ER Doctors Reveal What Not to Have in a Home with Kids

By: Serina Hajje, ellaslist

NewsHealth.com has interviewed ER personnel to find out what they think should be kept out of your home. Some of the items are everyday products you wouldn’t think twice about, but have kept some ER workers busy.

1. Trampolines

Although some would argue that trampolines with nets are safer, they can still be an accident waiting to happen with broken bones and many tears.

“There’s no good kind. Unfortunately parents get a false sense of reassurance; when there’s a net around something, they think their kids will be safe.”–Ferdinando Mirarchi, MD, medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center told ”http://news.health.com/2016/03/03/8-things-er-doctors-refuse-to-have-in-their-homes/" target="_blank">NewsHealth.com

2. High chairs that pull up to the table

It’s not just kids that do it, we all sometimes lean back on the hind legs of our chairs and tip back… But for little ones, a drop from a metre high can be incredibly harmful, not just because of the distance but because they also can’t instinctively protect themselves.

3. Swimming pools

Some doctors won’t even have a pool in their homes despite their kids being swimmers. Kids creep out of your sight too often and they can easily fall into a pool. This is a big problem for younger kids, so if you do have a pool, child-proof gates are essential.

4. Button batteries

How many times have you had to slip your fingers into your kid’s mouth to pull something out? Kids like shiny objects and they also happen to like to eat them! The difference with button batteries is that battery acid can burn through the wall of the esophagus which causes permanent disabilities.

5. Old pain pills

Look in your cabinet or medicine box and see how many are outdated pills. Kids are curious by nature and it’s not just batteries and shiny objects that triggers their habit of tasting. Certain medicines are too powerful kids and old pain pills can kill.

6. Ramen noodle soups

This may seem frivolous but it has its dangers. We all like a quick, easy meal and ramen noodles are a popular mealtime in Australia.

“Ramen noodles, or similar soups in styrofoam containers, get extremely hot when microwaved. It’s the most common cause of scald burns in toddlers and infants I see. Parents forget how hot these are when they’re on the counter, waiting to be pulled off by a handsy toddler.”—David J. Mathison, MD explained to NewsHealth.com

7. Power washers and extension ladders

Extension ladders have the same dangers as high chairs, kids often climb and lose their balance and hurt themselves badly. As for power washers, some people have ended up with injuries or lacerations from the intense water stream of power washers.