Medicine Storage Safety

Keep Your Child Safe!

All medicines can be hazardous if taken in the wrong way or by the wrong person.  This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, vitamins and herbals.  One of the best ways you can prevent an accident from happening to your child is by keeping all medicines and vitamins "up and away" - out of reach and out of sight.

For more tips and information, please visit:

http://www.upandaway.org/

https://www.cdc.gov/features/medicationstorage/

 

 

Toy Safety

Toy Safety Tips

With the holiday season just around the corner here are some Toy Safety Tips to keep in mind as you shop for toys this season.

  • When shopping for second-hand toys – or if you receive them from friends or relatives - be savvy about their safety.   Check the CPSC’s homepage, www.cpsc.gov , for a list of recalled toys that you can search by product.

  • Make sure your child’s toys are appropriate for her age.  Read the label for information on appropriate ages.  Show your child how to use the toy properly.

  • Do not buy toys that shoot objects into the air.  They can cause eye injuries and choking.

  • Avoid very loud toys because they can cause hearing damage.

  • Choose stuffed toys that are well-made, with tight and secure edges and seams.  Take off any loose string or ribbons to avoid a child becoming strangled.  Be sure the stuffing is not made of small bean-like pellets or other material that children could choke or suffocate on if swallowed.

  • Look for the word nontoxic when buying toy and art supplies.

  • When buying electrical toys, look for the label “UL Approved” and be sure to select toys recommended for your child’s age.

  • Teach your child to put toys away when he is done playing, so no one will trip over or fall on them.

  • Choose bath toys that can handle being exposed to the water for long periods of time and won’t fall apart or mildew.

  • Broken and uninflated balloons are a choking hazard.

  • Avoid toys made with lead-based paint.

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!

Halloween Safety

Halloween is right around the corner and sometimes can feel like all the rules go out the window but they don't have to.  However, to ensure safety during Halloween, even more precautions than your everyday safety concerns need to be taken, as the bulk of the activities happen in the dark, with strangers, and on crowded streets.

 Before You and Your Children Go Out

·         Ensure that your child is provided with all of the reflective materials that they need when they are walking in the dark.  Try placing reflective tape and markings on their costumes as discreetly as you can.

·         Ensure your child’s costumes are flame resistant or at risk for catching flames.

·         Your child’s costume should not touch the ground in a manner that may trip them.

·         Ensure your children go trick-or-treating on a full stomach so that they are not tempted to eat any treats while they are out.

When the Night is over

·         Inspect all goodies for both young and older children and toss out anything you just don’t feel right about or is questionable.

·         Do not allow your children to eat anything that has been unwrapped or does not come in a sealed wrapper.

 

These are the basics of Halloween safety. As always, use your best judgment, your parental instinct, and you can ensure a safe night for everyone.  Happy Halloween!

Create a Safe Home for Your Child

Babies and toddlers explore their environment by putting things in their mouth.  Toys are OK if they are too large for your child to swallow.  But anything small enough to fit into a toilet paper tube can choke your child. 

Most child injuries can be prevented.  Parents and caregivers can play a life-saving role in protecting children form injuries and harm. 

To learn more:

FREE child safety downloads from the Consumer Product Safety Commission  

Safety tips for every child's age, starting at birth at www.safekids.org 

Car seat safety information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention