(© Bonnie Schiedel. Originally published in Today’s Parent: Baby & Toddler, Fall 2008). 

Safety gate across the stairs? Check. Latch on the medicine cabinet? Check. Child swathed in bubble wrap—ok, skip that one. You’ve likely made these and other simple changes to help make your home safe for your active, curious little one. After all, the statistics are sobering: in Canada, more than 75 per cent of injury-related emergency room visits in kids under 4 are for injuries that happen at home, according to Safe Kids Canada, a national injury prevention program based at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The good news is that while minor bumps and bruises are an inevitable part of childhood, most serious injuries are preventable. Think you’ve got it covered? Some potential hazards—like hand sanitizer gel and dog kibble—will surprise you. Read on to see how your home rates. 

Hazard: Dogs
You know that a child can drown in only a few centimeters of water—that’s why you’re vigilant at bath time and have toilet seat lock that mystifies your guests. If you have a large water bowl for your dog, though, it could be a drowning hazard. Similarly, dog kibble, much like nuts, hot dogs and grapes, is often just the right size to block a child’s small windpipe. Make sure your pooch’s food and water is somewhere off-limits to your toddler. 
Experts recommend that a small child never be left alone with a dog. Even the sweetest family pet can chase, jump and nip. Why? Kids have high-pitched voices and often move quickly and jerkily—all prey attributes, which dogs react to instinctively. Visit www.dogsandkids.ca for safety tips. 

Hazard: Hand sanitizing gel
Sanitizing gels are lifesavers when it comes to combating all the flu and cold bugs out there, not to mention cleaning up after impromptu diaper changes. But remember that these sanitizers contain very concentrated amounts of ethyl alcohol. As little as 10-15 mL (2-3 tsp) of the gel is all it takes to intoxicate at 10 to 15 kg (22 to 33 lb) child. The alcohol can be absorbed both through the skin and when ingested. Just use one squirt on your child’s hands. Once it’s dry, the alcohol has evaporated. And of course, make sure the bottle is inaccessible to a curious kid who might be tempted to take a glug or spread the contents all over his body. 


Hazard: Visitor’s bag
You would never leave a shiny colourful bag filled with poison and matches lying around, would you? Picture this: Your brother-in-law and his new girlfriend are visiting, and your toddler is fascinated by the girlfriend’s red patent purse, sitting on the bench in your entranceway. However, purses and backpacks need to go on a high shelf in the hall closet, or somewhere else out of reach. They could contain a lighter or matches, toxins like tobacco or prescription, recreational or over-the-counter drugs, choking hazards like coins or small batteries, or sharp objects like a pocketknife. 

Hazard: Houseplants
Quiz time: Which of these houseplants is considered non-toxic if eaten? philodendron
a) needlepoint ivy
b) dumb cane
c) “bunny ears” cactus
Answer: Actually, they’re all poisonous if ingested. Time to park them on a high shelf or find them a new home. Keep an eye on bouquets too—calla lilies, chrysanthemums and carnations are all poisonous as well. Visit the Children’s Safety Association of Canada at www.safekid.org and click on “poison prevention” to find a list and pictures of toxic and non-toxic plants. 

Hazard: Hot liquids
Hot liquids, not fire, are the leading cause of burns in young kids. You have likely heard that your water heater should be set at 49C (120F) or less, to help prevent the scalds and burns that can happen in seconds. (Most water heaters are set at a default of 60C/140F.) Here’s how: Don’t use the hot water for two hours, the run it for two minutes. Collect hot water in a cup and use a meat or candy thermometer to check the temperature. If you have a gas or oil-fired heater, read the manual and adjust the dial on the outside. If you have an electric water heater, a plumber can install mixing valves to moderate the temperature. (Note: because of the design of electric heaters, certain bacteria may grow if the water temperature is too low. It doesn’t pose a risk to the general population, but get advice from your doctor if someone in your household is elderly or immunocompromised.) Tap guards and anti-scald devices are available at childproofing stores. Your sanity-saving coffee or tea can quickly cause scalds too, so consider using a travel mug with a lid to minimize damage if it’s knocked over. 

Hazard: Balloons and bags
Latex balloons are mainstays of kids’ birthday parties. When the fun’s over, be sure to pick up every single piece of the burst balloons, says Pamela Fuselli, executive director (interim) of Safe Kids Canada. “Those small pieces are stretchy and can block the airway and cause choking,” she says. “In fact, only foil balloons are allowed at Sick Kids because they don’t burst into small pieces.” Plastic bags can cause suffocation, so ditch the thin plastic dry cleaner bags (a toddler is the right height to yank on the bottom of the bag when it’s hanging in the closet), don’t use plastic bags to line the garbage can in a child’s room or playroom, and keep your stash of plastic grocery bags in a high cupboard. 


Hazard: Electrical outlet covers
Wait a minute—aren’t those outlet covers supposed to be a safety product that prevents your kids from sticking something into the socket? Yes and no. While those individual oval covers aren’t a problem in and of themselves, it turns out that they aren’t much of an obstacle to kids. Researchers at the Biokinetics Research Centre at Temple University in Philadelphia found that all the 2- to 4-year-olds in their study could remove 1.5 mm-thich (1/16th inch) outlet covers in no time, and a third of the two-year-olds could remove 5mm-thick (3/16th inch) covers. Look for double outlet covers, which screw into the wall and are harder to remove, at stores that carry childproofing gear. Visit the International Association of Child Safety at www.iafcs.com to find a childproofer in your area. 

Hazard: Gas fireplace
On a cold night, the warm glow of a gas fireplace is downright enticing. But it only takes six minutes for the glass doors to heat up to a dangerous 200C (400F), and it takes a full 45 minutes after the flames are turned off for the glass to return to a safe temperature. To avoid severe burns, Safe Kids Canada advises that if you have kids under 5, consider using the fireplace only after your children have gone to sleep, or turning it off entirely. That includes the pilot light, which may generate enough heat to cause injury too. 

Toddlers and safety

“The most important thing for parents to remember is that a toddler’s abilities can change very quickly,” notes Fuselli. “You need to pay close attention to their developmental stage.” And while you may think that your child would never, say, eat the plants or use the fridge shelves to climb up to the kitchen counter, the fact is that toddlers are incredibly curious about the world around them. It’s healthy and normal for them to want to touch and taste just about everything. Their physical characteristics are key too: their skin is thinner and therefore more susceptible to burns and scalds; their low body weight results in a faster and more serious response to toxins; their reaction times are slower; they’re a bit top-heavy and lack upper body strength, meaning that they can’t always right themselves when they wipe out near water, window screens or other hazards; and toddlers toddle—their unsteady gait leads to falls, or grabbing onto dangling cords or tablecloths to regain their balance. 

Finally, teaching and making rules about safety is of course important, but remember that very small kids have a loose grasp of cause and effect. One University of Guelph study of 62 families with 24- to 30-month-olds found that parents had three main strategies for preventing injuries: environmental (for example, using safety devices and removing hazards), parental (for example, increased supervision and changing their own behaviour to reduce risks) and child-based (for example, teaching safety rules). The results: emphasizing child-based strategies doesn’t work, and in fact often increases the risk of injury. According to the authors, while it’s common for parents of kids between 2 and 3 to make the transition from baby gates and hawk-eyed supervision to “no no no, we never touch this,” making that move too early clearly is not a good idea. Removing hazards is great, but there’s no substitution for active adult supervision. Consider this: according to Safe Kids Canada, most child home injuries happen in the bedroom and living room, because adults are more vigilant in the kitchen and the bathroom.