Soon after new parents bring their baby home from the hospital they realize that there are dangers lurking every where that could harm their warm, cuddly little bundle of joy. The protection mode kicks in and hazards are hunted down to be defeated by the knight in shining armor, or Dad.
When your baby starts crawling around the house and investigating his world, everything at his eye-level becomes a potential point of interest. Electrical outlets can be a big source of curiosity, and danger.
Putting a plastic safety cap in the outlet is a common form of safety, but that only protects the child if the plug is not in use, and the safety cap actually fits snugly enough that the child can't remove it. When they are removed, the caps themselves can become a choking hazard. Just ask George DeCell, whose daughter Sage nearly died from choking on one. DeCell invented a larger cap, Safetycap, that conforms to pacifier regulations so that children could no longer choke on the caps. He recommends making sure the caps are not only too large to choke on, but that they are clear and have no writing or pictures on them to draw attention to them. DeCell also points out that safety caps are a training tool to aid you in teaching your child to stay away from outlets rather than a fool-proof safety measure.
I am at the Examiner today, head over there to read the rest of the article on outlet safety.
1 people think my kids are qtpies:
Conforming to pacifier standards? What a great idea! I've found them to be choking hazards also.
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