Holiday Hazards: These Festive Items Can Be Dangerous To Children

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The holidays are a festive time when we fill our homes with loved ones, gifts, special foods and décor. However, this also means a lot of changes, and extra hazards that are unique to the holiday season. One law firm reports that around 2,000 people go to the emergency room during the holidays due to holiday décor-related injuries. From tripping over toys to mishaps with frayed twinkle lights, there are quite a few ways your fun décor can turn into a not-so-fun night at the hospital.

If adults who are fully aware of the risks of injury still manage to wind up at the ER around the holidays, then we have to take extra care to protect children from holiday accidents. Children are curious by nature, and don’t fully understand that all of the pretty, sparkly and festive items around the house can also be dangerous. Here are holiday hazards to keep children away from.

Low-Hanging Ornaments

Father and daughter decorating Christmas tree

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Low-hanging ornaments made of any material can pose a choking hazard for small children. Toddlers who are tall enough to grab a low-hanging ornament might put it in their mouths. According to the WNCT9 News, choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in children under the age of five. Keep ornaments high enough so that young children cannot grab them.

Glass ornaments are especially dangerous. Glass ornaments are usually very fragile and break easily, and if a child were to grab one, they could easily crush them and cut themselves.

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Holiday Foods

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Many popular holiday foods like nuts, hard candies and grapes can also pose choking hazards to children. Additionally, it’s important to be aware of any food allergies your children have when guests bring over food. Be sure to notify visitors of food allergies in your home, and ask that they not bring items that would be problematic.

Adults usually know to check foods before eating them and inquire about ingredients. Kids, however, grab whatever looks good and pop it in their mouth. The CDC reports that more than 40 percent of children with food allergies in the U.S. have been treated in the emergency room due to anaphylaxis. It’s best to avoid keeping any foods in the house containing ingredients to which children are allergic.

Recent reports have shown a massive spike in emergency room visits for children due to food allergies, says NBC News. The report says some of the top foods causing these visits include peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, milk and eggs.

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Twinkle Lights

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Twinkle lights can also pose a hazard to children. If bulbs are encased in glass, children can grab these, crush them and cut themselves. Children can also choke on these bulbs, or get tangled in them. Keep string lights high up on the tree or on pieces of furniture so children can’t reach them.

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Toys

Little black girl playing with plush toy by Christmas tree at home.

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Make sure to check age limits on toys. It’s important to follow these, as they’ve been created with specific limitations and risks in mind. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that injuries related to toys cause significant numbers of childhood mortality and morbidity.

Don’t blindly trust the age labels, though. Look over each toy before giving it to a child. Make sure there are no loose parts that could pose a choking hazard. Remember some toys might have broken in transit. Only you know your child and whether or not it is safe for them to play with a certain toy.

According to HelpAdvisor, toy guns, building sets like LEGOs and non-riding toy cars like Matchbox cars are some of the top causes of toy-related emergency room visits for children. The report also shows that the top toy-related injuries occur in the face, head, and eyeballs as well as internal injuries.

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