Safety Measures to be Taken when Buying Child Clothing

Here are some points to note on safety of children before you buy your child clothing :

Ensure that small items attached to clothing are not easily detached or removed

Small items such as buttons, zipper pull, snaps or any decorative sequines should not be easily detach from your child's clothing as this poses a choking hazard to young children.

Avoid hazardous items such as drawstrings

Children's jackets and sweatshirts with drawstrings around the hood or neck of children's outerwear presents a strangulation hazard. Children can get entangled and strangle in the drawstrings that catch on objects, including playground equipment, fences and tree branches.

Avoid Flammable Loose-Fitting Garments

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns people not to put children to sleep in loose-fitting T-shirts or other over-size clothes made from cotton or cotton blends. These garments can catch fire easily and are associated with 200 to 300 emergency room-treated burn injuries to children annually. Loose-fitting clothing stands away from the body, making contact with an ignition source more likely. Loose-fitting, non-flame-resistant clothing allows an air space next to the body that helps keep the fire burning, possibly injuring children.

It is safer to put your children in flame-resistant or snug-fitting sleepwear. Flame-resistant garments do not continue burning when removed from a small open flame. Snug-fitting garments need not be flame-resistant because they are made to fit closely against a child's body. Their stretchy fabrics make them comfortable. Snug-fitting sleepwear does not ignite easily and, even if ignited, does not burn as rapidly because there is little air under the garment to feed a fire.