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 a button or small part comes loose from their clothes.
- Contain button batteries that can cause chemical burns or damage to internal organs if swallowed. These small batteries are inside clothing such as flashing shoes.
- Catch fire and cause burns.
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 clothing with batteries in it, make sure the batteries are in a secure compartment that your child can't open.
- Dress your child in close-fitting pajamas made of flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon. Cotton and cotton blends are not flame resistant. Day clothes, like t-shirts, are not safe to sleep in.
