Cause For Alarm: What Parents Miss When Childproofing

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Cause For Alarm: What Parents Miss When Childproofing (NAPSA)—Asnew parents pre- Test alarms per manufacturers’ instructions and replace bat- pare for the arrival of their baby, they'll likely make safety a top priority. They put poisons out of teries as needed. Replace smoke alarms every 10 years and CO alarms every seven. Alarms monitor the home reach, cover up unused electrical outlets and install safety gates. But experts say parents may miss every minute and do not last for- the deadliest threat in the home ever. If you do not know the age of for small children. A new survey conducted by your alarm, replaceit. Do not “borrow” an alarm’s batteries for other uses such as in Kelton Research revealed that only 11 percent of parents sur- toys or radios. Keep a UL-listed fire extinguisher (minimum 2A-10B:C), veyed believe a homefire is more likely than their baby accidentally falling or being poisoned. While falls occur more often, fires are more deadly. Fires and burns are the leading cause of unintentional home-injury deaths for children over age 1 and the second-leading cause for infants, according to the Home Safety Council’s State of such as the Kidde Living Area Fire Extinguisher, on each floor and in your bedroom. A fire extinguisher can help put out a small, Having smoke alarms and fire extinguishers on hand is an important part of babyproofing. contained fire or aid in creating a pathwayto safety. Steps to Take as a Family Develop and regularly prac- Home Safety in America. includes having fire extinguishers tice a fire escape plan. have safety on their minds,” said Meri-K Appy, president of Home ing a fire escape plan,” said Chris room and also details such as who “New parents undoubtedly Safety Council. “However, the misplaced safety concerns re- vealed in this survey show a greater need for educating new and expectant parents about the risk their baby could face regard- ing fires and burns.” According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), chil- dren under age 5 face nearly twice the risk of dying in a homefire than adults. While the NFPA reports that adults are more likely to develop a fire escape plan after they have children, 78 percent of the Kelton survey respondents have never within reach and regularly practic- Rovenstine, vice president for Kidde Residential & Commercial. Steps to Take Before Bringing Baby Home Parents can easily incorporate fire safety into overall childproofing plans: Install UL-listed smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms near sleeping areas and on every floor of your home. For optimal protection, install both photoelec- will assist young ones out of the home. An escape ladder can be an alternate exit from second- or third- floor rooms. Practice your plan at least twice a year, both during the day and at night. Close your children’s bedroom doors. If a hallway fire occurs, a closed door could hinder smoke from overpowering your which may provide the earliest child and give firefighters extra time for rescue. Keep a working smoke alarm and baby monitor in A combination alarm offers alarm sounds. Teach toddlers not to hide. tric and ionization smoke alarms, opportunity of detecting either smolderingor fast-flamingfires. conducted a homefire drill. protection against both fire and necessary precautions to help protect themselves and their children in the event of a housefire. This which will clearly announce the “In addition to working smoke alarms, families need to takeall Include two exits from every the room so you can hearif the carbon monoxide (CQ) in one unit. Look for one with voice warning, such as the Kidde Talking Alarm, Remind them thatfirefighters are there to help. For more information on baby safety and to download a free hazard present, fire or CO. www.safehomesafebaby.com. childproofing checklist, visit

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