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Dr Shapiro completed his undergraduate education at UC San Diego earning a B S in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a B A in Political Science He furthered his education at UCLA where he earned a Masters Degree in Public…
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Home Safety: Too Important to Overlook
As a pediatrician, one of the most important things I can do is promote the importance of preventive care to my patients and their families: maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, daily exercise (in some form or another), getting good sleep, and good hand washing are just some of the tips I share on a routine basis. Now I realize none of these are earth-shattering revelations, just some good common sense tips, but I do believe the more one is reminded of good habits, the easier they are to employ.
And so this then explains why I begin the home safety discussion before an infant is even rolling or crawling as it's never too early to imprint a parent's mind of all the possible dangers in one's own household...the outlets, the cupboards, the corners, the toilets, the stairs, and the cords to name just a few. I tell parents to "get on their hands and knees" and explore their house in the same manner as their child would as too many times I'll hear from parents who did not realize something was a potential safety hazard until after the fact.
Tragically, this appears to be the situation surrounding the death of Mike Tyson's daughter. And while I have laid awake these last couple of nights thinking of the pain the family must be enduring, it has further fueled a general dullness I have felt over this past week. You see, it was just over one week ago my 5 year old son got caught on a moving treadmill in my home. Sparing the details but fully acknowledging I am the only one to blame for this event, I continue to hear his screams echo through my head. And while his burns will heal (with some probable scarring), I am constantly reminded of what could have been...even more so these last couple of days.
So while I extend my thoughts and prayers to the Tyson family, I ask all parents and caregivers to take some time and do a thorough run-through of your own household...both inside and out.
And for those looking for some guidance as to where to begin, I leave you all with a link to a site that I believe does a very thorough job...http://homesafetycouncil.org/SafetyGuide/sg_safetyguide_w001.asp.
Dr. Jeremy
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One should not, of course, leave tempting and dangerous things in the reach of any child, no matter how well trained it may be; for one thing, such things can also endanger adults. But it is also a good idea to teach your child not to touch, use, climb on or otherwise interact with anything that does not belong to her. If Mr. Tysons daughter had been taught not to approach the treadmill at all, because it was not hers, the danger would have been avoided.
We all have these moments, I think, of having an accident (or a few of them) that seriously scare us. We had one a few months back when Ellorie was seated at our high top dinner table and strapped into her booster seat. I had turned around for a few seconds to slice some strawberries and she tipped herself over. She must have pushed herself off from the edge of the table somehow (The sound of the chair hitting the ground with Ellorie in it is something I shall never forget...)
By some miracle, she was completely unharmed. I was expecting blood, concussion, or something horrible, but she was only just frightened. (As was I.) Her head must have been situated in just the right way where she never made contact with the tile floor, but just bumped on the back of the soft booster seat.
Not that I wasn't checking her every five minutes to make sure she was alright and that her pupils were dilating properly and I was reluctant to put her to bed that night.
Needless to say, that booster seat is not in use and I am wary to turn my back even for a moment.
I guess when your child reaches age 4 or 5 you relax a little bit (though, with these two incidents, a good reminder not to let guards down) because they seem competent and in more control of their bodies, so home safety isn't forefront on the mind as when you have a toddler.
Again, it is good to hear that everything is alright, and it is always good to review how to make our homes safe. The Tyson girl's accident is such a tragedy and my heart breaks for them. No one should have to endure losing a child.