If you go all out during the holidays, you’re not alone. The National Retail Federation estimates that this year Americans will spend $435.3 billion during the holiday season alone. That’s a lot of tinsel and toys.

While you’re out spending, Safe Kids East Central, led by the MCG Children’s Medical Center, asks parents to remember to buy safely too. Beautiful decorations can become choking hazards or cause injury to young children. And the latest and greatest toy may not be the best choice if it’s not age appropriate for your child.

Decking the Halls

Candles? Check. Poinsettias? Check. Glass decorations? Check. If you’re crossing off your shopping list for this year’s holiday decorations, take a moment to think again. Some of the most common decorations can cause problems, particularly if there are young children in the home.

• Ornaments. Glass balls are easily knocked off and broken and can be dangerous when little feet step on them. If you must use them, use them high up and make sure they are securely placed. Small, bright-colored ornaments are tempting for children to grab and put into their mouths, but are also a choking hazard, as are bigger ornaments with removable parts. Remember, anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube is a choking hazard. Tinsel, another popular holiday decoration, is also dangerous for children and pets if swallowed.
  
• Holiday greenery. Mistletoe is beautiful and traditional, but also poisonous to both people and pets. Use it high up if you must use it, and make sure to immediately clean up any leaves or debris that fall from hanging mistletoe. Poinsettias are not as poisonous as once thought, but can cause stomach upset if ingested-enough to ruin any holiday. So keep them out of reach of small children and pets.
  
• Lighting. Make sure all candles are set on steady surfaces away from flowing curtains and drapes that could catch fire. Don’t leave candles unattended and remember to blow them all out before you leave for holiday parties or go to bed. One new product you can try is the flameless candle; these are made of wax and flicker like a real candle, but run on batteries and are not a fire hazard. Also, be careful when placing candles or other decorations on tablecloth-covered tables; young children may pull the cloth and other accessories down on themselves and cause injury. If you put up a live tree every year, keep it watered and turn off the lights before going to bed or leaving the house.

Toys for Girls and Boys

Each year, more than 121,000 children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries. Even innocent-looking toys can present a hazard to small children. Toys to avoid include:

• Toys with small removable parts. The small parts are hazardous and can pose a choking hazard to children under age 3. Use a small parts tester (which can be purchased at a toy or baby specialty store) or toilet paper tube to measure the size of the toy or part. If the piece fits entirely inside the tube, then it is considered a choking hazard.
  
• Toys with sharp points or edges. Children may accidentally cut themselves or another person.
  
• Toys that produce loud noises. Toy guns and high-volume portable cassette recorders can permanently impair a child’s hearing.
  
• Propelled toy darts and other projectiles. Propelled toys can cause cuts or serious eye injuries.
  
• Toys with strings, straps or cords longer than seven inches. Long strings and cords are a strangulation hazard.
  
• Electrical toys. Electrical toys are a potential burn hazard. Avoid toys with a heating element-batteries or electrical plugs-for children under age 8.
  
• Toy cap guns. Paper rolls, strips or ring caps can be ignited by the slightest friction and cause serious burns.

Many toy-related injuries occur when parents overestimate their child’s ability to handle a toy designed for an older age group. Age recommendations for toys not only take into account a child’s cognitive abilities, but they also consider the overall safety of a toy. Be especially aware of safety labeling on a toy’s packaging, such as "This toy is not appropriate for children under 3."

Remember, too, that sometimes just buying the toy is not enough. Bicycles, in-line skates, scooters, skateboards and sleds are popular gifts for the holidays. But these gifts are not complete unless the appropriate gear, including helmets, reflectors and pads, are included.

The holidays truly are the most wonderful time of the year. Keep them that way by making sure your home is not only beautiful, but safe. Happy Holidays!

Safe Kids East Central is part of Safe Kids Worldwide and is led by the MCG Children’s Medical Center.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations -- MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care. For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.