childproofing worth it, household poisons

Childproofing your home...Is it worth it?
So is it worth it to childproof your home? We think so. The benefits are keeping your child safe from injury or death, while saving money for costly hospital or emergency room visits.

Completely childproofing the average home, can be done for less than $250 in most situations. And we are talking complete childproofing. Safety gates, latches, added locking cabinets, the works.

However, you can choose not to childproof your home. In that case, You may save a little at first, but you are likely to spend more in the long run. A single trip to the emergency room will instantly drain what you would have spent in childproofing. Considering the amount of serious injuries inside the home each year, childproofing should be looked at as an essential thing to save money, let alone to keep your child safe.

The risk
Your home is certainly a hazard. About 2 1/2 million children are seriously injured or killed by hazards inside the home each year. There are around 3.4 million hospital emergency room visits due to home injuries. Common household injuries include burns, falls, suffocation, choking, poisonings, drownings, or accidental shootings.

Household poisons
Many household products you use around your house everyday are potentially fatal substances if ingested by children. Here are some of the following most common and dangerous household poisons:

Toothpaste: The active ingredient in toothpaste is sodium fluoride, or sodium phosphate, which is poisonous in any amounts greater than what is used for brushing. It is why they tell you not to swallow the paste. This is a danger many parents don’t realize, and it is especially dangerous because the flavored toothpaste can often be used as improvised candy by a bored child. Ingesting half a tube of toothpaste can be lethal to a child.

·	Cosmetics and make up: These can be toxic and are usually an alluring color to attract children.

·	Household cleaners: Obviously, these can be quite toxic and should be kept out of the reach of children.

·	Medicine: Once again, an obvious risk. Even certain vitamins can be dangerous in excessive amounts.

·	Any health supplement containing iron.

·	Pesticides, believe it or not, result in a huge amount of poisonings in young children. In 2003, children 6 and under were exposed 50,415 times, but experts estimate this as only one fourth to one third of actual numbers.

·	Lawn and garden products, such as weed killers, insecticides and plant fertilizer.

·	Swimming pool and hot tub chemicals

·	Potentially hazardous plants that may be in your house or yard, such as lawn mushrooms.

·	Art supplies and paint

·	Pressure treated wood

Mouthwash

·	Liquor, alcohol, or beer