Food, family, gifts and decorations are all highlights of the holiday season, but some decorations – like candles and Christmas trees -- can pose safety hazards around the house. “The holidays are a time for spending with family and friends, not rushing to the emergency department,” said Susan Helms, director of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South, led by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. “When all of your decorations are up, keeping a close eye on both children and the decorations themselves is an important step to a safe holiday season.”

In 2005, candles started 15,600 home fires in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the top four days for candle fires are around Christmas and New Year’s. Using battery-operated flameless candles is an alternative that does not pose a fire risk.
“Never, never leave lit candles unattended,” says Helms. “Do not put candles on a tree or a natural wreath, or near curtains or drapes, and keep matches and lighters locked out of children’s reach. If you would like decorative lighting, make sure it is labeled with the seal of an independent testing lab, and only use it outdoors if it’s labeled for outdoor use.”
If you decorate a tree, Safe Kids Mid-South recommends the top decorating mistakes to avoid:
•Decorate with children in mind. Do not put ornaments that have small parts or metal hooks, or look like food or candy, on the lower branches where small children can reach them. Trim protruding branches at or below a child’s eye level, and keep lights out of reach.
•Natural Christmas trees always involve some risk of fire. To minimize the risk, get a fresh tree and keep it watered at all times. Do not put the tree within three feet of a fireplace, space heater, radiator or heat vent.
•Never leave a lit Christmas tree or other decorative lighting display unattended. Inspect lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections and broken sockets.
•Do not overload extension cords or outlets and do not run an electrical cord under a rug.
•Do not burn Christmas tree branches, treated wood or wrapping paper in a home fireplace.
•Keep alcohol, including baking extracts, out of reach and do not leave alcoholic drinks unattended.
•Color additives used in fireplace fires are a toxic product and should be stored out of reach. Artificial snow can be harmful if inhaled, so use in a well-vented space.
•Holly Berry and Jerusalem Cherry can be poisonous. If they are used in decorating, make sure children and pets cannot reach it.
•In a poison emergency, call the national Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222.

Traveling during the holidays can be stressful, especially when you have little ones. If your family has a trip planned this month, check out these airplane travel tips from Safe Kids Mid-South’s Susan Helms, director of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Safe Kids Mid-South, part of an international campaign to prevent childhood accidents and led locally by Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, recommends using a child safety seat during airplane travel. Infants and toddlers are safest in an approved child safety seat with a harness, in case of turbulence. A child who rides in a child safety seat on the ground should ride in that child safety seat on a plane. While most child safety seats fit on standard airplane seats, make sure your child safety seat is labeled “certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft.”

Even though the Federal Aviation Administration allows children younger than age 2 to be held on an adult’s lap, it is recommended that families explore options to ensure that each child has his own seat. Discounted fares may be available. If it is not feasible for you to purchase a ticket for a small child, try to select a flight that is likely to have empty seats.

Belt-positioning booster seats cannot be used on airplanes, but they can be checked as luggage so you have them for use in rental cars and taxis.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also offers the following advice:
• Pack a bag of toys and snacks to keep your child occupied during the flight.
• In order to decrease ear pain during descent, encourage your infant to nurse or suck on a bottle.
• Older children can try chewing gum, drinking water or juice through a straw, or filling up a glass of water and blowing bubbles through a straw (4 years of age or older).
• Consult your pediatrician before flying with a newborn or infant who has chronic heart or lung problems or with upper or lower respiratory symptoms. Consult your pediatrician if flying within two weeks of an episode of an ear infection or ear surgery.
For more safety information, visit www.lebonheur.org/safekids or call (901) 287-6730.

Top 5 Tips for Safe Holiday Toy Shopping

Each year, more than 3 billion toys and games are sold in the United States, with 65 percent of these sales occurring between the day after Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas. Here are some tips from Safe Kids Mid-South, led by le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, to shop safe this holiday season:
• Consider the child's age, interest and skill level. A fun, but inappropriate toy for a particular child can be dangerous.
• Keep toys with small parts away from children under age 3. They can choke on small toys and toy parts.
• Shopping at a second hand store this holiday season? Check recalls.gov to make sure kids' products and toys are safe and haven't been recalled.
• Bikes or scooters make great holiday gifts. But remember that a helmet is a necessity, not an accessory when it comes to all wheeled sports for children of all ages.
• Consider alternatives to putting children in shopping carts including strollers and carts that have plastic mini-cars or trucks attached to the front or back. If you must use a cart, make sure your child stays seated and is secured by a seat belt.

Each year, more than 3 billion toys and games are sold in the United States, with 65 percent of these sales occurring between the day after Thanksgiving and the day before Christmas. Here are some tips from Safe Kids Mid-South to shop safe this holiday season:

• Consider the child's age, interest and skill level. A fun, but inappropriate toy for a particular child can be dangerous.
• Keep toys with small parts away from children under age 3. They can choke on small toys and toy parts.
• Shopping at a second hand shop this holiday season? Check recalls.gov to make sure kids' products and toys are safe and haven't been recalled.
• Bikes or scooters make great holiday gifts. But remember that a helmet is a necessity, not an accessory when it comes to all wheeled sports for children of all ages.
• Consider alternatives to putting children in shopping carts including strollers and carts that have plastic mini-cars or trucks attached to the front or back. If you must use a cart, make sure your child stays seated and is secured by a seat belt.