Did someone say hidden health hazards? Yes, yes they did. After the terrible death of Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter this week, how could we freak out about anything other than the hidden health hazards around your house?
- This single CNN story has topic sentences to lose a week's worth of sleep over: "Case in point: falls from windows." "Window treatment cords are another common, hidden pitfall." "Power cords are a source of manifold dangers." "Furniture tip-overs are another major unsuspected hazard." "With respect to home gyms..." Hey, give the CPSC a turn! [thanks to dt readers matt, eric, and katherine]
- Of the estimated 8,700 accidents involving kids under 5 and some kind of home exercise equipment, such as treadmills, step machines, or stationary bikes, "Fractures and even amputations were reported in about 20 percent of exercise equipment related injuries." Fractures and amputations? Could you maybe break those out? [cpsc]
- Or maybe give a more concrete warning?
Yow, OK.
- Frankly, it's still the idea of the melon-headed kid being one of the couple dozen or so who drown in the toilet or a 5-gallon bucket each year that freaks me out. [cpsc]
The main story that sticks in my head is how kids get injured and killed by TVs being pulled down on top of them. Cords and stuff, yes, but TVs? People don't think about how heavy they can be.
If there was ever an argument to use when the wife is resisting buying a wall-mount flatscreen TV, that has to be it.
Two words:
Adequate Supervision.
Every year we see at least 5 kids in the ED who've been smashed by a TV (usually the older, heavier type of TV that's perched on a dresser). Kids climb... and it only takes a second. The age ranges from about 7mo (when they're starting to pull-up on furniture) to 6 years old. And I agree... Adequate Supervision