Connecticut Safe Kids reminds parents that childproofing
is an ongoing process

HARTFORD – At the start of a new year, Connecticut SAFE KIDS—a program of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center that is supported by the Connecticut Elks—reminds parents and caregivers that childproofing the home is not just a one-time project; it’s an ongoing process. As your children grow, they can face new kinds of hazards around the home.

“I would urge parents to inspect their homes for childproofing at least once a year,” said Karen Brock, MPH, director of Connecticut SAFE KIDS. “If you have a crawling baby, get down on your hands, and knees and see what you can reach, see what you can find on the floor. If you have a toddler, look for potential hazards at an adult’s waist level.”

In 2002, 4.5 million children ages 14 and under were treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered at home (not counting injuries due to violence), and approximately 2,100 children—1,500 ages 4 and under—were fatally injured at home. Most fatal injuries in the home are caused by fire or heat sources, drowning, suffocation, choking, poisoning, falls or firearms discharged unintentionally.

“There’s no substitute for active supervision, but childproofing your home provides extra protection and peace of mind,” Brock said. “It’s easy to eliminate the most obvious hazards. Check your smoke alarms every month. Store any potentially harmful substances out of reach. Put a lock on any low cabinets. Set your water heater no higher than 120 degrees to prevent scalding, and check the water temperature before giving a small child a bath. If you have toddlers, put safety gates on the stairs—top and bottom. And keep the floors and furniture free of small objects that can get stuck in a little one’s airway.”

Connecticut SAFE KIDS also cautions parents to remember the not-so-obvious hazards of invisible toxins.

“We all know it’s essential to have working smoke alarms in every sleeping area,” Brock said. “But what about carbon monoxide detectors? Carbon monoxide is an odorless, invisible gas that can build up near fuel-burning appliances such as ovens, generators and space heaters. It can kill, and it can make a child seriously ill in small doses that might not noticeably affect an adult.”

Brock added that more than 3,500 children a year are treated in emergency rooms for CO poisoning, and about 24 a year die from their exposure.

“CO detectors are available at hardware stores for about $20, a small price to pay to help detect odorless, poisonous gases in the home,” Brock said. “It’s also important to prevent CO buildup in the first place—make sure heating appliances are in good working order and used only in well-ventilated areas. Don’t run a car engine in the garage, even to warm it up—move the car outside first. And remember that cigarette smoke is another source of carbon monoxide.”

Lead is another hidden hazard, most commonly ingested in the dust of deteriorating lead-based paint. An estimated 890,000 children ages 1 to 5 have dangerous levels of lead in their blood. “Lead poisoning can actually affect a small child’s intelligence, growth and development,” said Brock said. “It’s especially important to have older homes tested for lead—lead-based paint was used in housing until 1978.”

For more information about childproofing your home as your kids get older, please visit www.ctsafekids.org or call Connecticut SAFE KIDS, (860) 545-9988. Be thorough and don’t take any shortcuts. Safety, not convenience, comes first — even if you have to inspect your home through a child’s eyes every year and make changes to adapt to your growing children.