thanks to @Naanad, a @mlnlaw friend from Twitter, for this tip!)
2.) Make sure that any second-hand equipment has not been recalled. This goes even if you are using the same car seat, stroller, etc. that you used for an older child. It’s easy to miss recall notifications.
3.) Keep the phone number to your family physician, the hospital, and poison control (1-800-222-1222) in a conspicuous place. Be sure to share this information with babysitters.
4.) Invest in baby gates for stairs and off limits room and guards for windows. A window may look high but remember that children can be persistent when something attracts their attention.
5.) Cover all electrical outlets.
6.) Cover sharp corners with edge covers.
7.) Be careful with breakables. Move them out of the child’s reach or put them away altogether until your child has grown a little.
8.) Use nonskid backing on rugs. Young crawlers and toddlers tend to slip on unstable surfaces.
9.) The strings and loops from blinds can be an asphyxiation hazard. Tie them up high so that they are out of reach of small hands.
10.) Keep your child away from the stove, the dishwasher, the dryer and other hot areas. Turn pot and pan handles inward.
11.) Test all of your appliances, tables and other pieces of furniture. Some may be less steady than they look and could tip when a toddler tries to pull himself up.
12.) Set the hot water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalds. Curious children can manipulate hot water handles without you realizing it.
13.) Use childproof locks or doorknob covers on exterior doors.
14.) Never leave liquid deeper than two inches available to your child. This may mean going so far as installing a toilet lock for young children.
Also, learn to think diligently and creatively. You may have the safest house in the world but one small change, such as washing a set of knives in the dishwasher, could lead to an unsafe behavior. Children are way more curious about the world than we are and will try everything they can to examine an object that interests them.
While child proofing is not the most fun part of being a parent, it your job as a parent to be cannier than they are and find danger before it finds your children.
Did I leave anything out? Please feel free to add your tips or even child safety product recommendations in the comments.
1.) Take the time to really examine your home from your child’s point of view. If you have small children, get on your hand and knees on the floor and examine everything you can reach (Thanks to @Naanad, a @mlnlaw friend from Twitter, for this tip!)
2.) Make sure that any second-hand equipment has not been recalled. This goes even if you are using the same car seat, stroller, etc. that you used for an older child. It’s easy to miss recall notifications.
3.) Keep the phone number to your family physician, the hospital, and poison control (1-800-222-1222) in a conspicuous place. Be sure to share this information with babysitters.
4.) Invest in baby gates for stairs and off limits room and guards for windows. A window may look high but remember that children can be persistent when something attracts their attention.
5.) Cover all electrical outlets.
6.) Cover sharp corners with edge covers.
7.) Be careful with breakables. Move them out of the child’s reach or put them away altogether until your child has grown a little.
8.) Use nonskid backing on rugs. Young crawlers and toddlers tend to slip on unstable surfaces.
9.) The strings and loops from blinds can be an asphyxiation hazard. Tie them up high so that they are out of reach of small hands.
10.) Keep your child away from the stove, the dishwasher, the dryer and other hot areas. Turn pot and pan handles inward.
11.) Test all of your appliances, tables and other pieces of furniture. Some may be less steady than they look and could tip when a toddler tries to pull himself up.
12.) Set the hot water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalds. Curious children can manipulate hot water handles without you realizing it.
13.) Use childproof locks or doorknob covers on exterior doors.
14.) Never leave liquid deeper than two inches available to your child. This may mean going so far as installing a toilet lock for young children.
Also, learn to think diligently and creatively. You may have the safest house in the world but one small change, such as washing a set of knives in the dishwasher, could lead to an unsafe behavior. Children are way more curious about the world than we are and will try everything they can to examine an object that interests them.
While child proofing is not the most fun part of being a parent, it your job as a parent to be cannier than they are and find danger before it finds your children.
Did I leave anything out? Please feel free to add your tips or even child safety product recommendations in the comments.
Labels: child proofing, child safety
The tragic shooting death of a 10-year-old Fayette County boy has a tough lesson to teach us about child safety. While authorities have not released the boy's name or the exact details of the shooting, which appears to be a tragic accident, they did reveal that the boy died from a gunshot inflicted by his 12-year-old brother. With far too many firearms accidents involving children, curiosity gets the better of one or more of them and leads to deadly results.
But child safety is not, of course, limited to our preteens. From the time children become toddlers they are naturally curious about the world around them and begin to explore. Whenever you become jaded or have a bad day, look at the world through a child’s eyes – everything is new, different and exciting. A child does not have the context to know what might happen next, and of course, they are curious about the outcomes of trying new things. Unfortunately, those outcomes can include getting burned by a hot stove or stung by that strange buzzing creature that has been flying around your head.
That’s why it is also vital to put yourself in your child’s shoes when it comes to matters of child safety in the home.
If you have a new baby, it’s important to child proof your home before that child is old enough to explore and find trouble. And believe me, as a father I know that children are capable of antics that I never would have dreamed possible.
To start, get down on all fours, at your child’s level, and explore every room in your house. Yes, it sound silly, but no one but your family will be there to see you and this exercise could mean the difference between a healthy, happy child and an injured one.
And don’t forget that children are crafty. Never dismiss a space or a room simply with “No, she could never get there!” because the space seems too unreachable or you have a baby gate. Accidents happen and sometimes people are careless with the baby gate. Wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry? It’s a sad fact that 2.5 million per year are killed or injured by products found in their own homes.
Also, no matter how safe your own home is, it’s also important to ensure your child’s other environments are safe. Do you routinely drop him or her off at a babysitter or take him to a daycare? It’s your right as a parent to inquire about child safety measures that have been taken on the premises. Again, it may sound pushy, but do you want to endanger your child’s safety simply to spare a care giver’s feelings?
Speaking up and getting vocal when it comes to child safety concerns does not only keep your child safe, it may advocate the importance of safe practices to others. You’d be appalled if you went to a restaurant and saw a roach crawling across your silverware. Be just as appalled when you take your child to a caregiver and see exposed corners or unprotected stairs.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a list of tips for properly child proofing your home.
But child safety is not, of course, limited to our preteens. From the time children become toddlers they are naturally curious about the world around them and begin to explore. Whenever you become jaded or have a bad day, look at the world through a child’s eyes – everything is new, different and exciting. A child does not have the context to know what might happen next, and of course, they are curious about the outcomes of trying new things. Unfortunately, those outcomes can include getting burned by a hot stove or stung by that strange buzzing creature that has been flying around your head.
That’s why it is also vital to put yourself in your child’s shoes when it comes to matters of child safety in the home.
If you have a new baby, it’s important to child proof your home before that child is old enough to explore and find trouble. And believe me, as a father I know that children are capable of antics that I never would have dreamed possible.
To start, get down on all fours, at your child’s level, and explore every room in your house. Yes, it sound silly, but no one but your family will be there to see you and this exercise could mean the difference between a healthy, happy child and an injured one.
And don’t forget that children are crafty. Never dismiss a space or a room simply with “No, she could never get there!” because the space seems too unreachable or you have a baby gate. Accidents happen and sometimes people are careless with the baby gate. Wouldn’t you rather be safe than sorry? It’s a sad fact that 2.5 million per year are killed or injured by products found in their own homes.
Also, no matter how safe your own home is, it’s also important to ensure your child’s other environments are safe. Do you routinely drop him or her off at a babysitter or take him to a daycare? It’s your right as a parent to inquire about child safety measures that have been taken on the premises. Again, it may sound pushy, but do you want to endanger your child’s safety simply to spare a care giver’s feelings?
Speaking up and getting vocal when it comes to child safety concerns does not only keep your child safe, it may advocate the importance of safe practices to others. You’d be appalled if you went to a restaurant and saw a roach crawling across your silverware. Be just as appalled when you take your child to a caregiver and see exposed corners or unprotected stairs.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a list of tips for properly child proofing your home.
Labels: child proofing, child safety
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