When we think of doing things to protect the safety of our children or grandchildren, some of the traditional reminders come to mind such as cooking safety, covering our electrical outlets, or water safety. When a member of the child's home is receiving health care services, more unique safety concerns arise. Some ways to protect your child include:

• Keep all appliance cords to oxygen or other medical devices safely tucked out of reach to avoid a child tripping over the cord, or pulling over the equipment. This is also true for taking care with oxygen tubing which sometimes stretches from room to room.
• Request child-proof caps for all medications you receive from your pharmacist.
• Keep all hazardous chemicals out of reach in a locked cabinet.
• Use a child resistant sharps container for storing used insulin syringes or other medical hazardous waste.
• When administering prescriptions to a child, always measure medications with an accurate measuring device rather than a household spoon for example, to avoid overdosing or under-dosing your child.