Prevent Outdoor Play from Springing a Safety Surprise

As Jack Frost finally begins to loosen his icy grip, you’re eagerly anticipating letting your toddler run off some of her seemingly limitless energy outdoors. Before the two of you start enjoying the sunshine, ensure your backyard is toddler-friendly.

Backyard Safety

A quick survey of your backyard is likely to reveal plenty of spots that need toddler-proofing. Take, for example, the play set you purchased as a holiday gift for your child. Before you let her start sliding and climbing, inspect the set for sharp edges. Spread a 1-foot-thick mulch bed around the base of the set to cushion your toddler’s landings.

Take these additional actions to ready your backyard for safe play:

• Remove anything you may have stored in the backyard during winter, such as firewood.
• Lock exit gates if your backyard is fenced, and secure doors to sheds or garages.
• Do not allow your toddler to play beneath wood structures.
• Ensure your backyard is covered in thick, mowed grass (see “Lawn Safety” below).

Most importantly, don’t forget the best protection you can offer your child any time she is playing outside—your watchful eyes.

Lawn Safety

Each spring, you stock up on lawn and garden supplies such as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to keep your lawn and garden healthy and growing. However, if these lawn-care products get in the wrong hands, they can create real safety concerns.

“Pesticides are the most dangerous in this group, especially insect-killing agents, which may be very poisonous. Before applying pesticides, make sure children and their toys are away from the area, and keep them away until the pesticide has dried,” says Gary Wasserman, DO, Section Chief, Medical Toxicology at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and Professor of Pediatrics at the UMKC School of Medicine. “If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind for a child. Always store your lawn supplies away from your child’s reach, in a locked cabinet or garden shed. If you’re storing lawn supplies in the garage, make sure they’re on a high shelf that a child can’t climb up to.”

What to do if your child comes into contact with lawn or garden supplies:

• Swallowed poison: Take the item from her and have her spit out any remaining substance. Don’t make her throw up; some products will cause more damage if she vomits.
• Skin poison: Remove his clothes and rinse the skin with room-temperature water for at least 15 minutes. Throw away contaminated clothing or thoroughly wash it separately from other laundry.
• Eye poison: Flush her eye by holding the eyelid open and pouring a steady stream of room temperature water into the inner corner. Do not use eye drops in the wash water.
• Poisonous fumes: Take him outside or into fresh air immediately. If he’s stopped breathing, start CPR and don’t stop until he breathes on his own or until someone can take over.

If your child is unconscious, not breathing, or having convulsions or seizures due to poison contact or ingestion, call 911. Otherwise, call your poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 for information and treatment advice.

Take a moment to meet Dr. Wasserman in this short video, and learn more about the services offered by our Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Toxicology. Afterwards, download a fun “Seek and Find” activity sheet, where you and your child can find the hidden dangers in a yard.