Jeopardy can lurk in the most unexpected places when there's a tot around. Here's where to look

We all know that stairs, saucepan handles and garden ponds suddenly become dangerous when you have young children. However, if you are trying to childproof your home, there are other less obvious hazards that warrant attention too.

Mineral oils
Most parents wouldn't think twice about leaving a bottle of baby oil on the changing mat, but such is the concern about this product in America, that new regulations have just been set in place there to ensure that bottles are always fitted with childproof caps. This also applies to sunscreens and bath oils, which like baby oil contain ten per cent or more hydrocarbon, a watery mineral oil.

If ingested, mineral oil can coat the lungs and cause a deadly form of chemical pneumonia. The main concern about hydrocarbons is that, if they are swallowed, a child then chokes and breathes it into their lungs.

Deaths in the US caused by hydrocarbon poisoning have been rare (five children have died from 1993 to date, three of them from baby oil). However, much larger numbers have to be admitted to casualty (6,400 children between 1997 to 1999). In the UK there is little general knowledge about the health problems associated with accidental ingestion of this oil in personal care products, which is sometimes referred to as 'liquid Vaseline', and there are no requirements that products should have safety caps.

Make it safe: Keep mineral oils out of the reach of children. If your child does accidentally consume a product that contains hydrocarbon, it's very important that you don't try to induce them to vomit, as this makes inhalation more likely. Seek medical attention immediately.

Grapes and cherry tomatoes
Between eight and ten children die every year in this country due to choking on food. Grapes and cherry tomatoes are among the latest foods to cause concern. Colourful, round and sweet, they are attractive to children, and parents are often delighted to be able to feed their offspring such healthy food. But they are the perfect size to get trapped in small throats.

Make it safe: The main thing is to supervise small children when they are eating. 'Get them to sit down, rather than wander around with food,' advices Charlotte Stark of the Child Accident Prevention Trust. Cut grapes and cherry tomatoes in half. Sit children down to eat and supervise them at all times.

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.

Mouthwash
It may seem like harmless minty stuff to help you freshen up dragon breath, but be warned, many mouthwashes contain alcohol, sometimes as much as 37 per cent. The British Medical Journal reported a recent case, in which a three-year-old boy collapsed after drinking a bottle of supermarket extra-strength mouthwash. Fortunately, he made a full recovery in hospital, but other children have not been so lucky. There have been seven other similar cases reported worldwide, two of which have died.

Doctors point out that mouthwash is palatable, often brightly coloured, and is usually kept in easy-to-reach places. Manufacturers are not required to have childproof caps, although many now do.

Make it safe: Choose alcohol-free mouthwash or one fitted with a childproof cap. Keep it out of your child's reach.

Curtain cords and tie-backs
There was a recent tragedy when a toddler hung himself on a curtain tie-back. Charlotte Stark also warns against looped curtain and blind cords hanging over cots or near furniture where children might be able to strangle themselves. 'There are very small numbers of accidents thankfully, but it does happen,' she says.

Make it safe
Try not to use tie-backs. If you have cords to open and close your curtains and blinds, there are tension and tie-down devices available, or you can simply cut the loop so that you have two straight pieces.