re: flame resistant pj's

Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
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In a message dated 12/21/2007 11:15:19 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, webmaster@straightdope.com writes:

OK, enough seasonal cheer. If you don’t get why kids are more susceptible

to fire-related injury at night, you’re not thinking hard enough.

May I offer one other scenario that actually happened in 1961 to my 6-year-old sister? One cold winter morning while everyone else slept, she and my 5 year-old-brother, being curious children, were playing with a portable space heater, holding broom straws and scraps of paper in the heating element (pre-“safer” space heaters also!!) and watching them burn. At one point, the paper my brother was holding started to burn his fingers, so he panicked and threw it and it landed on my sister’s non-flame retardant nightgown. I was only 3 and do not remember the incident, but I do remember my sister being in the hospital for what seemed like an eternity, with third-degree burns over half her chest and right arm. Of course, this was before the government regulation.

Tell those joking mothers that there is nothing funny about flame-retardant pj’s.

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Carolyn, welcome. :slight_smile: Hopefully you will kick off your shoes, put your feet up, and stay a bit. :slight_smile:

I will point out, though, that the accident you describe would have happened with nearly any clothing, not just pajamas. But we don’t require every clothing item be flame-retardant, only pajamas and similar wear. The reason for this is because of what Uncle Cecil said. In the case of your sister, pajamas or no, she was gonna be in trouble. :frowning:

Enjoy your visit and we hope you stay. :slight_smile:

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<mod>

Welcome, Carolyn.

In this forum it is customary to put a link to the column in question.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/071221.html

No problem. Glad you’re here and hope to hear more from you.

</mod>

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Maybe I’m restating the obvious but, in his list, Cecil didn’t mention the fact that fire-retardant snug-fitting pyjamas would really come in handy when fleeing a burning building with my children in my arms!