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Summer's Outdoor Hazards
Tips to Keep Tots Safe
By Shannon McKelden
Machinery typically used around the yard can also heat up. Lawn mowers are often thought of as dangerous for their whirling blades, but Julie Whitesell of Claremore, Okla., found the heat of a recently-run engine is just as dangerous to curious toddlers.
"My ex-husband was mowing the lawn and I was outside with the kids [ages 2 and 4]," Whitesell says. "I went across the street to visit with one of my neighbors after my husband finished the mowing, and the boys were out playing while my husband was sweeping grass off the driveway. I turned around to take a peek at the boys and ... saw my 2-year-old reach down to touch the engine on the mower."
Though Whitesell reacted instantly, her little boy's fingers were already blistering when they put them under cold water. A trip to the emergency room proved the burns not to be too bad. "But bad enough we had to put burn cream and gauze on them, and the blisters and pain were pretty severe," she says.
Other hot surfaces not easily recognized include metal slides, plastic outdoor play equipment and even decking and lawn furniture. These heat up in the sun and can burn tender skin. Always do a touch check of possible hot surfaces before allowing your baby or toddler to play on it.
According to the Mayo Clinic, about 300 children under the age of 5 drown in U.S. swimming pools each year. Mostof those children have been out of sight of a supervising adult for less than five minutes. Adding to the problem is that drowning is a silent death. There is usually no splashing or sound to alert anyone to the disaster taking place.
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