Doctors Warn Parents To Watch Out For Holiday Hazards

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It can be the most wonderful time of the year, but doctors warn that it can also be one of the most dangerous. Among the hustle and bustle there are some dangers your should know about.

CBS 11 News spoke with Liz Petty, a public health educator with The North Texas Poison Center. She said one of the biggest concerns is young children putting objects in their mouths. One big offender every year is the button battery. If your child ingests one, you should seek medical attention.

Another holiday hazard: decorative bubble lights.

"The liquid inside the bubble lights contains methylene chloride which in the body can actually be turned into carbon monoxide," said Petty. "Of course Carbon monoxide can be deadly."

If a light breaks, Petty said to be careful cleaning it up. You don't want to make direct contact with your hands, and make sure it stays out of the reach of tiny hands.

Another item to keep an eye on: bath bombs. While they are fantastic gifts to help you unwind, the kids could be tempted to get ahold of them.

"Bath bombs are fun, they're colorful, they're attractive to small children," Petty said. "Now if I child takes a bite out, that's not going to be very much harm. It's not going to taste very good. Their mouth might be bubbling a little bit. You want to rinse it out."

Petty said it would be a bigger problem if a child ingested the entire bath bomb. She said they are full of sodium, which can have some toxicity.

Petty said to also keep an eye on your perfume and cologne.

"If ingested we can have some problems, especially with small children," Petty said. "It does reduce their blood sugar. It could put them in a severe coma."

Finally, don't forget about your four-legged friends. No one wants an emergency trip to the vet. It's best to keep those holiday gift baskets out of Fido's reach.

"They're fun, they have lots of yummy foods in them that maybe toxic to your pets if they have chocolate, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, things like that."

If you have any issues, or your concerned your child might have ingested something dangerous you can always call the Poison Helpline: 1-800-222-1222.