Read What to Expect the Toddler Years Online
Authors: Heidi Murkoff
What to Expect the Toddler Years (225 page)
To help everyone in your household think “poison” on seeing a potentially poisonous product, put “poison” labels on all such products. If you can’t locate commercially printed labels (some poison centers can provide “Mr. Yuk” labels), simply put an “X” of black tape on each product (without covering instructions or warnings). Explain to your family that this mark means “danger.” Regularly reinforce the message, and eventually your child will also come to understand that these products are unsafe.
Consider all of the following potentially perilous:
Acid compounds (muriatic acid, acetic acid, etc.)
Alcoholic beverages
Ammonia
Ammoniated mercury (not useful medicinally)
Antidepressants (very high fatality rate)
Antifreeze
Aspirin
Bleaches
Boric acid (not useful medicinally)
Camphorated oil (not useful medicinally)
Cardiac medications (high fatality rate)
Chlorine bleach
Cosmetics (most hazardous: artificial-nail removers containing acetonitrile)
Denture cleaners
Dishwasher detergents
Disinfectants
Drain cleaners (better not to use these; if you do, dispose of any remainder right after use)
Farm chemicals (caustic)
Fertilizers
Fungicides
Furniture polish
Gasoline
Hair straighteners
Insecticides
Iodine (not useful for first-aid purposes)
Iron pills and nutritional supplements containing iron, meant for adults or children (iron overdose is the major cause of fatal poisonings in children)
Kerosene
Laundry detergent powders containing sodium carbonate or silicate
Lighter fluid
Lye (best not to have in the home at all)
Medicines of all kinds
Methyl salicylate (high fatality rate)
Mothballs (switch to cedar products)
Mouthwash containing ethanol or alcohol (not all do)
Oil of wintergreen (not useful medicinally)
Oven cleaners
Pesticides
Rodent poisons
Rust removers
Sleeping pills
Street drugs (all)
Toilet bowl cleaners
Tranquillizers
Turpentine
Vitamins and other nutritional supplements
Weed killers
Windshield washer fluid
Not every household product your child might pick up is toxic. Although the following aren’t ideal toddler edibles, occasional accidental ingestion isn’t harmful: bubble bath, shaving cream, pet food, shampoo, lipstick, toothpaste, deodorants, dishwashing detergent that you use in the sink (dishwasher detergent, used in the machine, is hazardous, however).
JPMA CERTIFIED SAFE FOR KIDS
Strollers, booster seats, safety gates, and a variety of other equipment designed for children are awarded a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Safety Approved Certification Seal once they pass rigorous testing for conformity with tough manufacturing standards. Look for JPMA certification when making the following purchases for your toddler. Try them out for easy use before purchasing.
A stroller. It should have a broad base and be sturdy enough not to tip over if a child moves around in it; if your stroller tips when the handles are overloaded, be certain they never are. Strollers should also be easy to fold and open (be sure a stroller is securely locked into the open position before using), and be free of nooks and joints that could catch and injure small fingers.
A play yard (playpen), if you use one, should have fine mesh sides (less than
1
/
4
inch openings) or vertical slats less than 2
3
/
8
inches apart. Always be sure the play yard is
fully
open before putting your toddler in it, and never leave it partly opened—it could close up on and smother a child who climbed into it.
Gates. These can be used to keep a child in or out of any room in the house as well as away from staircases. Gates can be portable (these usually have to be released and moved for anyone to get through the doorway) or permanent (these usually swing open after unlatching), depending on your needs. Both varieties are generally adjustable to fit different door frame sizes and can vary from 24 to 32 inches in height. If you are installing a permanent gate, be sure to screw it into wooden wall studs to prevent toppling under the pressure of an eager-to-escape toddler or one rolling along on a riding toy (drywall or plaster won’t hold the screws securely). If you use a portable gate with an expandable pressure bar, be sure your little climber can’t get a toehold on the bar. Do not use an accordion-style gate with large diamond-shaped openings (in which small hands, feet, or even heads can get caught); opt instead for models with Plexiglas or fine mesh (if the mesh is flexible, it will be even harder for your toddler to climb on the gate) or those with vertical slats (again, no more than 2
3
/
8
inches apart). A gate with a diamond-shaped pattern should have openings no more than 1
1
/
2
inches wide. Any gate you use should be sturdy, with a smooth nontoxic finish, no sharp parts, no parts that can catch little fingers, and no small parts that can break off and be mouthed. Follow installation directions exactly. Gates are not usually of any use with a toddler over 34 inches tall or over two years old (by then they can usually figure out how to get past them), except perhaps in the middle of the night.
For a free copy of “Safe & Sound for Baby” and a directory of JPMA-certified products, go to jpma.org.
Radon.
This colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, a naturally occurring product of the decay of uranium in rocks and soil, is believed to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. Its presence in
a home exposes the lungs of those who live there to its radiation. It is suspected that such exposure
over many years
may lead to cancer, particularly when combined with exposure to tobacco smoke.
Radon accumulation occurs when the gas seeps into a home from rocks and soil beneath it and is retained because of poor ventilation in the structure. The following precautions can help to prevent radon exposure:
Before you buy a home, especially in a high-radon area (ask around first), have it tested for the presence of radon. Your local or state EPA can give you information on regional levels and on where to turn for testing.
If you know you live in a high-radon area or are concerned your home may be contaminated, have it tested. Ideally, testing should take place over several months to obtain an average reading, rather than over a span of only a few days. And windows should be closed during testing (levels are usually higher when windows are closed).
If your home turns out to have high levels of radon, consult your local EPA or health department for help in locating a local radon abatement company. These agencies may also be able to supply you with any government or other written material available on the subject of radon reduction. Possible steps include: sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation walls and floors and changing the dynamics of ventilation, perhaps by installing an air-to-heat exchanger.