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Holiday Childproofing

Take Steps to Keep Your Home Safe and Happy During Holidays

As you and your family gather for the holidays, you may have even more little ones in your house than you already do. Now is a great time to double check the safety measures in your home to prevent accidents and ensure your family has a safe holiday.

The holidays bring with them their own set of safety concerns. Holiday plants, such as poinsettias and mistletoe, may look pretty, but they are poisonous. Make sure you keep all holiday plants out of reach of children. If you fear your child has been poisoned by any plant source, contact your local poison control center immediately.

Also beware of glass ornaments – they can fall off Christmas trees and break, posing a risk of injury. Crawling babies love to pull on low-hanging branches and reach for shiny objects. Make sure anything you put on the tree is safe for Baby. Also remember to turn off holiday lights before bed or when you leave the house.

Use this checklist from the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Wash., to help make your home a safer place for children. Share it with your child's caregivers, grandparents or other relatives so their homes will be safer to visit, too.

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