Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’re offering tips for a safe and healthy holiday season. Candles add a warm glow to your home as part of your holiday decor, but they increase the risk for fire and burns. Dr. Robert Wiebe, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says candles should be kept where children and pets can’t get to them, and they shouldn’t be burned unless an adult is in the room. Keep them away from draperies and other flammable material, too.
Oil lamps and scent discs that smell like foods — gingerbread, cookies, apple pie, and the like - can be a temptation to small children, who might try to eat them. Keep these out of reach of children. If these are eaten, they can cause aspiration pneumonia. If they’re hot or burning, they could cause serious burns.
###
December 2006
Health Watch is heard Monday through Friday nationwide on ABC Satellite Radio. Call your local radio station and ask if they carry the program.
