(10/03/12) – Like babies, little kids are very curious about the things around them and will touch, taste and smell just about anything. Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal offers the following safety tips to keep your home and play areas free of hazards that could choke, suffocate or strangle your children.

Choking
• Keep small objects such as buttons, beads, marbles, coins and tacks out of reach (and sight).
• Do not let children under age 3 eat small, round or hard foods, including small pieces of hot dogs, cheese sticks/chunks, hard candy, nuts, grapes and popcorn.
• Buy only age-appropriate toys for your toddler. Use a small parts tester (or a toilet paper roll) to determine whether toys and objects in your home may present a choking hazard to young children.

Suffocation
• Do not allow toddlers to sleep on couches, chairs, regular beds or other soft surfaces.
• Never allow young children to play in poorly ventilated spaces such as laundry machines, car trunks and toy chests.

Strangulation
• Tie up all window blind and drapery cords out of reach.
• Avoid dressing children in necklaces, purses, scarves, helmets or clothing with drawstrings.

For more information about residential home safety, call Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal at (843) 777-5021 to speak to an Injury Prevention Specialist or visit www.McLeodSafeKids.org.

Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal, led by McLeod Health, works to prevent accidental childhood injury, the leading cause of death in children 14 and under. Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing accidental injury. Safe Kids Pee Dee/Coastal is funded in part by the McLeod Health Foundation.