Winter Safety!!

Dear Parents,

Winter holidays create great family memories for years to come. And winter also brings with it unique dangers to a child’s environment. The following safety tips may make your holidays safer and more enjoyable this year:

WINTER COAT SAFETY

Taken from “The Dangers of Winter Coats and Car Seats: How to keep your child warm and safe,” by Emily A. Thomas, Ph.D., November 15, 2017

“As a general rule, winter coats should not be worn underneath a car seat harness because that can leave the harness too loose to be effective in a crash. Here's a simple way to check whether your child's coat is too big to wear underneath a harness:

“Step 1: Put the coat on your child, sit him or her in the car seat and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the webbing with your thumb and forefinger.

“Step 2: Without loosening the harness at all, unhook it and remove your child from the car seat. Take the coat off, put your child back in the car seat, and buckle the harness straps, which should be adjusted just as they were when the child was wearing the coat.

“If you can pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger now, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness…If you find that the coat can't be safely worn under the harness, here are a couple things you can do: (1) For smaller children, put a blanket over them to keep them warm…(2) For a bigger child, after securing him or her in the car seat, turn the coat around and put it on backward (with arms through the armholes), so the back of the coat serves as a blanket resting on top of the harness."

TOY RECALLS

For up to date information on toy recalls, please visit: www.recalls.gov.

BUTTON BATTERY SAFETY

Taken from SafeKids.Org

“When a child swallows a button battery, the saliva triggers an electrical current. This causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours…

“Repairing the damage from battery ingestion is painful and often involves multiple surgeries. Even after a battery is removed, kids can experience terrible side effects to their vocal chords and windpipe…

“Keep coin lithium battery-controlled devices out of sight and reach of children. These include remote controls, singing greeting cards, digital scales, watches, hearing aids, thermometers, children’s toys, calculators, key fobs, flameless or tea light candles, flashing holiday jewelry or decorations that all contain button batteries…

“If you suspect your child has ingested a battery, go to the hospital immediately. Don’t induce vomiting or have your child eat or drink anything until assessed by a medical professional…

The National Battery Ingestion Hotline can be reached at 202-625-3333.”

POISONOUS PLANTS:

The picture below shows some common plants that flourish during the winter season. They can be poisonous to adults, children, and animals. If you suspect that your child has ingested any of these plants, you may call the Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

We hope you have a wonderful and safe new year!!

Tina McClintic, Director