The Latest Dangers for Kids
Accidents Involving Croc Shoes, Pool and Spa Drains, and Magnets
There are so many hazards for children with new worries cropping up every day. Here are some incidents that made the news in 2007 that parents should be aware of.
In a constantly changing world there are so many new worries for the safety of our children, especially with so many toy and product recalls in the news lately. Below are three of the latest issues for parents to be concerned about.
Croc Shoes and Escalators
According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission there are approximately 10,000 escalator incidents annually. Getting a lot of attention this year were accidents on escalators involving the popular children’s shoes, Crocs™. The shoes are getting caught on escalators, causing anywhere from minor to serious injuries to kids’ toes and feet. In one case, a child actually lost a toe.
The truth is that there is cause for concern with children wearing any soft or rubber soled shoes on an escalator including flip flops, rubber boots and sneakers. When rubber rubs against the side of the escalator the friction causes it to stick to the panel. The step continues moving and the child’s footwear gets drawn into the gap between the moving step and the side of the escalator. There have also been incidents of rubber shoes getting caught in the teeth at the bottom or top of the escalator as well. You may want to just avoid taking the escalator with your children and opt for the stairs or elevator, or at very least, keep your children in the middle of the step, away from the gaps at the side, and have them step over the teeth.
Pool and Spa Drains
In August of 2007, the Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a warning about the dangers of the powerful suction of the drains in spas, hot tubs, swimming pools and public wading pools. The suction from these drains is so strong that it can hold children under water by suctioning their body or hair to the drain, causing them to drown. In the case of public wading pools, a young child was actually partially disemboweled this past summer when she sat over an open drain.
The problem occurs when the drain grate is either missing or broken. Due to these accidents, it is advised that all pool and spa owners regularly check the state of their drain as well as install a Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS), which detects when a drain is blocked and automatically shuts off the pump or disrupts the water circulation to avoid an entrapment. The only other way to release a child stuck to a drain is to manually turn off the pump, but that may be too late. So exercise caution when your child is in a pool or spa where you are unsure of the state of the drain by tying back long hair and watching her at all times.
Magnets
Magnets are found in a variety of toys today, and they are so small in size that they are very easy for a child to swallow or even accidentally inhale. If your child swallows a magnet, he requires immediate medical attention. A single magnet may pass, but two or more magnets can make their way into the intestines where they can attract to each other through the intestinal walls causing obstructions, holes, infections, even death. This is the reason why so many toys with small magnets were recalled this past year.
But it is not just magnets in toys that you should be concerned about. One boy swallowed the magnetic beads off of a necklace used to treat muscle stiffness, and another swallowed the magnetic back off of a child’s earring. This is also not an issue just for young children. Children as old as 12 have been admitted to the hospital for swallowing magnets. You are safest to just get rid of any toys or products that use tiny magnets, and read the packaging on future toys to ensure there are no magnets in the product.
It is difficult to completely protect your child but the more informed you are, the better. Be sure to read the article, Gear to Transport Your Toddler, for more product safety information.
