A recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted a growing safety concern for our young children: tip-overs. A tip-over is when a large piece of furniture, television or appliance falls onto a child and causes injury or death.
In 2011, there were twice as many children nationwide killed by tip-over accidents as in 2010: 38,000 injuries and 49 deaths, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission data. Visits to Lancaster-area emergency departments for injuries related to tip-overs are not unusual. Why are these accidents on the rise? And what should we do to prevent them?
Televisions
More than half of the tip-overs involved large-screen TVs. Flat-screen TVs always should be mounted securely to the wall. Stands made for them are not stable and can be easily toppled by even the smallest child.
Old-style TVs — with cathode ray tubes — should not be placed on dressers, shelves or anywhere where children can pull the TV down on top of themselves.
Televisions are exciting for everyone, but especially to a small child who will want to touch and control this “magic box.” Do your child a favor and never place a TV, no matter what style, in his or her bedroom. By denying your child a bedroom TV you are preventing accidents, as well as improving future sleep and study habits.
Dressers and shelving
Televisions are not the only hazard in most homes. Dressers and bookshelves look like jungle gyms to kids and many will pull or climb on them. Furniture manufacturers are only ruled by voluntary safety standards, although there are several proposed bills to make these standards mandatory. And since many homes contain furniture passed on or purchased used, you will likely need to create your own safety standards for your furniture pieces.
Kid’s-eye view
The first thing to do is to crawl around on the floor and look up from a child’s point of view. Think about what a child could use to climb or explore, and then ensure that it is mounted securely. Partially pull out dresser drawers and put weight on them to replicate a child using it as a ladder. Anything heavy that children could pull down on themselves — such as TVs, planters or artistic pieces — should be secured or moved.
Wall mounts for furniture can be purchased at hardware stores for very little cost. Wall mounts for furniture often come with the item, but many people choose to skip putting them up because they require making holes in the wall, or they make the location of the item seem more permanent. These are very small sacrifices to make for a safe environment for your child.
Many parents respond to these concerns by saying, “I will always be with my child watching, I don’t need to do those things.” While it is a nice thought, it is not realistic nor is it even a good idea. There is always a circumstance where you will be momentarily distracted. Parents often think the other parent is watching the child at the same time.
Further, pediatric psychologists actually recommend that even young children be allowed to have alone time safely. A bedroom can be a place where a child develops self-entertainment strategies and independence. It is important that you can safely leave your child in every room of the house without you watching them every millisecond. A couple hours of securing furniture are worth it to make your house a truly safe home.
And remember not to neglect this issue when you are outside of your home. Ask your daycare center if all shelving and similar furniture has been secured. Watch children very carefully in places like hotels or rented vacation homes.
Grandparents, if you plan on having your grandchildren visit, then all of these rules apply to your home as well. I do not care if that armoire is an antique and you cannot bear to put a hole in the back of it. Just do it; the peace of mind is invaluable.
Tip-overs are preventable. These injuries and deaths are tragedies that do not need to occur in our community. Spend some time walking around your house, make a “to do” list and get it done.
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