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Nadine Wimmer ReportingEach year dozens of Utahns are seriously hurt trying to make the holidays a special occasion. Here are some tips to keep the holidays special by staying safe.
The first tip deals with men in particular. If men are decorating, which will they stand on, a stepping stool or nearby furniture? Furniture, and the National Center for Injury prevention and control says that's why they're much more likely to fall and end up in the ER.
Here's some other ways for your family to stay safe. Pretty ornaments and chubby fingers created a close call for the Shamy family.
"We didn't think putting the crib this close to the tree would ever be a problem."
Nine-month old Ashling is just learning to stand. So when she grabbed a glass ornament and put it in her mouth, her parents were shocked.
It seems as quickly as they put up decorations, they learn new hazards.
Aaron Shamy, Dad: “She pulled the vase over and it spilled everywhere. If it was anything other than a vase, she could’ve been in trouble. It’s impossible to predict everything she’s going to get into.”
With that in mind, we brought in an injury prevention expert from the health department to look for holiday hazards. She immediately saw the same glass ornament the baby tried to eat. She suggests if you want to use non-child proof ornaments, put them on upper half of tree.
Her next concern was the tablecloth the baby already had pulled off. As a rule, avoid them. Nuts and candies left in dishes pose a choking hazard; keep them out of reach, along with candles.
Holiday cooking has already this season left Utah children with serious burns. Never cook while holding a child. Turn pan handles toward the back of the stove, and don't let children stand on things to help cook.
Cyndi Bemis, Utah Health Department: “Kids are great for doing the cookie dough and the cake dough, as long as you're not letting them eat the raw eggs in the dough. But that's about all they should be doing."
Finally, poinsettia's are poisonous, but kids would have to eat a few hundred leaves to really have a problem. What you should watch is the berries on holly and mistletoe.
