Protecting Children from the Dangers of Your own Home

            Your house is everything- the place where you’ve built your life and raised your family….  It’s more than a house, it’s your home.  Whether you’re snuggling on the couch watching television with your little ones after a long day or cooking your family a nice warm meal, there is something so peaceful about lounging around in your jammies and spending time with the ones that you love.  Your house is your sanctuary and is what most consider to be where they feel the safest.  Yet, did you know that there are hazards all around your home?  Unlike those hazards that present themselves in the community here in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and Apex, these dangers aren’t always visible to the human eye- which makes them even more likely to be overlooked!

            You may think that by cooking your family a nice, yummy dinner that you are providing them with nourishment to keep them growing and strong- and this is true, but without proper food handling techniques you may be unintentionally spreading E. Coli and Salmonella.  Both of these bacteria affect your gastrointestinal tract and can cause symptoms such as severe dehydration and diarrhea.  Make sure that you are not passing these germs on to your family by washing your hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water before and after preparing raw meats.  Also make sure that you are using separate cutting boards, not only between meats and vegetables, but also between different types of meats.  These measures, along with cooking meats at safe temperatures, can help ensure that you are protecting your family from the risk of a bacterial infection.

            Do you know what year your home was built in?  There are so many different types of homes here in our Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, and Morrisville areas.  There is much new development here in Raleigh, but there are a lot of historic houses here in Downtown Raleigh and Downtown Apex.  If your house was built before 1978 and hasn’t been updated, then lead is most likely lurking in your paint, household dust, pipes for drinking water, and even your soil.  Side effects of lead poisoning include changes in mental development as well as behavior and nerve disorders.  Avoid exposing your children to these dangers by getting your house tested.  If your house in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and Apex area was built before 1978 and you suspect lead poisoning, it is also important that you get your children tested and treated.

            Another silent peril in your home is carbon monoxide.  Hiding in your kerosene and gas space heaters as well as your gas water heaters, wood stoves, fireplaces, automobile exhausts, and tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide is a flavorless, odorless gas.  Unfortunately, carbon monoxide gives almost no warning before you become very sick causing symptoms very similar to the flu and even death.  According to the CDC, approximately 500 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year.  You can help ensure this doesn’t happen to your family by having a qualified technician service your gas appliances and fireplaces each year.  You can also install a carbon monoxide detector in your home which you can purchase at your local Walmart or Target here in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, and Chapel Hill area.

            As you can see, there are many risks around your household that could be harming your family.  They won’t always jump out in front of you such as the everyday dangers that can present themselves in the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and Apex communities, but they are most definitely to be taken seriously.  By following the measures above, you can help ensure that your family really is safe and sound in your peaceful sanctuary also known as home.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 7th, 2014 at 5:24 pm and is filed under Raleigh Nanny & Babysitting Blog, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.