‘Absolutely petrified’: Warning about Christmas decoration danger to infants
A parent has issued a warning about a common Christmas decoration around young children ahead of the holidays.
In a post shared by Tiny Hearts Education on Instagram, the parent wrote that their 14-month-old daughter Savannah was in a Christmas photoshoot in the living room with a number of festive props.
“I’d gone all out with a backdrop and props and had some beautiful baubles nearby that my grandma had given me,” the post reads.
“So I wanted to get them in the shot. I was watching Savannah the whole time, got her into position with a jingle bell toy and before I knew it she had scooped up this precious bauble and decided to bite it.
“As I turned around I heard a massive crunch, and it had exploded in her mouth.”
The parent said they stayed “as calm as possible”, didn’t let Savannah swallow anything and removed the tiny fragments from her mouth.
“I was absolutely petrified inside and made sure she was OK,” the post reads.
“ I knew the parts were so small, and had essentially exploded in her mouth. We went to the children’s hospital for an all over assessment and X-rays.”
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Nurses said little Savannah might have also inhaled some fragments but the X-rays came back clear and she was fine, much to her parents’ relief.
“I just wanted to share because I know the Christmas season is upon us, and our little ones are attracted to shiny and bright objects,” the post reads.
“It happened within seconds and it could have ended up with surgery. Thankfully all is OK.”
Child safety vigilance needed around holidays, experts say
Derek McCormack, director of the Raising Children Network, told Yahoo News Australia parents "need to be vigilant" about child safety around the holidays particularly because normal routines are disrupted.
"Removing risks around the home to make it child-safe is always important, especially as children grow and learn to climb and open things – parents and carers should always be alert for new hazards," Mr McCormack said.
"Supervision is one of the keys to child safety at home and this may become more important at Christmas time when new and interesting items, such as decorations, are brought into the home."
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it’s also best to remove decorations which are sharp or breakable around small children.
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