10 Surprising Safety Hazards

The Danger: Dishwashers give children easy access to sharp knives and forks. Detergent can irritate your child's skin and eyes and can burn the lining of her mouth and esophagus if swallowed. "It's extremely corrosive and dangerous," warns Parents advisor Ari Brown, MD, author of Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year.

Safe Strategy: Point knives, forks, and other sharp items downward in the utensil basket. Don't fill the dispenser with detergent until you're ready to run the load, and wipe out any that's left over after each cycle. Always replace the cap on the bottle tightly, and store it in a locked cabinet. Keep the dishwasher closed and latched when it's not in use.

The Danger: Since 1973, more than 110 children have choked to death when chewing on or blowing up latex balloons. "Latex balloons are one of the worst things to choke on because they can conform to a child's throat and completely block breathing," explains Mariann Manno, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and emergency medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Worcester.

Safe Strategy: Buy Mylar balloons instead of latex ones. Always supervise children playing with latex balloons, and never allow biting or chewing on balloons. Don't let children blow up latex balloons until 8 years old, and then watch closely to make sure they don't accidentally inhale one. When a balloon pops, immediately throw away the pieces.

The Danger: Used toys and baby equipment may have broken or missing parts, or may not meet current safety regulations. Jamie Schaefer-Wilson, author of The Baby Rules: The Insider's Guide to Raising Your Parents, unknowingly placed her 12-month-old in a high chair without correct safety straps. "She started to slip down, and her head and neck became wedged between the tray and the high chair. Fortunately we caught her in time, or she could have been seriously injured."Safe Strategy: Inspect secondhand items for damaged or missing parts. Make sure strings, straps, and cords are shorter than 7 inches. Visit cpsc.gov to confirm the item meets current safety standards. Don't let children play with decades-old metal or painted toys, which may contain poisonous lead.

The Danger: Some bath and baby oils contain liquid hydrocarbons, which can cause a serious pneumonia-like condition, irreversible lung damage, and even death if a child aspirates the substance into their lungs.

Safe Strategy: The CPSC requires child-resistant packaging for products containing hydrocarbons. Read labels and store all bath and baby oils out of your child's reach, even if they're in child-resistant packaging. (The same goes for other household and cosmetic products containing liquid hydrocarbons or mineral oil, such as some makeup removers, massage oils, and nail-polish dryers.) "Child-resistant caps don't always keep kids out -- they just slow them down," says Karen Sheehan, MD, an emergency-room physician at Children's Memorial Hospital, in Chicago.

The Danger: About 100,000 children under age 10 are treated in hospital emergency rooms every year for dog-bite-related injuries, according to the CDCP. The majority of attacks happen in familiar places by a dog that belongs to the victim's family or friend. Pet food and pet toys with small parts can also be choking hazards.

Safe Strategy: Never leave children alone with a dog. Having dogs spayed or neutered can reduce aggressive tendencies. Teach children to be gentle with dogs and to never tease, corner, or disturb a dog that's eating, sleeping, or caring for puppies. Until children are 3, don't buy pet toys with small parts that can be pulled off. Remove hard dog food when pets are done eating.

The Danger: Car windows cause hundreds of children to lose their fingers or crush limbs each year. They've been associated with at least 28 deaths, according to Kids and Cars, a nonprofit child-advocacy group. If children put their head or hand out the window, then accidentally lean on the switch, the window can close on them.

Safe Strategy: Use the lock function so children can't operate power windows. "Before you raise a window from the driver's seat, do a head- and finger-check first," says Janette Fennell, founder and president of Kids and Cars. Never leave your child alone in a vehicle.