Keeping your family safe from hidden dangers in your home

(WJBK) - Renee Zarr with Kohl's Injury Prevention Program at the Children's Hospital of Michigan DMC shows us how we can keep our familie safe from the hidden dangers in our home.

Laundry Pods
Laundry detergent pods have quickly become a serious poisoning threat to young children, causing thousands of American kids to vomit, choke or suffer more serious symptoms since the products went on sale in the U.S. in early 2012. In the first year on the market, at least 769 children younger than 6 were hospitalized in after ingesting or handling laundry pods, which have appealing designs that resemble large pieces of candy.
Altogether, more than 17,230 young children have had potentially toxic encounters with laundry pods, and more than one-third of them required treatment at medical facilities. To avoid your child from having a laundry pod accidental poisoning, simply don't use them in your house. And keep all cleaning products in a locked cabinet above an adults shoulder.

Button Battery Ingestion
Lithium batteries, also known as button batteries - causing injuries and death in children. When swallowed, these small batteries get stuck in the throat. The saliva triggers an electric current which causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the inside of the throat in as little as two hours.

Lithium batteries can be found in everything in your home. They are used to power remote controls, toys, musical greeting cards, calculators, watches and other electronics. Small children often have easy access to these devices, and many parents do not know there is a risk:
 - Knowing where the batteries are in the home (car keys, toys, remote controls, etc)
 - Securing them out of reach of children
 - If you think your child swallowed a battery, see medical attention immediately!

TV and Furniture Tips Overs
It doesn't take long for a curious toddler to climb onto a dresser drawer or a bookcase, sometimes ending with tragic consequences.

It's important to realize that even though they are heavy, televisions aren't stable. Older, boxy TVs have most of their weight in front, which makes them easy to topple. New flat-screen TVs have their weight more evenly distributed but are often much larger, and can easily tip if not secured.

More than 17,000 children (one every 30 minutes) are treated in emergency rooms across the country for TV and furniture related injuries every year. Injuries that included concussions, lacerations and traumatic brain injuries. Children ages 5 and younger were the most vulnerable:

 - Wall-mount the TV - high enough off the floor so it can't be grabbed by small children.
 - If wall mounting isn't feasible, secure the TV to a wall using anti-tipping straps. If you're using straps, secure them to a stud in the wall, not just into drywall or plaster.
 - Anchor furniture also to the floor or wall.
 - Make sure the stand or furniture is sturdy and appropriate for the size and weight of the TV, and place the set as far back on the stand as possible.
 - Avoid placing TVs on dressers and chests, as children may be tempted to use the drawers to climb on, possibly causing it or the TV to topple.
 - Place electrical cords and cables out of a child's reach.
 - Don't place kid-engaging items, such as remote controls or toys, on the top of the TV or TV stand.

How can you keep you family safe, make sure you tell everyone about these dangers…any home your children may visit, take a second to see if these dangers are hidden within the home.

For more safety information, visit www.childrensDMC.org/KIPP.