When parents see their child walk for the very first time, their initial reaction would be to marvel at their little angel's personal milestone. Later on, reality kicks in and parents realize they have to start childproofing their homes as soon as possible. Here are five household items parents should focus on first.
1. Stairs and doors
To prevent stair-related accidents, parents can install safety gates at the top and bottom part of the stairs. The barriers should be durable enough to withstand constant pushing and pulling from children.
For doors, What To Expect recommends the use of hard-to-turn plastic doorknob covers. Rooms that should be sealed off are bathrooms, kitchens and a parent's work area.
2. Dishwashers
Speaking of kitchens, one the most reachable things children can grab and play with is the dishwasher door. Parents should make it hard for their wobbly toddlers to open this particular cleaning appliance as it doubles as a Pandora's Box for kids.
3. Mouthwash
ABC News' Chief Health and Medical editor Dr. Richard Besser said mouthwash contains 21 percent alcohol. It is toxic to children and can potentially lead to alcohol poisoning.
4. Batteries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been keeping tabs on all battery ingestion cases involving children. A total of 20,000 kids had accidentally swallowed button batteries from 1997 to 2010. Button batteries are those small circular lithium dry cells that when mixed with saliva can cause serious damage to a child's esophagus.
5. Window blinds
Window blinds are more harmful than you think. In the last 10 years, 112 children have died from getting entangled with window blind cords, 114 suffered from strangulation wounds, as per Parents.
"There are just a lot of people out there [with a] misconception of how these accidents occur," said Parents for Window Blind Safety founder Linda Kaiser. "We're trying to bring to life how fast they occur-the fact that they can occur in the same room with a parent."
