Spring break child safety travel tips for hotel rooms, rental homes

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Many of you are planning to travel for spring break, but is the room or rental home you're staying in safe for children?

People on vacation tend to let their guard down and may not have the same worries as at home. But child advocacy groups are urging parents to make sure the hotel or rental home you're staying in is safe for your kids.

For many families, spring break is just around the corner. But for parents, vacation fun can quickly turn into tragedy if you're not careful.

"Almost every 30 minutes, a child is rushed to the emergency room With a tip over incident," said Nancy Cowles, executive director of the non-profit organization Kids in Danger. "And about every 11 days, a child dies when a dresser tips over on them."

Cowles says one of the most dangerous hazards for children is furniture that is not anchored. With forth-term rentals becoming increasingly popular, there a re a number of things to check on for those with small children.

Do a full walkthrough of the property before settling in and consider bringing an anchor kit for furniture that isn't already anchored.

"If there's rooms where there's unanchored furniture, maybe keep the door shut or locked," Cowles said.

Next, you'll want to make sure your child has a safe place to sleep.

Many parents travel with their own pack and play, but if the host does have a crib, check the manufacturer to make sure there are no open recalls.

"You want to make sure they aren't providing a full size adult sheet, that they have fitted sheets for the product itself, because that loose sheet can cause entanglement problem for the baby," Cowles said.

Last but least, is there a pool on property?

"When you're on vacation there's a lot of adults around, someone can always assume someone else is watching the child," Cowles said.

An adult should be present at all time without their phone so that there aren't any distractions.

There are steps to help put you and your family at ease so that you can have a fun and safe spring break vacation.

Parents will also want to check for blinds in short term rental homes, the cord can cause a safety hazard for kids as well.

For more information, visit www.anchorit.gov and kidsindanger.org/2019/06/summer-vacation-hotel-and-airbnb-safety.