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Baby Gates |
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Baby
gates are used at the top and bottom of stairs or in open doorways
to prevent toddlers from falling or entering unsafe areas. But some
baby gates themselves are dangerous. The Commission warns parents
and others who care for children that an entrapment and strangulation
hazard exists with accordion-style baby gates that have large V-shaped
openings along the top edge and diamond-shaped openings between
the slats. CPSC knows of deaths that occurred when children's heads
were entrapped in the V-shaped or diamond-shaped openings when they
attempted to crawl through or over the gates. Although these hazardous
accordion-style baby gates have not been sold since 1985, you may
still find them at yard sales or in thrift stores.
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If
You Will Be Using a Baby Gate
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Choose
a gate with a straight top edge and rigid bars or mesh screen, or
an accordion-style gate with small V-shapes and diamond-shaped openings.
Entrances to V-shapes should be no more than 1-1/2 inches (38 mm)
in width to prevent head entrapment.
Be sure the baby gate is securely anchored in the doorway or stairway
it is blocking. Children have pushed gates over and fallen down stairs.
Gates that are retained with an expanding pressure bar should be installed
with this bar on the side away from the child. A pressure bar may
be used as a toehold by a child to climb over a gate. Pressure gates
are not recommended at the top of stairways. CPSC is aware of a number
of incidents where pressure gates have popped out of openings at the
top of stairs resulting in children falling down stairs. |
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General Household Tips |
| 1. |
Other
children's products: Drawstrings on children's clothing pose strangulation
and entanglement hazards. Hood or neck drawstrings can strangle a
child if they get caught on such items as playground equipment or
cribs. Remove drawstrings from hood and the neck area of outerwear
including jackets and sweatshirts. CPSC recommends that consumers
purchase children's outerwear with alternative closures, such as snaps,
buttons, or Velcro, instead of long, loose drawstrings. |
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| 2. |
Dressers
and shelves: Young children can be killed when furniture tips over.
These children can climb on a lower drawer that has been pulled out
and use it as a step. This can cause the dresser to tip over. Use
latches on lower drawers to ensure that drawers are not opened by
young children or use angle braces or anchors to secure furniture
to a wall. |
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| 3. |
Toys:
Babies use their mouths to learn about the world around them. At two
months old they can usually grip small objects. Keep tiny objects
out of reach of your baby, especially SMALL BALLS, MARBLES and BALLOONS.
Smooth round objects present the highest risk of choking. Uninflated
balloons and balloon pieces can easily be inhaled into the lungs.
Be sure to check the labeling on the toy for the appropriate age for
safe use. |
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| 4. |
To
prevent poisoning: Children may try to eat cake deodorizers used in
pails (such as diaper pails). Keep containers that use these deodorizers
securely closed. Child-resistant packaging is not child proof. Keep
all medicines, iron-containing vitamins and household cleaning products,
including those with child-resistant packaging, locked away from children.
Keep poisonous plants out of children's reach. |
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| 5. |
To
prevent burns, other injuries: Use your stove's back burners and keep
pot handles turned to the back of the stove. Lock up knives, matches,
cigarette lighters and plastic bags away from children |
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| 6. |
Do
not place plastic climbing equipment indoors on hard surfaces. Falls
on cement, tile, and other hard floors, even covered with carpet,
can result in serious head injury and death. Use these only outdoors
on shock-absorbing surfaces such as mulch or sand. Grass is not considered
a shock-absorbing surface. |
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| 7. |
Fire
hazards: Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home, especially
near sleeping areas; test them on a regular basis and change the batteries
each year, or when a "chirping" sound is heard. |
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| 8. |
Electric
hazards: Use safety plugs to cover electrical outlets, and keep all
loose hanging wires and appliance cords out of reach of children.
Use ground fault circuit interrupters devices to protect outlets in
basement, kitchen, bathroom, garage, and outdoor. |
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| 9. |
Carbon
monoxide poisoning: Make sure all fuel burning appliances are properly
installed, used, and maintained annually at the start of the heating
season. Do not leave vehicles running in garages. Install at least
one CO detector that meets the requirement of the most recent UL standard. |
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| 10. |
For
information on children's car seats and Auto Safety Hotline, contact
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1-800-424-9393,
202-366-0123 (Washington, DC area only). Its Website page is www.nhtsa.dot.gov |
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| 11. |
CPSC
has many other publications that have more information about these
tips, visit www.cpsc.gov |
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