This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about getting set up for the holiday season. Previously, we talked about how to hang lights from your rooftop without injuring yourself. Another thing to consider when decorating is whether your decorations will hurt someone else.

Dr. Robert Wiebe, a pediatric emergency medicine expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says you need to be especially careful about children at this time of year. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy for them to get into dangerous things without adults noticing. To help make the environment safer for small children, start by being aware of your decor. Anything that can fit in a child’s mouth is a potential choking hazard. That includes lights, small ornaments and pine needles. Candles and oil lamps can be a danger, not only because they’re a fire hazard but because hot oil or wax that smells like food may tempt children into tasting them. Many popular holiday plants, including poinsettias and mistletoe, are poisonous when eaten.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/pediatrics to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in pediatrics.