Child safety in the home

Moses baskets
Thousands of babies have spent their first few months in a traditional Moses basket. UK doctors recently warned, however, that these pretty straw carrycots are a potential health hazard because babies are at risk of falling out of them. Within two months, staff at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside saw three cases of babies injured by Moses basket tumbles, two of whom had fractured skulls.

There have been 24 other similar accidents in the past ten years, according to Department of Trade and Industry data. It's likely that there have been many more accidents that have gone unreported. Writing in the British Medical Journal, researchers at the hospital blame the problem on the handles, which are too short and do not meet in the middle. When carrying the Moses basket you need to have a very tight grip.

According to researchers, current standards for carrycots from the British Standards Institute do not cover the length of handles.

Make it safe: When buying a Moses basket make sure the handles meet. If you already have a basket with short handles, be aware of the problem and carry with caution.

Dishwasher tablets
'We have heard of children being poisoned by dishwasher tablets,' says Charlotte Stark. 'Children pick them up from the dishwasher door when it is being loaded, or they are stored somewhere accessible as parents don't think of them as poisonous. The little tablets look appealing.' Children have been taken to hospital and been quite sick because they have put dishwasher tablets into their mouths, although it is not thought that there have been any deaths.

Make it safe: Keep dishwasher tablets out of children's reach and only insert one into the dishwasher door when you are about to put a wash on.