Safety First! Essential Tips for a Safe and Healthy Holiday Season

The air is getting crisp, the leaves have changed colors and fallen, beckoning us to begin preparing for Thanksgiving gatherings and the start of the holiday season.

November is National Child Safety and Protection Month, providing us, your trusted pediatric team, with the opportunity to focus on actions you can take to protect the little ones in your life. 

With all the magic of the holidays, new safety hazards can throw a wrench in your well-intended plans. Fortunately, most childhood injuries are preventable with a bit of preparation and awareness. We’ve put together an essential checklist to help keep your family safe and healthy as you head into the winter season.

Fire and Burn Safety

As the temperatures begin to drop, we rely on heat to keep us warm. The increased use of heat also increases the risk of fire and burns. 

• Check your detectors: The fall is the PERFECT time to test all smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace batteries—even if they aren’t running low. Batteries should be replaced every six months, so we recommend doing this cycle in the spring and fall to ensure everything is in working order. 
• Have a plan (and ensure everyone knows what it is): A fire escape plan is a crucial family safety measure for every home. Does your family know what to do in the event of a fire? Does everyone know where to go? Identify two ways out of every room and designate a meeting spot outside. The mailbox is a great location for meeting safely in the event of a fire. 
• Respect the heat: Ensure children know to stay at least three feet away from all heat sources, including space heaters, fireplaces, and radiators. Never, ever leave these unattended. 
• Kitchen Safety: While a year-round concern, the cold weather encourages us to enjoy warming foods and drinks, elevating the risk of burns from spilled drinks and even overturned pots simmering on the stove. Ensure all stove handles are turned inward, and keep hot beverages and soup out of the reach of little hands until they have cooled to a temperature that is safe for them to enjoy. 

Travel Safety

Traveling is fun and exciting, and can be a little hectic too. To ensure your family makes it to and from whatever destination calls you, be sure to:

• Double-check that your child’s car seat is installed safely and correctly, and that they are buckled into the appropriate seat for their current height and weight. Remember that thick winter coats should not go under harness straps.
• Ask about firearms when visiting friends or family. It is your right to ensure your family is safe. When visiting others, don’t be shy. Ask if they have firearms in their home. If the answer is yes, ask that they be unloaded and secured in a locked container that is separate from ammunition. 

Choking and Poison Safety

Children are naturally curious, which can put them at risk of getting into things they shouldn’t. Be extra vigilant on the following:

• Medication Safety: Guests often bring their medication with them. Ensure all medications are safely secured and out of the sight and reach of children. Keep in mind that a purse on the floor in your guest bedroom is not a secure option. Ensure visitors know to put them up and out of reach in case curious kiddos enter their room.
• Choking hazards: Holiday decorations, new toys, batteries, and even tinsel (is that still used by any of you?) can pose hazards for infants and toddlers. Ensure they are out of reach of roving hands. 
• Food safety: Holiday parties aren’t a party without a fruit and veggie tray! And that tray will likely come with food like grapes and baby carrots – both of which are hazards for small children. Ensure any food is cut up into small, safe pieces before giving it to young children. And be sure to place trays of food out of their reach so they don’t get into anything before you’ve had the chance to cut it into smaller pieces.
• Know poison control’s phone number: Place this number on your fridge and save it in your phone. 1-800-222-1222

Keeping your family safe and healthy during the holiday season is our top priority. If you haven’t already vaccinated everyone, be sure to do so. Vaccination not only protects the person who received it from getting ill, but it also protects people who are more susceptible to serious illness, like grandma or your sister’s new baby coming for a visit. Schedule a flu vaccine on our website here.