This health tip brought to you by Children’s Center at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.

Let’s face it: you have so much to do during the holiday season, it’s easy to let some things fall through the cracks – just be sure that safety isn’t one of them. 
As you make it through another busy Holiday Season with your kids, be wary of these common holiday-safety pitfalls.

• Candles – these blazing accessories are an accident waiting to happen.  Make sure lit candles are placed far from anything flammable.  And make sure they’re not in reach of children. 
• Décor – holiday decorations, while festive, are potential hazards for young children.  Make sure your garlands and small bobbles are either secured or out of reach if kids are around.  Keep in mind that low-hanging tree ornaments look like toys to toddlers and crawling babies.  And all those extension cords needed for holiday lights are especially dangerous if accessible to little ones.
• Meat – that big turkey or huge ham calls for extra-attentive culinary skills.  Since most of us aren’t used to cooking such large amounts of meat for one meal, take special care to cook the meat thoroughly.  Invest in a meat thermomether, if you don’t already have one, to ensure your meat is cooked just right.
• Leftovers – no matter if it’s the main course or a side dish, get those leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as possible.  Unhealthful bacteria will thrive on food that’s left at room temperature for too long.
• Toys – in addition to avoiding toys with lead, make sure your presents are age-appropriate for their recipients.  Keep “big kid” toys” out of reach from the tiny tots.  Toys with small or removable parts, magnets or batteries should be kept away from very young children to prevent choking or swallowing incidents.
• Packaging and wrapping – take care to clean up the gift wrap, ribbon and product packaging that are bound to be strewn about the floor.  Cuts from paper and hard plastic are common reasons breaking out the first aid kit during the holidays.
• Germs – keep the germs away by asking all your houseguests (children and adults) wash their hands frequently.  It’s a good practice to encourage kids to wash their hands before and after playtime.  Be sure every person has her or his own towel that has a place to dry out completely before next use.  If the kids are sharing beds, wash the sheets every other day and make sure there’s no pillow swapping.

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