Postpartum Safety

A press release containing holiday safety tips from Safe Kids Canada at the Hospital for Sick Children has been sitting in my in-box for weeks. I intended to write something about it, but I didn’t think it was right for Babylune. Then, I remembered, there are two things that cause older children to really misbehave: Christmas and having a new baby in the house.

A new baby brother or sister is cause for “acting out” among older children. Sometimes the cause is jealousy, at other times it’s just the convenience of divided parental attention for creative expression. You may be amazed at how much mischief your older child can commit in the time it takes to change a newborn’s diaper. They become nothing if not faster, more productive and more effective trouble-makers when they become older siblings.
Christmas adds an entirely new dimension to childen’s behaviour.

Consider this carol lyric:

He’s making a list

Checking it twice

Got to find out

who’s naughty or nice

Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake

He knows if you’ve been good or bad

So be good for goodness sake!

So, we have contant supervision by an unseen force and rewards good behaviour. It’s also the only time of year that many kids have to delay gratification. The 99 cent car you might buy them at another time of year is now a request that has to “wait for Christmas.” The pressure of having to be good all the time puts on kids to be good is often just too much for them. So, as result, they do bad things to reduce their stress level. Even actions that they really do know better than to try at any other time of year.

As a result, I now know that I need stove locks. My normally good(ish) 4 year-old turned on all the burners on the stove and I didn’t know until a fuse shorted out and made me notice the stench and smoke of the electric kettle melting on a burner I don’t normally use. Thankfully, no one was hurt and my son protected his own life by putting himself to bed a 6:45 pm.
In other words, kids can be a danger to everyone. New babies, new mothers and everyone else in the family. So, I urge you to consider these tips from Safe Kids and make sure they are implemented.

1) Pay attention to the age recommendations on toys. Toys meant for older children may have small parts that a young child can choke on. For children younger than three years old, do not choose toys with small parts including toys with magnets. There have been several cases of children having serious injuries and even one death, after swallowing magnets that have come loose from the toys. Make sure battery-operated toys are in good condition and that the batteries are not accessible to children. If swallowed, button-type batteries can cause internal chemical burns or poisoning. For infants and toddlers, avoid toys with long strings or cords that could lead to strangulation.

2) Think twice before gathering around the holiday fire. Gas fireplaces are popular but children can easily burn their hands if they touch the glass barrier at the front of the gas fireplace. The fireplace glass can heat up to over 200C (400F) in about six minutes and takes an average of 45 minutes for the fireplace to cool to a safe temperature after a burning fire has been extinguished. Burns happen when toddlers fall towards the glass barrier or touch it for balance or out of curiosity. Install safety gates to keep your child at a safe distance at all times.

3) Make sure all holiday lights and electrical cords are in good repair and out of children’s reach. Each year, doctors at SickKids see children who have suffered electrical burns from touching hot bulbs or putting them into their mouths. Others have bitten electrical cords and required plastic surgery. Keep burning candles out of your child’s reach and away from fabrics like curtains and table cloths that could catch fire easily.

4) New TV for Christmas? Be careful where you place it. Over 100 children each year are injured when TV sets topple on them. In some cases, children have pulled the TV sets onto themselves, while in other cases, adults or other children have knocked them off the stands onto children. In the majority of cases, the television was on a simple stand or cart, while others were on wall units, shelving or dressers. Keep your television on low, sturdy furniture and push the television as far back on the furniture as possible. Keep your TV cords behind the furniture, where children cannot reach them.

5) Decorating the Christmas tree? Avoid decorating the lower branches. Young children are attracted to shiny, colourful things and may chew or swallow decorations, lights, and tinsel.

6) Keep holiday plants out of reach. Mistletoe and Holly are poisonous and can cause stomach upset. If a child eats any of the berries, call the local poison information center in your area.
7) When entertaining, keep visitors’ purses and bags out of reach. Little fingers will explore and a child may swallow any medications or cosmetics found or play with matches.

Be sure to use appropriate car seats, booster seats and seat belts for your children during holiday driving. Exercise road safety with extra caution during the holidays as there may be heavy traffic, poor weather, and the possibility of alcohol use by other drivers.

9) Remember that injuries to children often happen when they are unsupervised. Keep in mind that homes you are visiting during the holidays may not be childproofed the way you have made your own home safe. At parties, be sure someone is designated to watch out for young children.