Twinkly lights, candles, holiday trees and plants, ornaments and other decorations are a popular part of holiday celebrations. Besides being festive and fun, the decorations your family brings out every year can help children feel connected to family traditions.
To help make sure your decorations are safe, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers some tips:
— When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. The needles should be hard to pull off, and they should not break when you bend them. When you tap the tree on the ground, only a few needles should fall off. Cut a few inches off the bottom of the trunk before putting it in the stand, and be sure to keep the stand filled with water.
— If you have an artificial tree, make sure it's labeled "fire-resistant."
— When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
— Use only non-combustible or flame-resistant materials to trim a tree.
— Check all lights before hanging them on a tree or in your home, even if you have just purchased them. Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
— Keep children away from button batteries and lithium coin batteries, which can cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed. Secure battery compartments in electronic toys, string lights, flameless candles, light up necklaces, musical ornaments, books and greeting cards, for example. Wrap old small batteries in tape.
— Be cautious about trimmings that may contain lead. Choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded materials. Light strands may contain lead in the bulb sockets and wire coating, sometimes in high amounts. Make sure your lights are out of reach of young children who might try to put lights in their mouths, and wash your hands after handling them.
— Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use. To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples, not nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them. Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
— When lighting candles, remove flammable materials from the area, and place the candles where they will not be knocked over. Never leave a burning candle unattended. Do not use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens.
— In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable. Keep decorations with small removable parts out of the reach of children to prevent them from swallowing or inhaling small pieces. Avoid decorations that resemble candy or food, which may tempt a young child to eat them.
— Wear gloves to avoid eye and skin irritation while decorating with spun glass "angel hair." Follow container directions carefully to avoid lung irritation while decorating with artificial snow sprays.
— Remove all wrapping papers, bags, paper, ribbons and bows from tree and fireplace areas after gifts are opened. These items can pose suffocation and choking hazards to a small child, or they can cause a fire if near a flame.
— Keep potentially poisonous holiday plant decorations, including mistletoe berries, Jerusalem cherry, and holly berry, away from children.
— Call Poison Control at 800-222-1222 if you suspect a poisoning.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Dr. Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP serves as the medical editor of HealthyChildren.org and is a practicing pediatrician at Children's Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia, and she is also a mom. She earned her medical degree at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and specialized in pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Shu is also co-author of Food Fights and Heading Home with Your Newborn published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For more information, go to HealthyChildren.org, the website for parents from the AAP.
