Clothing keeps us warm and protects us from the weather. But some clothing can be dangerous for children.
How can clothing harm children?
The clothes children wear every day can cause injuries. Clothing can:
- strangle a child when a hood, drawstring, scarf, or helmet gets caught on playground equipment, a fence, or in car or bus doors
- cause choking if your child swallows a button or small part comes loose from their clothes
- catch fire and cause burns
- contain button batteries that, if swallowed, can cause chemical burns or damage to internal organs. These small batteries are inside clothing such as flashing shoes.
How can I dress my child to protect them?
You can do many things to help keep your child's clothing safe:
- Take all drawstrings and cords out of your child’s clothes.
- Take the hoods off your child's clothes, or make sure the hood will come off if it gets caught on something. Hoods attached with Velcro are best.
- Have children wear a neck warmer, not a scarf, in cold weather.
- Do not let your child wear a helmet when they play on playground equipment.
- Check that buttons and other small parts are firmly attached to clothing and won't come loose.
- If your child is wearing shoes or clothing with batteries, make sure the batteries are in a secure compartment that your child can't open.
- Dress your child in a sleeper or pajamas that are close-fitting or labeled as flame-resistant fabric such as polyester or nylon. Loose-fitting clothing like t-shirts made of cotton or cotton blends should not be used for children's sleepwear.
