Why toddlers and babies should NEVER be left unattended

A 19-month-old girl has died of severe burn injuries in the US after one of her three-year-old siblings put her in the oven and turned the device on.

Little J’zyra Thompson was one of four kids who had been left alone in a Houston apartment on Monday 16 November by their mother and her boyfriend, according to news reports.

Left to their own devices, J’zyra and two of her siblings reportedly began playing with the oven, following which the tragedy happened.

Allegedly, the children’s mother and her boyfriend left the children alone without even informing their grandmother, who lived in the same apartment complex.

The little girl’s mother tried performing CPR when she got home, but it was too late. J’zyra was too seriously burned to be saved by then.

The two 3-year-olds told Child Protection Services workers that “they made the oven ‘hot’ and that the baby was kicking the oven door while inside”, according to court records.

An abc13 News report quotes court documents as stating that the mother of the children often left them alone at home to drive her boyfriend to a pizza place, where he worked.

Charges are expected to be filed against the mother and her boyfriend, and the three other children in the house are in the custody of Child Protection Services.

Your child’s safety in the home — never to be taken for granted

The case highlighted in the article is extreme. The majority of parents would never leave four young children, unsupervised, at home by themselves.

But disaster can strike even when children are in the care of their parents or other adults.

Just take the recent story we brought to your attention about the seven-year-old Singaporean boy who now can’t walk or talk after a near-drowning experience. Or the toddler in India who died following a horrific accident involving a lift.

These tragedies highlight the importance of always monitoring young children when they are in potentially dangerous environments — such as near elevators/ escalators, or playing in and around water.

The sad story of little J’zyra also reminds parents of babies and toddlers to childproof their homes.

Childproof your home systematically and thoroughly to prevent horrible disasters from happening.

Here are some quick tips on childproofing your home:

• As much as possible, keep young children out of the kitchen. Consider barricading the entrance to the kitchen to prevent inquisitive toddlers and babies from entering.

• Safety latches should be installed on all cabinets and drawers to keep children away potentially poisonous household products and medicines.

• Pot handles should always be turned toward the back of the stove to keep hot pots and pans out of the reach of children.

• If you use electrical appliances in a bathroom, unplug them after use to prevent electrocution from contact with water in the bathroom. Also keep items such as hair straighteners away from children to prevent burns.

• Install toilet locks to keep toilet lids closed because children are more top-heavy than adults and can lean and fall into a toilet easily. They also can drown in just one inch of water,  not to mention the risk of your child getting very ill if he/she consumes the water in the bowl.

• Set the water heater thermostat to 48 degrees Celsius. It takes just three seconds for a child to sustain third-degree burns from water at 60 degrees Celsius.

For more detailed information on childproofing your home, read this theAsianparent article.

We at theAsianparent are so sorry for the unnecessary loss of little J’zyra’s life. RIP little angel. 

Parents, what safety rules do you have in your own homes? Do share this valuable information with us in a comment below.