We all know that babies and young children put just about anything they can in their mouth and that’s why most of us work so hard to baby-proof our homes to avoid tragedy. The holiday season is full of things that can harm little ones and it’s important to think of the things we may not consider as dangerous.
Many years ago, when my “baby” sister was a baby, I was minding her while my parents were out. I must have been about 14 or 15 and she was about a year and a half old. We had a piano in our dining room, which was an extension of the living room, where my sister’s playpen was – just beside the Christmas tree. I remember I was practicing the piano while she played in her pen – or so I thought.
At some point, I turned around and her mouth was dripping with blood. In her hand, she was holding a broken, red Christmas tree ball. A broken, red *glass* Christmas tree bulb, that she had been biting and chewing on.
I remember panicking, having no idea what to do. I didn’t know how long she’d been munching on this glass bulb and if she’s swallowed any glass. All I knew was if anything happened to her, I’d be in big, big trouble.
All these years later, this sister is now in her mid-thirties and I remember that incident as if it was yesterday. As far as I know, she suffered no ill effects from the Christmas tree ball incident, but I know I never forgot. My kids were never allowed unsupervised near the tree and I limited the use of the glass bulbs as much as I could. The ones we did have were gifts.
It turns out that my sister’s and my experience isn’t unique. The results of a new study out of Boston and published in the most recent issue of Pediatric Emergency Care (Holiday Ornament-Related Injuries in Children), found that glass ornaments were one of the worst safety hazards of Christmas decorations. Children who were injured were about 2 years old (ranging from 1.17-3.3 years) and with more boys (44.7% were girls).
After examining 76 cases found over a 13-year period, the study’s authors concluded:
Holiday ornament-related injuries primarily involve foreign body ingestions and glass-related injuries. Over half of the injuries involved small light bulbs and ornaments made of glass placed at the level a toddler can reach.
Broken down:
- 56% of the children ingested ornaments or fragments of ornaments or light bulbs into the mouth – only one was not made of glass
- 28% of those who ingested the glass or bulbs experienced bleeding of the mouth or gastrointestinal tract
- 27% of the children sustained lacerations (cuts), most of whom needed surgery to repaire
- 85% of the children needed tests, such as x-rays or scans
- 23% of the time, a specialist had to be consulted, most often for advice or help in removing the object(s)
- 3 children were checked for toxin exposure
- 2 children experienced minor electrocution
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Image: PhotoXpress.com
Post from: Blisstree