Hazardous Holiday Ornaments
As you bring out the holiday decorations, be extra careful especially if you have small kids around. According to a study from Children's Hospital Boston's Division of Emergency Medicine, holiday decorations, particularly glass ornaments, present another safety hazard parents must consider during the season. A review of records from Children's Emergency Department revealed an average of five ornament-related injuries per year; more than half of these injuries involve a child eating fragments of these ornaments, including batteries and pieces of glass.
Out of a total of 76 cases:
* 56 percent involved ingestion or taking fragments of ornaments or light bulbs into the mouth; more than a quarter of these injuries resulted in bleeding of the mouth or gastrointestinal tract
* 27 percent of cases involved lacerations; more than two-thirds of lacerations required surgical repair
* 85 percent of cases required radiological screening
* three patients were examined for potential toxin exposure
* two patients experienced minor electrocution
* only one case of ingestion involved an ornament not made of glass.
For a truly merry Christmas, keep your home a safe place during the coming holiday season. Have a fantastic Christmastime, everyone!