I came across this article which I must definitely share with you all. Personally, I could only spot 8 things that I feel could hurt the child. For your convenience, I have copied the excerpts from the article here.
Think you have a safe home for your baby to crawl around and play without harm? You might want to think again.
While the dangers in a seemingly innocent living room such as the one below may not be obvious, there are in fact eleven hazards present in this home which need to be managed.
That's right. Eleven. How many did you spot?
Christine Erskine from Kidsafe NSW says her number one tip for parents looking to keep their children safe is to manage your environment. 'Make sure it's good for the age and stage of your child, so that when you turn your head, which you will do once, even if it's just for a few seconds, they're as safe as possible. The under fives are the biggest demographic at risk,' she says. 'But it's all about mitigating that risk.'
Depending on the age of your child, Ms Erskine says that there are different dangers, some of which may not immediately be apparent:
'At the crawling stage, so you're talking around eight months, it's everything at ground level that poses the biggest risk,' she says. 'Power points, over-spilling handbags, heaters, animals, animal food and water from either a dogs bowl, or a paddling pool. 'Babies at this stage have heavy heads and can often fall in and drown,' she warns.
For those who can walk, Ms Erskine says there are additional dangers. 'Blind cords are one of the biggest health hazards. Every year one to two Australian children die from being strangled by blind or curtain cords. 'Coffee tables with things on them, TVs and toppling furniture are all potentially unsafe,' she says.
According to the Kidsafe executive officer, some of the most common accidents are falls from windows or drowning or near-drowning incidents:
'Poison is also a big cause of accidents,' she says. 'Whether it's from accessing something medicinal in a handbag or getting their hands on some household cleaning products, it's important to remember these things need to be managed. A new laundry detergent advert from Tide showcases several of the above potential dangers, as well as others which might be commonplace in your living room.
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