| About 2-1/2 million children are injured or killed by | | | | are essential safety devices for protection against |
| hazards in the home each year. The good news is | | | | fire deaths and injuries.Check smoke detectors once |
| that many of these incidents can be prevented - by | | | | a month to make sure they're working. If detectors |
| using simple child safety devices on the market | | | | are battery-operated, change batteries at least once |
| today. Any safety device you buy should be sturdy | | | | a year or consider using 10-year batteries.WINDOW |
| enough to prevent injury to your child, yet easy for | | | | GUARDS and SAFETY NETTING for balconies and |
| you to use. It's important to follow installation | | | | decks can help prevent serious falls.Check these |
| instructions carefully. In addition, if you have older | | | | safety devices frequently to make sure they are |
| children in the house, be sure they re-secure safety | | | | secure and properly installed and maintained. There |
| devices. Remember, too, that no device is completely | | | | should be no more than four inches between the |
| childproof; determined youngsters have been known | | | | bars of the window guard. If you have window |
| to disable them.Here are some child safety devices | | | | guards, be sure at least one window in each room |
| that can help prevent many injuries to young | | | | can be easily used for escape in a fire. Window |
| children.SAFETY LATCHES and LOCKS on cabinets | | | | screens are not effective for preventing children |
| and drawers can help prevent children from gaining | | | | from falling out of windows.CORNER and EDGE |
| access to medicines and household cleaners, as well | | | | BUMPERS can be used with furniture and fireplace |
| as knives and other sharp objects.Look for safety | | | | hearths to help prevent injuries from falls or to |
| latches and locks that adults can easily install and use, | | | | soften falls against sharp or rough edges.Be sure to |
| but are sturdy enough to withstand pulls and tugs | | | | look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or |
| from children. Safety latches are not a guarantee of | | | | hearth edges.OUTLET COVERS and OUTLET |
| protection, but they can make it more difficult for | | | | PLATES can help protect children from electrical |
| children to reach dangerous substances. Even | | | | shock and possible electrocution.Be sure the outlet |
| products with child-resistant packaging should he | | | | protectors cannot be easily removed by children and |
| locked away, out of reach; this packaging is not | | | | are large enough so that children cannot choke on |
| childproof.SAFETY GATES can help keep children | | | | them.A CARBON MONOXIDE (C0) DETECTOR can |
| away from stairs or rooms that have hazards in | | | | help prevent CO poisoning.Consumers should install |
| them.Look for safety gates that children cannot | | | | CO detectors near sleeping areas in their homes. |
| dislodge easily, but that adults can open and close | | | | Households that should use CO detectors include |
| without difficulty. For the top of stairs, gates that | | | | those with gas or oil heat or with attached |
| screw to the wall are more secure than pressure | | | | garages.WINDOW BLIND CORD SAFETY TASSELS |
| gates."New safety gates that meet safety standards | | | | on miniblinds and tension devices on vertical blinds and |
| display a certification seal from the Juvenile Products | | | | drapery cords can help prevent deaths and injuries |
| Manufacturers Association (JPMA). If you have an | | | | from strangulation in the loops of cords.For older |
| older safety gate, he sure it doesn't have "V'' shapes | | | | miniblinds, cut the card loop, remove the buckle, and |
| that are large enough for a child's head and neck to | | | | put safety tassels on each cord. Be sure that older |
| fit into.DOOR KNOB COVERS and DOOR LOCKS can | | | | vertical blinds and drapery cords have tension or |
| help keep children away from places with hazards, | | | | tie-down devices to hold the cords tight. When |
| including swimming pools.Be sure the door knob cover | | | | buying new miniblinds, verticals, and draperies, ask for |
| is sturdy enough not to break, but allows a door to | | | | safety features to prevent child strangulation.DOOR |
| be opened quickly by an adult in case of emergency. | | | | STOPS and DOOR HOLDERS on doors and door |
| By restricting access to potentially hazardous rooms | | | | hinges can help prevent small fingers and hands from |
| in the home, door knob covers could help prevent | | | | being pinched or crushed in doors and door hinges.Be |
| many kinds of injuries. To prevent access to | | | | sure any safety device for doors is easy to use and |
| swimming pools, door locks should be placed high out | | | | is not likely to break into small parts, which could be a |
| of reach of young children. Locks should be used in | | | | choking hazard for young children.CORDLESS PHONES |
| addition to fences and door alarms. Sliding glass | | | | help you watch your child continuously, without |
| doors, with locks that must be re-secured after each | | | | leaving the vicinity to answer a phone call. Cordless |
| use, are often not an effective barrier to | | | | phones are especially helpful when children are in or |
| pools.ANTI-SCALD DEVICES for regulating water | | | | near water, whether it's the bathtub, the swimming |
| temperature can help prevent burns.Consider using | | | | pool, or the beach.Masni Rizal Mansor is co-publisher |
| anti-scald devices for faucets and showerheads. A | | | | of He provides tips and |
| plumber may need to install these. In addition, if you | | | | review on baby |
| live in your own home, set water heater | | | | monitor, baby |
| temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to help | | | | furniture and how |
| prevent burns from hot water.SMOKE DETECTORS | | | | to breastfeed your baby. |