CHILD PROOFING YOUR HOME

In July 05, I had just returned from the Uk with my second son. My first son was barely 2 years old and a very active boy. Child Proofing my home and environment was the constant thing on my lips. I had this neighbor who lived on the ground apartment, who never discards properties he no longer uses. Under my stairs, he kept  a 1900 gas cooker, a vehicle engine, motor spare parts and all sorts of junks. I complained severally to my husband to please speak to this neighbor to find a way to get rid of those obsolete items. When I realized that my  plea for sanity wasn't yielding anything and my child proofing slogan not translating to reality, I decided to do the big work myself. I woke up one morning, and decided it was a Child-Proofing Exercise Day, With the help of my security guard, I was able to move all the junks out, cleaned up the stairs and I was happy I did. Why did I do this? Because, when you are raising toddlers, Child-Proofing your environment must be top of mind, lest you stand the risk of domestic accident that are really uncalled for.  There have been many cases of home accidents that could have been prevented.  For instance the picture illustration above is Bimpe (not real name). Bimpe is a young Nigerian girl whose legs were badly burned in a home accident. 

Another was born and developing as a normal child should. He was full of activities. His parents looked forward to his future which was quiet promising. Then, it happened! At 9 months, Dave’s life was cut short by a careless act; he was drowned by a bath of water left uncovered in the bathroom!
She was a beauty to behold, light skinned, slender and intelligent. By a careless act of pouring kerosene into a lit lantern, Angel sustained severe burns from her buttocks down! After battling with this for several months, she finally succumbed to death from complications. These are two true life examples of home accidents which have led to the death of many promising children and to permanent disability in others. Some families have lost all their children to home accidents which could have been prevented.
Home accidents are not rare events in our environment. They are adverse events that occur during a child’s interaction with the home. The home is an environment made up of physical, chemical, biological, and social elements all of which a child interacts with daily. As beneficial as some of these elements may be in the home, they could constitute hazards if not properly handled or well managed. A child’s interaction with the environment in fact begins from conception, as events during conception, pregnancy, delivery; postnatal and subsequent events in life can make or mar a child. One of the millennium development goals (MDGs) is environmental safety and control of pollution targeted at the child’s larger environment. It is of much importance therefore to ensure a safe home environment as the home constitutes the child’s immediate environment.

Accidents that could occur in the home include
• Burns from hot water, naked flame, electricity, chemicals, excessive cold, fuel explosions
• Drowning from home pools, bathtub, baths and uncovered large water containers
• Suffocations
• Cuts and penetrating wounds from sharp objects lying around
• Fractures and injuries from falls especially from heights
• Accidental poisonings from kerosene, bleach, soaps/ detergents, medicines, batteries, tobacco, pesticides
• Foreign body aspiration in airways/ ears/ nostrils
• Firearms injury

Children are vulnerable to home accidents for several reasons. These include their inquisitive nature, ignorance, desire to play adult, helplessness and daringness. They are also particularly vulnerable because they eat more, drink more and breathe more than adults when considering their weights. Their hand-to-mouth behavior and play close to the ground magnifies their exposure. They are also growing and developing and their developmental processes may be disrupted by these accidents. It is worthy to note that home accidents are multi-staged, correlating with the age of the child per time.
Considering the effect a home accident may have on a child, it becomes extremely necessary to create a safe home environment. The following are home safety tips to prevent home accidents.
For burns, do not
• Use naked flames such as candles at home
• Allow children into the kitchen. Allow older children with adequate supervision.
• Use electrical kettles with long cords
• Transport hot objects from one place to another. If you have to mix water, take cold to hot!

• Leave hot objects within a child’s reach
• Pour fuel into a lit lantern or generator in use
• Leave matches, cigarette lighters and other flammables within a child’s reach
• Give a child hot food or fluids
• Leave naked wires lying around the home
Do
• Lower water heater temperature or use a safety tap
• Keep children away when handling inflammables/ hot substances
• Keep refrigerators well locked
• Use safety plugs for electrical sockets
For poisonings,
• Keep away all medicines out of the reach of children. Have a first aid box and keep all medicines there after ensuring that they are well labeled. Keep the first aid box under lock
• Do not use containers previously used for consumable items to store non-consumables
• Keep away all chemicals
• Dispose batteries properly
• Do not smoke! Even the residual odor of cigarettes on the clothes could predispose a child to respiratory tract infections.
If you have a gun,
• Never leave it loaded
• Ensure the safety latch is on
• Keep it away from the reach of children
For other accidents, do not
• Leave sharp objects around the home
• Leave child unattended on any height
• Leave unused polythene bags carelessly
• Use generators or any machinery emitting smoke in enclosed areas
• Leave any large container containing water opened
• Leave children unattended near pools
• Force feed a child
Do
• Construct child safety guards around pools, staircases, balconies especially above ground level
• Ensure soak-away is well constructed
• Keep water wells locked
• Ensure adequate immunization for your child against tetanus
• Keep away small objects which could be inserted into the mouth, ears or nostrils
• Avoid giving toddlers nuts as they could aspirate it
• Inspect their body for injuries they might be keeping away from you. A daily bath for the younger ones by you might be very helpful

These are some safety tips to make the home environment safer. The technology available in individual homes may necessitate further precautions. It is of importance therefore to weigh the benefits of any technology you desire to introduce into your home against the possible risks and take adequate precautions to prevent accidents from it. It is also important to consider possible risks when assigning tasks to a child at home.
Lastly, the attainment of the heights desired for your child is dependent on a normal growth and development. It is therefore necessary to do all you can to protect them from accidents and injuries. Remember, ‘A stitch in a time saves nine!’ The nine stitches might not undo the harm.

N.B. - Names used in this article are not real.