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Kayla is lucky to be alive after a 30kg large flat screen TV crushed her little body. Kayla’s accident is a warning to all parents with large flat screen TV’s and small children. Learn the essential baby home safety tips for large screen TV’s to keep your baby safe.

In the state of Victoria, Australia, (pop’n.5,427,700) the rate of injury to children from falling televisions which resulted in hospitalisation of the child, has risen from 37 in 2000 to 101 in 2009. Leg and foot injuries are among the most common to children under 5, followed by head, face and neck injuries, and unfortunately one child has died from a falling television.

Kayla’s mother heard a loud crash coming from the room where 4 year old Kayla had been watching TV. The 30 kg large screen TV which had been sitting on top of a chest of drawers had fallen more than a metre onto Kayla’s little body with only her feet visible below the large TV.

Kayla suffered a large cut to the side of her head and had blood coming out of her mouth,ear and nose and was also not breathing for a short period of time.

Kayla’s mother held her little girl as she thought she was dying.

Kayla was taken to hospital in a critical condition, doctors were unsure if she would survive. Kayla’s mother said “I never imagined in my wildest dreams a television could do so much damage.” Neurosurgeons operated on Kayla’s damaged brain lining and part of her skull was removed to allow room for her brain to swell. She was in an induced coma for 6 days hovering between life and death, with her mother at her side.

Six weeks on and Kayla is making a miraculous recovery with further surgery on her skull to come. Doctors hope she will make a full recovery but expect it will take a long time and she may be left with subtle deficits.

Kayla’s accident highlights the dangers of large screen TV’s to small children, when babyproofing your home the television is often overlooked, but obviously as parents we need to include large televisions on our baby home safety checklist.

7 baby home safety precautions for your large screen TV you must know:

1. Match the stand or cabinet to the size of the TV – it should have a wide, deep and sturdy base.
2. If you are not using a TV stand, place the TV as far back as possible on a low, stable surface.
3. Use wall brackets and straps to anchor the TV to a wall – A length of lightweigt chain is ideal to attach to the back of the TV and then anchor to a fixture on the wall, make sure the wall fixture e.g. a strong hook, is attached to a wall stud.
4. Keep TV cords behind the furniture where children cannot reach them.
5. Do not use TV cabinets with drawers immediately under the TV, as this is more likely to overturn when a loaded drawer is opened.
6. Do not place the remote control and other items attractive to children on top of the TV where they may try to reach them.
7. Never place the TV on unstable furniture such as a chest of drawers, speakers or a trolly.

To learn how to protect your baby or child in all situations, further baby home safety advice can be found conveniently in one complete baby safety guide:‘Baby Safety’.

 As part of your baby home safety plan you might like to consider a baby video monitor with the extra security of always being able to see your baby.  Take a look at The Baby Video Monitor Shop where you will find the best reviews and purchase price on Baby Video Monitors.

 Source material for Kayla’s(not real name) accident, Melbourne Herald Sun Newspaper, reporter M.Betts.

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