| Balloons are a great feature in a baby naming | | | | Because balloons can present a hazard to small |
| ceremony. They are connected in the minds of | | | | children and to wildlife, you should take precautions |
| everyone with the joy and irrepressible fun of | | | | both when using balloons as decorations and when |
| childhood and so they are commonly used as | | | | releasing them as part of the naming ceremony. |
| decoration in the area in which the baby naming | | | | So choose latex balloons, made from natural rubber, |
| ceremony is being held, and at the front gate, and | | | | for a balloon release because they will explode once |
| may be incorporated in the actual ceremony as a | | | | they reach the stratosphere and so minimis the risk |
| balloon release at the end to symbolise hopes and | | | | to wildlife. And observe the following safety |
| wishes for the child. | | | | precautions to ensure that no child is harmed. |
| You can have the godparents release balloons, the | | | | - Never attach balloons to a cot, high chair or a child's |
| parents can release a single balloon, you can | | | | bed. Balloons with ribbons can cause strangulation of |
| orchestrate a mass release of balloons (put them in a | | | | children under 3 years old. |
| box turned upside down so all you need to do is lift | | | | - Do not allow children to use helium to inflate |
| the box up and they will make their way to the sky) | | | | balloons without supervision. Do not inhale helium. |
| or you can give each individual a balloon to hold | | | | Helium displaces the oxygen that is necessary for life |
| between their hands and release at a particular point | | | | and causes headaches, dizziness, breathing difficulties, |
| in the ceremony. | | | | and, eventually, unconsciousness. |