Is sleeping near an electrical outlet safe?

[Ava Rose]

The baby's crib is next to an electrical outlet. My son slept in the same room at one time and the outlet was at his headboard. My mom told me that it is unsafe but had no details. Does anyone know if it really is safe to sleep by outlets or should I find a away to move the crib. I did read online that cell phones and alarm clocks should be 6 inches from the bed and tvs and computers should be 6 feet from the bed. Who knows. Digging through what's real, what's imagined, what's paranoia and what's good sense can be difficult at times.

 

[KrisRV]

well Ava I don't know if it's bad to sleep by one, maybe what she means the baby could stick something through the hole of the outlet and get hurt. that is what I think she might mean.

 

[dalynnrmc]

Yeah - sticking something in it is the danger. Put a plastic plugger in it and I'm sure it's fine.

The deal with having things - alarm clocks and such - away from cribs is the danger of pulling it out of the outlet (which could cause electrical problems, possibly fire), and also the strangulation danger of the cords themselves.


But yeah, outlets just alone don't pose any real danger, as long as nothing is stuck into them that should be. (And assuming the wiring in the house is fine. I guess a random electrical fire starting at an outlet is a possibility, but that totally gets into living by fear and I personally think living that way is just silly. LOL ymmv)


2c

 

[Ava Rose]

I wasn't worried about fires or her touching the outlet...my mom alluded to the fact that it caused short term memory. She didn't know where she heard it...gee maybe her bed is by an outlet..LOL. I just wondered if anyone knew something. THANKS!

 

[becky]

Yeah - sticking something in it is the danger. Put a plastic plugger in it and I'm sure it's fine.

The deal with having things - alarm clocks and such - away from cribs is the danger of pulling it out of the outlet (which could cause electrical problems, possibly fire), and also the strangulation danger of the cords themselves.


But yeah, outlets just alone don't pose any real danger, as long as nothing is stuck into them that should be. (And assuming the wiring in the house is fine. I guess a random electrical fire starting at an outlet is a possibility, but that totally gets into living by fear and I personally think living that way is just silly. LOL ymmv)


2c

I have trouble getting those darn plastic things out!!

 

[Ava Rose]

Me too, Becky!!!

 

[dalynnrmc]

LOL They are made to be difficult to take out, silly-heads!

And, I'd bet the causing memory loss thing is old and doesn't take into consideration the scientific facts about how electricity travels. It's not like a microwave or cell phone that uses free-travelling waves - the waves only travel through the wire, and won't jump out and get anybody.

My dh's family has a lot of superstitious (or just plain silly) fears/beliefs like that. Sometimes I explain to them how they can't be true. Sometimes I just leave it alone. :lol:

 

[StoneFamily]

They make these outlet covers that is all one part and you have to slide the outlet in order to use it. They are really good. But kind of pricy but sometimes you can get them at a place like big lots or dollars stores.

Here is a website that offers different varieties. In my DDs room my choice is set her crib under a drafty window or by an outlet or infront of a door.... we choose the outlet.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/search.jsp?N=0&Nty=1&Ntk=Def&Ntx=mode matchpartialmax&Ntt=outlet

 

[Cornish Steve]

If I read your question correctly, you were more concerned about the impact of electrical fields on your baby's health.

I'm not an expert on this, but I do have a PhD in physics, so I can pass along what I know. For many years, research has been done on this topic. Some, based on research in rats, claim that electric fields can cause problems with the nervous system (which, of course, is driven by electrical pulses) - but the field would have to be very strong, your exposure would have to be extensive, and you'd have to be very close for the effects to be serious.

Is it safe to live in a house that has electricity pylons and wires close by? The answer seems to be yes. The strength of a field varies as the square of distance, and you're usually 100 yards or more away. What about sleeping near an electrical outlet? The electric field there is no worse than that close to a wire that runs behind the wall. The fact that there's an outlet close by is immaterial.

The one thing I would be concerned about is cellphones. The power generated in cellphone batteries can be substantial. You've probably heard it's effect on your radio even when the phone is several feet from it. Just imagine the strength of the electric field going through your brain. Personally, while I don't steer away from using a cellphone, I prefer to use it hands-free or with a headset if I know a call will last some time. Some well-known personalities, such as the British entrepreneur Richard Branson, refuse to use a cellphone without a headset so they don't have to hold the battery so close to their brain. (I wouldn't be surprised at all if, in 50 years' time, people look back at us holding cellphones to our ear, as we now look back at the Curies holding radioactive material in their hands, and think we were crazy.)

So, if I was going to keep anything away from a small child, it would be a cellphone. Other than the danger of sticking fingers in an outlet, which others have mentioned, I wouldn't worry too much about electric fields from an outlet.

 

[Ava Rose]

Thanks Steve, that's exactly what I was asking! A PhD in physics, huh? I was just telling my dh that if I could go back to school for anything it would be physics. Of course that was only after spending a year teaching my kids physics on an elementary level.. I truly loved it though and it made me wish I stayed with science in college rather than psychology. Physics is so much more fun than human behavior! My son thought studying the physics of sports was fascinating. My dd loved building motors and making batteries. Anyway...thanks again!

 

[Cornish Steve]

I was just telling my dh that if I could go back to school for anything it would be physics.

Good on you!

It's disappointing to me that physics has such a bad reputation. I've sometimes thought about leaving the business world to return to academia, just to bring a little fun to physics. Why are there two high tides every day and not one? Why could people living in the south of England hear the battle of Waterloo whereas people living in France, just 20 miles from the battle, could not? What's wrong with the physics of 'Back to the Future', and so on. Physics is the most fascinating subject under the sun.

 

[Ava Rose]

Physics is so awesome, I agree! I would love to start a traveling science show for kids so they could experience science and not be so afraid of it. This country needs more science majors...and there also needs to be more Christians who major in science..but that's another topic for discussion..the fear some Christians have in science.

 

[Cornish Steve]

Physics is so awesome, I agree! I would love to start a traveling science show for kids so they could experience science and not be so afraid of it. This country needs more science majors...and there also needs to be more Christians who major in science..but that's another topic for discussion..the fear some Christians have in science.

I agree with you completely. Without meaning to get into controversial waters, it took Francis Collins - wonderful evangelical Christian man, brilliant scientist, and head of the human genome project - several years to find a church in which he felt comfortable. Closer to home, I feel obliged in church to hide my background in science, avoid discussion on the topic, and sometimes bite my tongue because I really don't want to cause problems. It's sad that we've reached such a point where science is viewed as an 'enemy' to faith. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[Birbitt]

I always put the crib away from electrical outlets but only becasue I was concerned about the fire hazard as my child got older and had blankets in his crib. I never like to have anything cloth or paper near an electrical outlet because I'm always afraid that it might start a fire. I'm paranoid about fires though after having worked with the Volunteer Fire Department where I grew up for so long. Fire safety is one thing drilled into my head and I drill it into my children.

 

[Ava Rose]

I agree with you completely. Without meaning to get into controversial waters, it took Francis Collins - wonderful evangelical Christian man, brilliant scientist, and head of the human genome project - several years to find a church in which he felt comfortable. Closer to home, I feel obliged in church to hide my background in science, avoid discussion on the topic, and sometimes bite my tongue because I really don't want to cause problems. It's sad that we've reached such a point where science is viewed as an 'enemy' to faith. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, this is off topic...lol...but some of the best conversations stem from going off the path a bit. My dh and I have always hated how churches see science as man's way of trying to disprove God. Personally, I see God's full glory in science. Afterall, who created the earth? If we truly believe God created the earth than we should embrace science and not run from it. Sure, science sometimes takes a corner and is used to try and disprove God....but no topic is safe from enemy attack. I think the divide between science and God causes more to doubt and be persuaded in the wrong direction. When I think of the laws of physics (and keep in mind, I know very little on the topic..lol) I see God...I see His greatness. It is not immoral or ungodly to see a rainbow as a covenant and for its scienific properties.

Even beyond that...I see so many chrisitans afraid of ambition. Afraid to achieve because they think somehow it is a show of unfaithfulness. I get tired of girls so full of promise to go onto do very little because they are trying to fulfill a role and not a dream. I believe God puts dreams in your heart and maybe that dream is your role.

Okay..looks like I am rambling...yet again!!!

Steve...please try not to hide your background. Maybe you can write a physics curriculum from a christain perspective??? I am tired of thinking I need to buy only secular science because those written from a Christian perspective are substandard. I would love for my kids to see a Christian man can also be a man of science!