Avoid Television Tip-Overs

I ran across this study, from Clinical Pediatrics, analyzing injuries to children from furniture tip-overs. The researchers found a significant increase in injuries in the last 18 years, with televisions being the most-common furniture to tip over.

I have seen a lot of news reports of children being seriously hurt  by falling televisions in schools or day care centers.  In some cases, the staff apparently was not properly supervising the children, and in others, the center might not have properly secured the television. 

Consumer Reports has an article with some excellent suggestions for protecting children around televisions, including:

• anchoring the furniture holding the television

• keeping toys, food, and other temptations off the top of televisions and other tall furniture

• watching for recalls of carts and furniture that you may be using for your television

This is Not a Fruit Drink

 

There is no avoiding the story of the day care center in Arkansas that accidentally served windshield washer fluid to 10 children.  Fortunately, there seem to be no lasting injuries to the children.  The lesson here is so obvious as to leave me almost speechless.  Does any adult really need to be told to always check the label before serving something to children?